c 


•tw. 


•THE 


UNDERGROUND  WORLD-: 


A    MIRROR    OF 

LIFE  BELOW  THE  SURFACE, 

WITH  VTV1D   DESCRIPTIONS  OF  THK 

HIDDEN  WORKS  OF  NATURE  AND  ART. 

COMPRISING 

INCIDENTS  AND  ADVENTURES  BEYOND  THE  LIGHT  OF  DAY. 

INTERESTING  SKETCHES ,       ;•>.('.' 

OF  .      . 

MINES    AND     MINING    IN    ALL    PARTS    OF    THZ    v'OFJX  -*•  CAVUS    Atf  D    THEIR 
MYSTERIES — FAMOUS  TUNNELS — DOWN    IN    THE   DEPTHS  OF  THE   SEA. 
VOLCANOES   AND   THEIR    ERUPTIONS  —  PETROLEUM  —  UNDER- 
GROUND  LIFE   OF    MAN    AND    THE    LOWER  ANIMALS. 
SUBTERRANEAN    WORKS   OF   THE   ANCIENTS. 
BURIED  TREASURES,  ETC.,  ETC. 


THOS.    W.    KNOX, 

Author  of  "Overland  through  Asia"   "Life  and  Adventures  in  tlie  Orient"  "Camp-Fire 
and  Cotton-Field,"    "  The  Boy  Exiles?  etc. 


HARTFORD  : 

THE  J.   B.   BURR   PUBLISHING   CO. 
1877. 


Kl 


COPYRIGHTED. 

THE   J.  B.  BURR  PUBLISHING  Co, 
1877- 


PREFACE. 


THE  chief  intent  of  this  work  is  the  plain,  sufficient,  and  enter- 
taining description  of  the  marvelous  lives  not  only  of  miners,  but 
of  all  whose  lot  or  choice  it  is  to  "  delve  and  dare  "  underground. 
That  its  object  is  secured,  the  author  is  flatteringly  assured  by 
acknowledged  critics, — travelers  and  book-men  themselves,  like  the 
writer,  most  of  them.  rlfae  narratives  of  the  book  are  not  merely 
dry  relations  of  scientific  facts  freighted  with  unnecessary  technical 
terms,  as  might  possibly  be  suspected  from  a  cursory  glance  at  the 
list  of  the  topics  treated,  but  statements  of  most  important  and 
curious  deeds,  and  descriptions  of  hidden  localities  and  lives,  inter- 
spersed with  lively  anecdote  and  "incidents  with  souls  in  them,"  it 
is  believed,  and  the  greater  part  herein  for  the  first  time  given  to 
the  public.  The  table  of  contents  will  suffice  to  show  how  wide 
and  varied  has  been  the  author's  scope  of  observation  and  comment, 
covering  all  the  most  important  parts  of  the  globe. 

But  he  has  not  been  satisfied  with  relying  wholly  upon  his  own 
observations  and  world-studies.  No  man,  however  active  and 
industrious,  can  collate  and  digest  all  the  interesting  information 
which  may  cluster  about  any  important  subject.  The  average  life 
is  too  short  for  the  performance  of  such  exhaustive  study.  The 
author  has  therefore  consulted  many  works  upon  mining  and 
kindred  subjects,  adding  their  funds  of  knowledge  to  his  own 
researches,  in  order,  so  far  forth  as  possible,  to  perfect  his  work. 
Besides,  he  is  specially  indebted  to  Professor  Simonin,  author  of 


PREFACE. 

La  Vie  Souterraine,  and  has  relied  upon  him  for  many  facts  and 
figures,  particularly  in  regard  to  the  coal  mines  of  France  and  other 
countries.  Many  individuals,  professionally  conversant  with  the 
subjects  discoursed  of,  have  also  been  personally  consulted  in 
various  countries;  while  several  literary  gentlemen  of  eminence 
have  kindly  lent  the  author  their  aid.  Among  the  latter  it  is 
permissible  to  mention  Mr.  Junius  Henri  Browne,  of  New  York, 
and  the  late  Col.  Albert  S.  Evans,  of  San  Francisco. 

In  preparing  the  matter  for  the  press,  it  has  been  found  con- 
venient to  make  use  of  words  borrowed  from  the  French  and  other 
languages,  and  also  of  terms  more  or  less  technical  in  their  char- 
acter. They  are  not  numerous,  and  are  so  well  understood  either 
by  context  or  by  popular  use  that  a  glossary  is  not  considered 
necessary. 

The  author  takes  this  opportunity  to  thank  the  newspaper  press 
and  the  public  for  the  generous  reception  accorded  to  his  previous 
publications,  hoping,  in  the  language  of  the  business  card  of  the 
times,  to  merit  a  continuance  of  the  same. 

T.  W.  K. 


CONTENTS 


I. 

BELOW  THE   SURFACE. 

DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  —  WHAT  THE  WORLD  BELIEVES.  —  MUNGO  PARK 
IN  AFRICA.  —  WHY  THE  NATIVES  PITIED  HIM.  —  EXTENT  OF  UNDERGROUND 
LIFE.  —  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  EARTH'S  WEALTH.  —  VALUE  OF  MINES.  — 
THEIR  EXTENT  AND  IMPORTANCE.  —  COAL  AND  IRON.  —  MYSTERIES  OF 
MIXES. — EXPERIENCE  WITH  A  NOVICE. — CHANGES  OF  SEASONS  TO  A 
MINER.  —  DANGERS  IN  MINES.  —  LIFE  IN  CAVERNS.  — UNDERGROUND  IN 
METAPHOR.  —  SOCIAL  MINING.  —  OBJECT  OF  THIS  VOLUME.  .  .  Page  27 

II. 

DISCOVERY  OF  COAL. 

SAVAGE  THEORIES  ABOUT  COAL.  —  EXPERIENCE  OF  A  SIBERIAN  EXPLORING 
PARTY.  —  BURNING  BLACK  STONES.  —  MINERAL  FUEL  AMONG  THE  AN- 
CIENTS. —  THEIR  MOTIVE  POWER.  —  CHINESE  TRADITIONS.  —  CHINESE 
GAS  WELLS.  —  HISTORY  OF  COAL  IN  ENGLAND.  —  A  ROYAL  EDICT.  —  CURI- 
OUS STORY  OF  THE  MINER  OF  PLENEVAUX.  —  EXTENT  OF  COAL  FIELDS 
THROUGHOUT  THE  GLOBE.  —  THE  QUAKER  AND  THE  YANKEE  PEDLER.  — 
THE  FIRST  ANTHRACITE.  —  BELLINGHAM  BAY  AND  THE  CHINOOKS.  —  HOW 
COAL  WAS  FORMED.  —  INTERVIEWING  A  REPTILE.  —  THEORIES  OF  THE 
ANCIENTS.  —  RIVERS  OF  OIL  OF  VITRIOL.  —  ANCIENT  AND  MODERN  FIRE 
WORSHIPPERS 8? 

III. 

BORINGS  AND   SHAFTS. 

HOW  COAL  MINES  ARE  DISCOVERED.  —  OUTCROPPINGS.  —  SCIENTIFIC  RE- 
SEARCHES.—  HOW  A  MARLBE  QUARRY  WAS  FOUND. — BORING  A  WELL, 
AND  WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  —  A  LOCAL  BEBATING  SOCIETY.  —  INTIMATE  RE- 
LATIONS OF  COAL  MINES  AND  THE  STEAM  ENGINE.  —  STRIKING  OIL.  — 

"  DAD'S  STRUCK  ILE."  —  THE  UNHAPPY  MAIDEN'S  FATE.  —  COAL  INSTEAD 
OF  WATER. —  THE  TOOLS  TO  BE  USED.  —  A  DEEP  HOLE.  —  TERRIBLE  AC- 
CIDENT, AND  A  MINER'S  COOLNESS.  —  SINKING  SHAFTS.  —  AN  INGENIOUS 

APPARATUS.  —  ACCIDENTS  IN  SHAFTS.  —  REQUIREMENTS    OF  THE  LAW.       .        53 


Q  CONTENTS. 

IV. 

ACCIDENTS  IN   SHAFTS. 

ADVENTURE  OF   THE  AUTHOR   DESCENDING  A  SHAFT.  —  A  MINUTE  OF  PERIL. 

—  LIFTED  THROUGH  A  SHAFT  BY  ONE  LEG.  —  A  COLLISION  IN  MID-AIR.  — 
SENSATIONS  OF    THE  DESCENT.  —  A  MINER'S  VIEWS  OF  DANGER.  —  PICTU- 
RESQUE SCENE  AT  A  DESCENT.  — -  OFFERING  PRAYERS.  —  SCENE  AT  A  RUS- 
SIAN  MINE.  —  SAFETY   CAGES.  —  THEIR    CONSTRUCTION.  —  A    LUDICROUS 
INCIDENT. — HOW  A  MAN  FAILED  TO    KEEP    AN    ENGAGEMENT. — DOWN  IN 
THE  SALT  MINES  OF   POLAND.  — A  PERILOUS  DESCENT.  —  "PLENTY  MORE 
MEN."  —  ACCIDENT  NEAR  SCRANTON.  —  "  PUTTERS."  —  HOW  GIRLS  WERE 
USED    IN    SCOTLAND.  —  MAN    ENGINES.  —  THE   LEVELS.  —  AN    ACCIDENT 

CAUSED  BY  RATS.  —  THRILLING  AND  FATAL  ADVENTURE  OF  TWO  PENN- 
SYLVANIA MIXERS. — A  FEARFUL  FALL  OF  ROOF.  — CARRYING  A  DYING 
COMRADE  TOWARD  THE  LIGHT  OF  DAY.  —  EIGHT  HOURS  OF  MORTAL 
AGONY 65 

V. 

SILVER  MINES   AND  MINING. 

ANTIQUITY  OF  SILVER.  —  REAL  ESTATE  AND  SLAVE  PURCHASES  IN  BIBLICAL 
TIMES.  —  SOLOMON  AND  HIS  SILVER  SPECULATIONS.  —  ABUNDANCE  OF 
SILVER  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  THE  EARLIEST  MINES.  —  ORIENTAL  EX- 
AGGERATION. —  SPANISH  MINES  AND  THEIR  HISTORY MEXICAN  MINES. 

—  A  NONDESCRIPT  ANIMAL.  —  NOVEL   WAY  OF   OBTAINING  A    PIGSKIN.  — 
PERU  AND   ITS    SILVER.  —  A    HIGH-TONED   CITY.  —  ARIZONA.  —  BEAUTIES 
OF  ARIZONA   CIVILIZATION.  —  MINES  OF  UTAH    AND    NEVADA.  —  SAD   RE- 
SULTS OF  A  SPECULATION 82 

VI. 

SILVER  MINING  IN  NEVADA. 

HOW  GOLD  WAS  DISCOVERED  IN  NEVADA. — A  PECULIAR  "BLACK  SAND," 
AND  WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  —  SILVER  CURSED  AND  THROWN  AWAY. — 
ACCIDENTAL  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  VALUE  OF  THE  ORE.  —  H.  T.  P.  COM- 
STOCK.  —  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE.  —  HOW  MINING  RECORDS  WERE  KEPT.  — 
YIELD  OF  THE  NEVADA  MINES.  — BONANZA  AND  BORRASCA.  —  THE  BIG 
BONANZA. — THE  GRAVE  OF  THE  FORESTS.  —  "WASHOE  ZEPHYRS."  — 
PAY  ROLLS  OF  THE  MINING  COMPANIES. — INTERESTING  DETAILS.  .  97 

VII. 

SPECULATIONS  IN  NEVADA  MINES. 

MINING  SPECULATIONS.  —  SWINDLERS  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON.  —  THE  AU- 
THOR'S  EXPERIENCE.  —  HOW  HE  WAS  CAUGHT.  —  THE  HOOK  AND  THE  WAY 


CONTENTS.  7 

TO    BAIT    IT. — LIMITED    INVESTMENT.   —THE    ADVENTURER'S    STORY. 

FACTS  AND  FIGURES.  — THE  ROMANCE,  AND  THE  SUBSEQUENT  REALITY.-— 

ONE    HUNDRED    PER    CENT.  A    MONTH.  —  IRISH   DIVIDENDS EXPLOSION 

OF  THE  BUBBLE.  —  THE  VICTIMS  AND  THEIR  FATE.  —  NANKEEN  TROUSERS 
IN  WINTER.  —  AN-  ADVENTURER'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  — HOW  HE 
CAUGHT  A  CAPITALIST.  — HELD  BY  THE  GLITTERING  EYE.  .  .  .108 

VIII. 

MINES  AND  MINING  ENTERPRISES  OF  NORTH  AFRICA. 

MINING    AMONG    THE    MOORS,   BERBERS,    AND   ARABS.  —  THE    FRENCH   CON- 
QUEST.—  GEOLOGICAL    SURVEYS. — MINERAL  WEALTH    OF   ALGERIA. — A 

WONDERFUL    IRON     MINE. MOKTER-EL     HADID. HOW     THE     MINE     IS 

WORKED. — VISIT  TO  A  MOUNTAIN  OF  SALT. — A  REMARKABLE  FORMA- 
TION.— ARTESIAN  WELLS  IN  THE  DESERT.  —  SCENE  AT  THE  OPENING 

OF   ONE.  —  EFFECTS    ON   THE   PALM-TREE. A  PROPOSED    INLAND    SEA. — 

THE  SUEZ  CANAL  AND  ITS  HISTORY.  —  HOW  IT  WAS  MADE.  —  ADVAN- 
TAGES TO  THE  WORLD'S  COMMERCE 118 

IX. 

ADVENTURES   OF  DIVERS. 

GOING  UNDER  WATER.  —  PEARL  DIVING.  —  COSTUME  OF  THE  DIVERS.  — 
HOW  THEY  DESCEND.  —  OBTAINING  THE  PEARL  OYSTERS.  —  DIVING- 
BELLS.  —  HOW  THEY  ARE  MADE.  — ADVANTAGES  AND  DISADVANTAGES. 
—  ADVENTURES  IN  DIVING-BELLS.  —  SUBMARINE  ARMOR.  —  ITS  CON- 
STRUCTION AND  USE.  —  A  DIVER'S  ADVENTURE.  —  A  HORRIBLE  SIGHT.  — 
THE  DIVER'S  STORY.  —  A  PEARL  DIVER  AND  A  SHARK.  —  A  NARROW 
ESCAPE.  —  STRATEGY  IN  THE  WATER.  —  PEARL  DIVING.  — PREPARATORY 

STEPS   TO    BE    TAKEN. PREPARING    FOR  THE  SEVERE  TASK. — TRAINING 

THE  PAPOOSES  IN  MEXICO. —  OBTAINING  THE  PEARL  OYSTERS.  —  DIV- 
ING BELLS. — ADVENTURES  IN  DIVING  BELLS.  —  SUBMARINE  ARMOR. 

A    HORRIBLE     SIGHT.  —  THE    DIVER'S     STORY. — A    PEARL   DIVER   AND   A 

SHARK.  —  HOW   TO    AVOID     SHARKS    AND     DOG-FISH. THE     WAYS     THAT 

ARE   DARK,    AND   THE   TRICKS   THAT   ARE   VAIN 129 

X. 

RUSSIAN  MINES  AND  MINING. 

EXTENT  OF  THE  EMPIRE.  —  ITS  MINERAL  RESOURCES.  —  PETER  THE  GREAT, 
AND  WHAT  HE  DID. — NIKITE  DEMIDOFF. — THE  DEMIDOFF  ESTATES. — 
IRON  MINES  AND  A  VISIT  TO  THEM.  —  WHERE  RUSSIA  SHEET-IRON  IS 
MADE. — COPPER  AND  MALACHITE. — A  WONDERFUL  SIGHT.  —  STRANGE 
STORY  OF  AN  EMERALD  NECKLACE.  —  GOLD  MINING  IN  SIBERIA. — 
HARDSHIPS  OF  THE  MINER. — HOW  THEY  ARE  TREATED. —  MODE  OF 
MINING 145 


8  CONTENTS. 

XI. 
A  DAY  IN  POMPEII. 

A  VISIT  TO  POMPEII  —  NEAPOLITAN  HACKMEN.  —  AN  INTERESTING  ADVEN- 
TURE. —  HOW  TO  AVOID  A  QUARREL.  —  BEGGARS.  —  BEGGARY  AS  A  FINE 
ART.  —  A  PICTURESQUE  SCENE.  —  MAKING  MACARONI.  —  TRICKS  OF  AN 
OLD  ROOSTER.  —  POMPEII.  —  ITS  HISTORY.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  BURIED 
CITY.  —  A  SCENE  IN  THE  STREETS.  — AN  ANCIENT  BAKERY.  — HOW  THE 
MILLS  WERE  TURNED.  —  INVESTIGATING  AN  OVEN.  —  A  WONDERFUL  DIS- 
COVERY. —  PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  HOUSES.  —  ADVERTISING  IN  OLD 
TIMES.  —  POMPEIIAN  PERSONALS.  —  A  PICTURE  OF  THE  DESTRUCTION.  — 
OBSCENE  OBJECTS  IN  THE  CITY 157 

XII. 

VESUVIUS   AND  ITS  ERUPTIONS. 

THE  GREAT  ERUPTION  OF  VESUVIUS.  —  WHAT  IT  DID.  —  THREE  CITIES  WIPED 
OUT  . —  LAVA  AND  ITS  CHARACTER.  —  GOING  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN.  —  SKIR- 
MISHING WITH  GUIDES  AND  BEGGARS. — ARCHITECTURAL  STEEDS. — A 
HORSE  WITH  A  HAND  RAIL  AROUND  HIM.  —  COAT-HOOKS  TO  LET.  —  A  MOT- 
LEY CROWD.  —  HOW  AN  AMERICAN  WAS  MOUNTED.  —  A  NEW  MODE  OF 
SPURRING^  —  THE  ROAD  FROM  RESINA.  —  BURNING  LAVA.  —  CROSSING  THE 
LAVA  BEDS.  —  CLIMBING  ON  FOOT.  —  HAPS  AND  MISHAPS.  —  AN  ENGLISH- 
MAN'S ACCIDENT.  —  LIGHTING  A  CIGAR  AT  THE  CRATER.  —  SUFFOCATED  BY 
SULPHUR  FUMES.  —  DOWN  AMONG  THE  ASHES.  —  A  LONG  FALL  AND  SLIDE. 

—  IN    HERCULANEUM.  — UNDERGROUND    BENEATH    THE    CITY.  —  "LOOK 
HERB."  —  HOW  THE  CITY  WAS  DISCOVERED.  — THE  ERUPTION  OF  1872. — 
HORRIBLE  SCENES.  — EXTENT  OF  THE  DESTRUCTION.  .  .  .  .178 

XIII. 

THE  CAVERNS   OF  NAPLES. 

; 

EXCAVATIONS  NEAR  NAPLES.  —  POZZUOLI.  —  VISIT  TO  THE  CAVE  OF  THB 
CUMEAN  SIBYL.  —  ACCIDENT  TO  AN  ENGLISH  TRAVELLER.  —  HUMAN 
PACK-HORSES.  —  DARKNESS  AND  TORCHES.  —  THE  LAKE  OF  AVERNUS.  — 
DROWNED  IN  BOILING  WATER.  —  A  DANGEROUS  WALK.  —  IN  NERO'S  PRIS- 
ON. —  INSTRUMENTS  OF  TORTURE.  —  USE  OF  THE  RACK.  —  THE  IRON  BED- 
STEAD. —  BROILING  A  MAN  ALIVE.  —  TREATMENT  OF  PRISONERS.  —  AN 
ANCIENT  FUNERAL. — VIRGIL'S  TOMB.  —  CONSTRUCTING  WINE  CELLARS. 

—  NOVEL  PLAN  OF   ROBBERY 205 


CONTENTS. 


XIY. 

THE  EXCAVATIONS  OF  DR.  SCHLIEMANN,  AT  MYCENAE  (GREECE). 

HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  IUEAL. THE  TREASURES  OF  PRIAMUS. DESCRIP- 
TION OF  THE  SPOT. — EARLY  HISTORY  OF  MYCENJE. —  PAUSANIAS,  THE 
ANCIENT  ARCHAEOLOGIST. WHERE  THE  EXCAVATIONS  WERE  COM- 
MENCED.  THE  TOMB  OF  AGAMEMNON  AND  HIS  FAITHFUL  WARRIORS. 

DESCRIPTION    OF    THE    TREASURES    FOUND. PROOFS    OF    THE    IMMENSE 

ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  TOMBS. — RECENT  PORTRAITS  TAKEN  OF  HEROES 
OF  ANCIENT  GREECE. — HOW  IT  WAS  DONE.  —  THE  VALUE  OF  THE 
DISCOVERIES  REGARDING  ART  MATTERS.  —  HERACLES  STRUGGLING  WITH 

THE     LION.  DR.    SCHLIEMANN'S     HEROIC   WIFE.  —  DISCOVERY    OF     THE 

TEMPLE     OF   ^SCULAPIUS.  —  A   BYZANTINE     CAVE    UNDER   THE    ROCK. 

A  DISCOVERY  WHICH  FILLS  ATHENS  WITH  JOY.  —  THE  STATUE  OF 
VICTORY  FOUND  IN  ALMOST  PERFECT  CONDITION 221 


XY. 


MEXICO  AND  ITS  MINES. 

THE    USES   OF   SILVER.  —  COIN   AND   ITS  ABUNDANCE.  —  PUZZLES   OF  POLIT- 
ICAL  ECONOMISTS. WONDERFUL    SKILL    OF    THE     SILVER-WORKERS. 

THE  SILVER  PRODUCT. — THE  MINES  OF  MEXICO.  —  THEIR  EXTENT  AND 
RICHNESS.  —  GUANAJUATO  AND  ITS  MINES.  —  THE  VET  A  MADRE. — VISIT 
TO  THE  SERRANO  MINE.  —  UNDERGROUND  PYROTECHNICS. — THE  VETA 

GRAXDE. —  THE      PACHUCA     MINE. — AN     OFFER     TO     THK     KING. THE 

GROUND     PAVED     WITH     SILVER.  —  SULPHUR     MINERS. ASCENT     OF     A 

MEXICAN   MOUNTAIN. 236 

XVI. 

CORAL  REEFS  AND   CAVES  IN  THE  PACIFIC. 

THE     ISLANDS     OF     THE     PACIFIC.  —  HOW     THEY     HAVE     BEEN    FORMED. — 
WHAT     THE     CORAL     IS.  —  THE   WONDROUS   ARCHITECTS    OF    THE    SEA. — 

WHAT   A   UNITED    STATES    STEAMER    SAW. HOW    THE   CORAL  IS    FISHED 

FOR.  —  ROMANTIC    STORY   OF   A   CAVERN. — HOW  IT  WAS    DISCOVERED. 

AN     ELOPEMENT   AND    EXERCISE    IN   DIVING.  —  LOVE   AND    TURTLES. — A 

BATTLE    IN    THE  WATER. — KILLED   BY  SHARKS. A  MAIDEN'S   GRIEF. — 

THE  PERIL  OF  A  LOVER.  —  SURPRISING  A  FATHER-IN-LAW. — END  OF  A 
SUBMARINE  COURTSHIP.  .-  248 


1()  CONTENTS. 

XVII. 
BURGLARS  AND   BURGLARIES. 

REMARKABLE  BURGLARIES.  — UNDER  GROUND  FOR  DISHONEST  PURPOSES.  — 
WONDERFUL  ADROITNESS  OF  BURGLARS.  —  A  REMARKABLE  ROBBERY.  — 
OCCUPATION  OF  A  LAWYER'S  OFFICE.  —  LABOR  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES.  — A 
TROUBLESOME  POLICEMAN.  —  STRANGE  SCENE  IN  COURT.  —  THE  CULPRIT'S 
REPLY.  —  ROBBERY  BY  COUNTERFEIT  POLICEMEN.  —  THE  OCEAN  BANK 
ROBBERY.  — RAPID  AND  THOROUGH  WORK.  —  AN  ASTONISHED  WATCH- 
MAN. —  BAFFLING  THE  POLICE, 264 

XYIII. 

THE  EARLIEST  EXCAVATIONS. 

GRATES  AND  THEIR  CONSTRUCTION.  —  DIFFERENT  MODES  OF  BURIAL.  — 
TOMBS.  — THE  MOST  EXTENSIVE  TOMBS.  —  OBJECT  OF  THE  PYRAMIDS 
OF  EGYPT.  — A  VISIT  TO  THE  GREAT  PYRAMID,  AND  ITS  DESCRIPTION. — 
DIFFICULTIES  OF  CLIMBING.  —  THE  TOMBS  OF  THEBES.  —  A  FAT  AMERI- 
CAN'S ADVENTURE.  —  ENTERING  ,THE  TOMB  OF  ASSASSEEF.  —  RECITING 
POETRY  UNDER  DISADVANTAGES.  —  SWALLOWING  A  BAT.  —  JACK'S  DIS- 
GUST. —  FATE  OF  A  FAT  MAN.  —  STUCK  IN  A  PASSAGE- WAT.  —  HOW  THE 
ARABS  REMOVED  HIM 277 

XIX. 

EXPERIENCES  IN  WILD  LIFE. 

NECESSITIES  OF  TRAVELLERS  IN  WILD  COUNTRIES.  —  CONCEALING  DOG  FOOD. 

DEFENCES  AGAINST  WILD  ANIMALS. HONESTY  OF  CERTAIN  NATIVES. 

THE  AUTHOR'S  EXPERIENCE  WITH  SIBERIAN  KORAKS.  —  CONCEALING  FOOD 
IN  ICEBERGS.  — BARON  WRANGELL  AND  DR.  KANE.  —  STORY  OF  BLANKETS 
AND  BLANKET  STRAPS.  —  A  CACHE.  —  WHAT  IT  IS. AUTHOR'S  FIRST  AC- 
QUAINTANCE WITH  ONE.  —  A  FRAUDULENT  GRAVE.  —  CACHE  OF  A  WHISKEY 
KEG,  AND  HOW  IT  WAS  MADE.  —  "  TWO-BOTTLE  CAMP."  —  CONSOLATION  OF 
A  HARD  DRINKER.  —  AN  EXTENSIVE  CACHE.  —  HOW  THE  INDIANS  FOUND 
IT,  AND  WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM.  —  JIM  FOSTER  AND  HIS  TENDER  HEART.  292 

XX. 

THE  GREEN  VAULTS  OF  DRESDEN. 

THE  RICHEST  TREASURY  IN  THE  WORLD.  —  HOW  THE  SAXON  PRINCES  AC- 
QUIRED IT.  —  THE  DIFFERENT  CABINETS,  AND  WHAT  THEY  CONTAIN.  — 
WONDERFUL  CARVINGS,  MOSAICS,  AND  CURIOSITIES.  — SPLENDID  GOLD  AND 
SILVER  PLATE.  —  MAGNIFICENT  ROYAL  REGALIA.  —  A  LUXURIOUS  AND  GAL- 
LANT MONARCH.  —  ROMANTIC  ADVENTURES.  —  A  MARVELLOUS  TOY.  — 
DAZZLING  EMERALDS,  PEARLS,  RUBIES,  AND  DIAMONDS.  — THE  LARGEST 
AND  MOST  PRECIOUS  GEMS  ON  THE  GLOBE.  —  INGENIOUS  AND  DESPERATE 


CONTENTS.  ^ 

ATTEMPTS  TO  ROB  THE  VAULTS.  —  A  THIEF  WALLED  UP  ALIVE.  —  EFFECT 
OF  EXPOSING  HIS  SKELETON.  — ARE  THE  PRICELESS  JEWELS  FALSE?  — 
WHAT  AN  ENTERPRISING  SCOUNDREL  MIGHT  ACCOMPLISH.  .  .  .  302 

XXI. 

THE   CATACOMBS  OF  PARIS. 

THE  FAIR  CAPITAL  UNDERMINED.  —  HISTORY  OF  THE  VAST  GRAVEYARD.  — 
SIX  MILLIONS  OF  SKELETONS.  —  A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CITY  OF  THE 
DEAD.  —  HORRIBLE  SENSATIONS  OF  BEING  LOST  THERE.  —  GHASTLY  DIS-( 
PLAY  OF  SKULLS  AND  BONES.  —  TRAGIC  AND  COMIC  INCIDENTS.  —  TERRI- 
BLE EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  MIGHTY  CHARNEL-HOUSE.  —  SCENES  NEVER  TO 
BE  FORGOTTEN 314 

XXII. 

PETROLEUM. 

OIL  SPRINGS.  —  THE  FIRE  FIELD  OF  THE  CASPIAN.  —  THE  FIRE  WORSHIPPERS. 

—  THE  RANGOON  DISTRICT.  —  FIRE  WELLS  OF  THE  EAST.  —  PETROLEUM  IN 
AMERICA.  —  ITS  DISCOVERY    AND    HISTORY.  —  OIL    FEVER.  —  ANECDOTES 
OF  SPECULATION.  —  FORTUNES  WON  AND  LOST.  —  EXTRAVAGANCES  OF  THE 
KOUVBAU  RICHE.  —  THE  STORY  OF  JOHN    —  HOW  TO  GET  UP  A  PARTY.      .    331 

XXIII. 

WINE  AND   BEER  CELLARS. 

WINE  CELLARS.  —  HOW  THEY  ARE  MADE.  —  PLACES  FOR  STORING  BEER.  — 
THEIR  EXTENT.  —  THE  GREATEST  WINE  CASK  IN  THE  WORLD.  —  ITS  CA- 
PACITY. —  PECULIARITIES  OF  WINE  AND  BEER  VAULTS.  —  VISITING  A  CEL- 
LAR IN  POLAND.  —  CURIOUS  SIGHTS.  —  THE  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  BOTTLES. 

—  WHAT  A  VISITOR   DID.  —  THE    RESULT   OF    TOO   MUCH  WINE.  —  A  DAN- 
GEROUS BRIDGE 346 

XXIV. 
THE  BASTILE. 

ITS  HISTORY  AND  CONSTRUCTION.  —  THREE    AMERICANS    SEARCHING  FOR  IT. 

—  A  FRENCH  JOKE  AT  THEIR  EXPENSE.  —  HOW  PRISONERS  WERE  RECEIVED 
AND    TREATED.  — HORRIBLE    DUNGEONS.  — THE    OUBLIETTES.  —  CRUEL- 
TIES OF  THE  BASTILE.  —  THE  MAN  IN   THE  IRON   MASK.  —  HIS    ROMANTIC 
STORY.  —  DESTRUCTION  OF  THE   BASTILE.  ...  .    356 


-^2  CONTENTS. 

XXV. 

DIAMONDS   AND  DIAMOND  MINES. 

HOW  DIAMONDS  AJIE  OBTAINED.  —  THE  COUNTRIES  THAT  PRODUCE  THEM.  — 
MODES  OF  SEEKING  THEM  IN  BRAZIL.  —  CURIOUS  PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST 
THEFT.  —  HOW  A  SLAVE  IN  BORNEO  ROBBED  HIS  EMPLOYER.  —  FAMOUS 
DIAMONDS  AND  THEIR  HISTORY.  —  THE  REGENT,  THE  ORLOFF,  AND  THE 
KOHINOOR.  —  FIDELITY  OF  A  SERVANT.  —  THE  STAR  OF  THE  SOUTH.  — A 
SHARP  TRICK  OF  AN  AMATEUR  GAMBLER. 372 

'  XXVI. 

THE  DIAMOND  FIELDS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

MODE  OF  REACHING  THEM.  —  THEIR  EXTENT  AND  RICHNESS. — THE  YIELD 
OF  THE  MINES. — CHARACTER  OF  THE  AFRICAN  DIAMONDS.  —  MODE  OF 
WORKING.  —  THE  NEGROES  AND  THEIR  PECULIARITIES.  —  DU  TOIT's 
PAN. —  KIMBERLEY.  —  COLESBERG  KOPJE.  —  LIFE  IN  THE  FIELDS. — 
DUST  STORMS  AND  HEAVY  RAINS. — A  WHIRLWIND  AND  ITS  EFFECTS. — 
CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM. — INDIVIDUAL  INSTANCES  OF  GOOD  LUCK.  —  A 
DIAMOND  ON  A  BURST 391 

XXVII. 

THE  UNDER-WORLD   OF  PARIS. 

THE  IMMORALITY  AND  LICENTIOUSNESS  OF  THE  CAPITAL.  —  COMPARISON 
WITH  OTHER  CITIES.  — FRENCH  ETHICS  AND  LITERATURE.  —  DIFFERENT 
GRADES  OF  THE  DEMI-MONDE.  — THE  TRUE  STORY  OF  CAMILLE.  — THE 
GARDENS  ON  THE  SEINE.  —  THE  DANCES  AND  THE  DANCERS.  —  THE  PETITS 
SOUPERS  OF  THE  COCOTTES.  —  AFTER-MIDNIGHT  SCENES.  —  ACTRESSES 
AND  CHAMPAGNE.  —  ADVENTURESSES  AND  CHATEAU  MARGAUX.  —  INTE- 
RIOR OF  A  THIEF'S  DEN  AND  MURDERER'S  CELLAR.  —  BLOODTHIRSTY  VI- 
RAGOES AND  DESPERATE  CUTTHROATS 403 

XXVIII. 

THE  EAST  RIVER  BRIDGE. 

LAYING  THE  FOUNDATIONS  UNDER  WATER.  —  HOW  THE  WORK  WAS  PEB- 
FORMED.  —  THE  CAISSON HOW  IT  IS  MADE.  —  ITS  MODE  OF  OPERA- 
TION. —  WORKING  UNDER  WATER.  —  EXPLORING  THE  BED  OF  THE  RIVER. 

—  DESCENDING  INTO  THE  BOX.  —  EFFECTS  OF  A  GREAT  PRESSURE  OF  AIR. 

—  AN    UNPLEASANT    SENSATION.  —  A    STRANGE     SIGHT.  —  ACCIDENTS.  — 
HOW   A   MAN'S    ARM   WAS    CAUGHT.  ;  426 


CONTENTS.  i£ 

XXIX. 

INUNDATION  AT  LALLE. 

INUNDATION  OF  A  MINK  ON  THE  LOIRE.  —  HOW  THE  MEN  WERE  SAVED.  — 
SONG  OF  THE  PUPILS  OF  THE  MINING  SCHOOL  AT  ST.  ETIENNE.  —  TERRI- 
BLE FLOOD  OF  A  MINE  AT  LALLE.  —  BREAKING  IN  OF  A  RIVER.  —  COUR- 
AGE OF  AUBERTO,  A  WORKMAN.  —  SAVING  SIX  LIVES.  —  PLAN  FOR  RES- 
CUE. —  DISCOVERING  THE  WHEREABOUTS  OF  THE  PRISONERS.  —  ONE 
MONTH'S  WORK  IN  THREE  DAYS.  —  OPENING  THE  DRIFT-WAYS.  —  SIXTY 
FEET  OF  TUNNELLING.  —  IN  THE  DARKNESS  WITH  A  CORPSE.  —  STORY  OF 

THE  RESCUED.  —  THIRTEEN  DAYS  OF  PERIL.  —  FINDING  THE  BODIES  OF 
THE  DEAD.  —  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIVE  MEN  DROWNED.  —  SAVING  A  CHILD. 
—  EATING  WOOD  AND  LEATHER  TO  SAVE  LIFE.  —  A  HORRIBLE  SIGHT.  .  435 

XXX. 

PERILS  OF  THE  MINER. 

NARROW  ESCAPE  OP  THE  AUTHOR.  —  CAUGHT  IN  A  LEVEL.  —  SETTLING  OF 
THE  ROOF.  —  BREAKING  TIMBERS.  —  A  PERILOUS  PASSAGE.  —  FALLING  OF 
A  ROOF.  —  THREATENING  DANGERS.  —  ADVENTURE  OF  GIRAUD,  THE  WELL- 
DIGGER.  —  CAUGHT  IN  A  FALL  OF  EARTH.  —  THREE  WEEKS  WITH  A 
CORPSE.  —  ONE  MONTH  WITHOUT  FOOD.  —  HOW  HE  WAS  RESCUED.  — A 

MINER  COVERED  WITH    COAL.  —  HIS    RESCUE.  —  AN    IRISHMAN'S    JOKE. 

INUNDATION.  —  CURIOUS  THEORIES  OF  THE  MINERS.  —  EFFECT  OF  STRIK- 
ING A  VEIN  OF  WATER.  —  DRAWING  THE  MEN  IN  A  MINE.  —  THE  SEA 
BREAKING  IN.  —  CLOSING  THE  SHAFT.  —  A  TERRIBLE  STORY.  —  EXPERI- 
ENCE OF  A  FRENCH  ENGINEER.  —  CASUALTIES  AND  THEIR  NUMBER.  —  SUF- 
FOCATION OF  THREE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-ONE  MEN  IN  ONE  MINE.  .  .  447 

XXXI. 

THE  MAMMOTH   CAVE. 

ROMANCE  AND  MYSTERY  OF  CAVES.  —  THE  FAMOUS  CAVES  OF  THE  WORLD.  — 
THE  GREATEST  CAVERN  ON  THE  GLOBE.  —  ITS  IMMENSE  FAME.  —  AMERI- 
CANS* NEGLECT  OF  IT.  —  CAUSE  OF  THEIR  INDIFFERENCE.  —  SITUATION  OF 
THE  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  —  ITS  MISERABLE  MANAGEMENT.  —  ANNOYANCES 
AND  IMPOSITIONS  PRACTISED  UPON  TOURISTS.  —  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE 
VAST  TUNNEL.  —  WHAT  ONE  SEES,  FEELS,  AND  DOES.  —  CONSUMPTIVE 
GHOSTS.  — WONDERS  OF  THE  STAR-CHAMBER.  — DESCENT  INTO  THE  BOT- 
TOMLESS PIT.  —  CROSSING  THE  STYX  AND  THE  LETHE.  —  MARVELLOUS 
ECHOES.  —  STARTLING  ACCIDENTS.  —  WOMEN  IN  AWKWARD  SITUATIONS.  .  453 

XXXII. 

INSURANCE    AND   ITS   MYSTERIES. 

IT   OF    FIRE    AND    MARINE    INSURANCE.  — LIFE  INSURANCE.  —  OBJEC- 

N'S  OF  A    CALIFORNIAN.  —  HOW  HE    ANSWERED    AN    AGENT.  —  FRAUDS 

UPON  COMPANIES.  —  A  DEEP-LAID    SCHEME.  —  JOHNSON  AND  HIS  THIRTY 


14  CONTENTS. 

THOUSAND  DOLLARS. — OPENING  A  GRAVE.  — A  FICTITIOUS  CORPSE. — 
PURSUIT  BY  DETECTIVES  AND  CAPTURE  OF  THE  SWINDLER.  —  LITIGA- 
TIONS ABOUT  INSURANCE.  —  CHINESE  TRICKS  ON  AGENTS.  —  SUBSTITUTES 
TOR  EXECUTION .  479 

XXXIII. 

EAILWAY  TUNNELS. 

TUNNELS  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  HOW  THEY  WERE  MADE.  —  MODERN  TUN- 
NELS AND  THEIR  LENGTH.  —  LAUGHABLE  INCIDENTS  IN  RAILWAY  TUNNELS. 

—  THE  TWO  LOVERS.  —  THE  ANXIOUS  FRENCHMAN.  —  ROBBERS.  —  HOOSAC 
TUNNEL.  —  ITS  HISTORY.  —  THE  AUTHOR'S  VISIT.  —  NATURE  AND  PROGRESS 
OF   THE  WORK.  —  AN   EXPLOSION.  —  ACCIDENT   FROM    NITRO-GLYCERINE. 

—  THE  CENTRAL  SHAFT.  —  THE  TERRIBLE  CALAMITY  OF  1867.  .  .   492 

XXXIY. 

THE  MONT  CENIS  TUNNEL. 

MOUNTAIN  CHAINS  BETWEEN  NATIONS.  —  MONT  CENIS.  —  CROSSING  THE 
ALPS. — THE  GREAT  ALPINE  TUNNEL.  —  LAYING  OUT  THE  WORK. — THE 
ARC  AND  DORA.  — DIFFICULTIES. — THE  SURVEYS. — PENETRATING  THE 
MOUNTAIN.  —  COMPLETION  OF  THE  WORK.  —  THE  CHANNEL  TUNNEL.  — 
ITS  COST.  —  COST  OF  TUNNELS  IN  VARIOUS  COUNTRIES 510 

XXXV. 

THE  PARISIAN  SEWERS. 

THE    SEWERS    OF   PARIS. — THEIR   EXTENT.  —  A   JOURNEY   THROUGH   THEM. 

—  THE  START  AND  THE  MODE  OF  TRAVEL.  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  GREAT 
SEWER.  —  ACCIDENTS  OF  SEWER  TRAVEL.  —  HISTORY  OF  THE  SEWERS.  — 
THEIR  FIRST  GREAT  INSPECTION.  —  BRUNESEAU.  —  INUNDATION  FROM  THE 
SEWERS.  —  A  MAN  LOST.  —  HORRIBLE  DEATH  IN  THE  SEWERS.  —  THE  OLD 
AND  THE  NEW.  —  THE  EXCAVATIONS.  —  NATURE  OF  THE  WORK.  — BREAK- 
AGE OF  THE    CANAL.  —  JEAN  VALJEAN   IN    THE    SEWERS  OF   PARIS.  —  HIS 
FIRST  SENSATION.  — CAUGHT  IN  A  LABYRINTH. —  THE  SEWERS  OF  ST.  DEN- 
IS, AND  THE  MARKETS. — CAUGHT   IN  THE  WATER. —  THE  POLICE  IN  PUR- 
SUIT.—  FRIGHT  OF  THE    FUGITIVE.  —  THE    QUICKSAND    ON   THE  COAST  OF 
BRITTANY.  —  A  HORRIBLE    DEATH. — QUICKSAND  IN   THE  SEWERS. — HOW 
IT  WAS  FORMED. — JEAN  VALJEAN  IN  THE  QUICKSAND.  —  HIS  SUFFERINGS 
AND  ESCAPE.  . 524 

XXXVI. 

MERCURY. 

PROPERTIES  AND  PECULIARITIES  OF  MERCURY,  OR  QUICKSILVER.  —  AMALG^ 
MATION.  —  CINNABAR.  — WHERE    IT    IS    FOUND.  —  ALMADEN    AND    OTHE! 


CONTENTS.  15 

MINES.  —  CURIOUS  CUSTOMS  AT  IDRIA. — MODES  OF  WORKING. —  HUANCA 
VELICA.  —  QUICKSILVER  MINES  IN  CALIFORNIA.  —  CALIFORNIA  LAW8UITS. 

—  WONDERFUL  PROPERTIES  OF  SPANISH  TITLES.  — AN  UNHAPPY  ACCIDENT. 

—  PRACTICAL  VALUE  OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE.  — AN  UNDERGROUND  CHAPEL.    .   551 

XXXVII. 

GUANO  AND  THE  COOLIE  TRADE. 

GUANO  AND  ITS  CHARACTER.  — WHERE  IT  IS  FOUND.  — THE  CHINCHA  ISLANDS 
AND  THEIR  WEALTH.  —  NOVEL  PLANS  OF  THE  PERUVIANS.  —  HOW  THEY 

DIG  AND  LOAD  GUANO.  —  EFFECT  OF  GUANO  ON  A  STRANGER.  — JARVIS'S 
AND  HOWLAND'S  ISLANDS.  — THE  COOLIES  AND  THEIR  LABOR.  —  STORIES 
OF  HORRIBLE  CRUELTIES.  —  HOW  THE  ASIATIC  SLAVE  TRADE  IS  CON- 
DUCTED. —  MUTINY  ON  SHIPBOARD.  —  MURDER  OF  THE  CREW.  —  HUMAN 

MINCE  MEAT.  —  TREATMENT  OF  COOLIES  AT  WORK.  —  EXTENT  OF  THE 
COOLIE  TRAFFIC.  — PROBABLE  FATE  OF  MISSING  SHIPS 561 

XXXVIII. 

AVONDALE. 

THE  GREAT  CALAMITY  IN  PENNSYLVANIA.  —  ITS  CAUSE.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  THE 
FIRE.  —  SCENES  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  MINE.  —  BURNING  OF  THE  BREAK- 
ER. —  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  FIRE.  —  EFFORTS  FOR  RESCUE.  —  THE  DOG 
AND  LAMP.  —  DESCENT  OF  THE  SHAFT.  —  WHAT  THE  EXPLORERS  SAW.  — 
DISCOVERY  OF  THE  BODIES.  —  AFFLICTION  OF  FATHER  AND  SON.  —  BRING- 
ING OUT  BODIES. —  BURIAL  OF  THE  DEAD.  .  .  ,  t  ,  ,578 

XXXIX. 

IRON  AND  IRON  MINES. 

IRON   AND    ITS   VALUE.  —  ITS   ABUNDANCE,  AND    WHERE    IT    IS    FOUND.  —  A 

MOUNTAIN  OF  IRON.  —  IRON  MOUNTAIN  AND  PILOT  KNOB.  —  THE  AU- 
THOR'S  VISIT.  —  CHASED  BY  GUERRILLAS. — A  NARROW  ESCAPE. — THE 
ANTIQUITY  OF  IRON.  —  ITS  VALUE  IN  MANIPULATION.  —  IRON  AS  MONEY. 

—  INCONVENIENCE   OF  USING  IT.  —  FIRST   IRON  WORKS  IN  AMERICA.  — 

DIFFERENCE  BETWEEN  IRON  AND  OTHER  MINES.  —  DIRECT  AND  REVERSE 
WORKINGS.  —  A  PICTURESQUE  SCENE 590 

XL. 

EXILES    IN    SIBERIA. 

TOILING  IN  A  SIBERIAN  MINE.  —  A  DARING  ESCAPE.  —  HOW  IT  WAS  PLANNED. 

—  TUNNELLING  TO  LIBERTY.  —  DISARMING     GUARDS. — WORKING    IN    THE 
DARK  AND  WITHOUT  FRESH  AIR.  —  A    MURDEROUS    ATTEMPT.  —  CUSTOMS 
OF  THE  SIBERIAN  PEASANTRY.  —  CARE  FOR  THE  EXILE.  —  A  SURPRISE.  — 


16  CONTENTS. 

A  NARROW  ESCAPE  FROM  DEATH.  —  LIVING  IN  A  MOUNTAIN  GLEN.  —  HUNT- 
ING IN  THE  ALTAI  MOUNTAINS.  —  KILLED  BY  AN  ARGAL.  —  SEPARATION  AND 
DEPARTURE.  —  HOW  TO  OBTAIN  PASSPORTS.  —  SAFE  ARRIVAL  AT  HOME.  .  699 

XLI. 

LEAD  MINES   OF  IOWA. 

ILUFFS  AT  DUBUQUE,  IOWA.  —  THE  LEAD  MINES.  —  HOW  LEAD  IS  FOUND 
THERE,  —  INDIAN  DISCOVERIES.  —  HOW  THE  SECRET  BECAME  KNOWN.  — 
STORY  OF  THE  SIX  INDIANS. — FOLLOWING  THEIR  TRACKS.  — AN  INDIAN 
TRAITOR.  — AN  EXPLORER'S  ADVENTURE. — THE  INDIAN  GUIDE  AND  THE 
GREAT  SPIRIT.  —  MURDER  OF  TWO  EXPLORERS.  —  USES  OF  ABANDONED 
SHAFTS  AND  CAVES.  —  AN  EDITOR'S  DISCOVERY.  —  AN  UNDERGROUND 
BANQUET.  — UPS  AND  DOWNS  OF  A  LEAD  MINER.  — DEATH  OR  A  FORTUNE. 
—  A  DANGEROUS  BLOW.  — A  MINUTE  OF  GREAT  PERIL.  .  .  .  .  613 

XLII. 

MINING  IN  THE  BLACK  HILLS.    THE  WONDERFUL  MINE  UNDER 
LAKE   SUPERIOR. 

FIRST   REPORTS    OF   GOLD   IN   THE    BLACK   HILLS.  —  DISCOVERY  OF   PLACER 
DEPOSITS.  —  THEIR    EXTENT   AND    RICHNESS. — DEADWOOD   AND    RAPID 

CREEK.  —  SAD     FATE     OF     AN     EARLY     EXPLORING      PARTY. VALUABLE 

QUARTZ  VEINS. MODE  OF  REACHING  THE  COUNTRY. OTHER  RE- 
SOURCES OF  THE  BLACK  HILLS  REGION.  —  BRILLIANT  PROSPECTS  FOR 
THE  FUTURE. —  A  REMARKABLE  MINE  UNDER  LAKE  SUPERIOR.  —  CURI- 
OSITIES OF  SILVER  ISLET. WORKING  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES.  —  ORES 

OF  UNEXAMPLED  RICHNESS.  —  MINING  ADVENTURES  UNDER  THE  LAKE. — 
NEW  ROUTE  TO  THE  CENTER  OF  THE  EARTH.  ....  622 

XLIII. 

CALIFORNIA  AND  HER   TERRESTRIAL  TREASURES. 

WONDERS    OF    THE    PACIFIC    COAST.  —  CALIFORNIA   IN    1835. — CAUSE    OF 

HER    RAPID    PROGRESS.  —  THE    HONEST    MINER   OF    THE    OLDEN    TIME. 

FATE  OF  THE  FORTY  NINERS. —  EFFORTS  OF  A  NOVICE. — RUSHES  TO 
NEW  PLACERS.  —  CHANGE  FROM  PLACER  TO  QUARTZ  MINING. — GRASS 

VALLEY. — EXTENT     OF     THE     GOLD-BEARING      RIDGE. AMALGAMATING 

PROCESSES. SPECULATIONS    IN   MINING    STOCKS. — HOW   A    SHARP   NEW 

YORKER   WAS     SOLD. A    LUCKY   HIT.  -«-  COPPER    MINES     IN    CALIFORNIA 

AND   ARIZONA.  —  NEW  ALMADEN   AND   ITS    QUICKSILVER. — BENEFITS   OF 

AN   EARTHQUAKE.          .  .633 


CONTENTS.  17 

XLIY. 

RAPID    TRANSIT. 

RAPID  TRANSIT  IN  NEW  YORK.  —  THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILWAY  SCHEMES.  — 
ELEVATED  RAILWAY  LINES.  —THE  WEST  SIDE  RAILWAY. — TRAVELLING 
ON  LAMP  POSTS. —  ADVANTAGES  OF  A  SECOND  STORY  ROAD. — ADVEN- 
TURES WITH  THIEVES.  — PERILS  OF  THE  MODERN  STREET  CAR.  — ARTISTIC 
PACKING  OF  PASSENGERS.  — THE  PNEUMATIC  RAILWAY. — VANDERBILT'S 
SCHEME. — AN  UNCOMFORTABLE  JOURNEY.  — SHOT  FROM  A  GUN.  .  .  644 

XLV. 
THE  TUNNELS,  AND  THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD  IN  LONDON. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  LONDON  HARBORS.  — THE  CATHARINE  DOCK. — ENOR- 
MOUS STORE-HOUSES.  —  HOW  THE  TUNNEL  WAS  BUILT. — PLAN  OF  THE 

FRENCH  ENGINEER,  ISAMBERT  BRUNEL. HOW  THE  WORK  WAS  CHECKED 

BY     A    BREAK     IN     THE     BED     OF     THE     THAMES. — SIX     LIVES     LOST. — 

REMARKABLE   RESCUE    OF   THE  SON  OF  MR.  BRUNEL. ENORMOUS  LABOR 

ANL>    STRUGGLE   AGAINST     THE    ELEMENTS. TRIUMPH    AT     LAST. THE 

MOST     REMARKABLE     RAILROAD     IN      THE     WORLD.  —  LONDON     CROSSED 
UNDERGROUND     BY    A    SERIES     OF    TUNNELS.  —  HOW   LIGHT    AND     AIR    IS 

PRODUCED. — THE    NEWEST    IMPROVEMENTS   OF   THE    ROAD. THE    CAKS 

PASSING    UNDER   THE   DWELLING   OF    THE    DEAD 662 

XLYI. 

DUNGEONS. 

LIFE  IN  THEM.  — ANCIENT  DUNGEONS.  —  THE  PRISON  OF  ST.  PAUL.  —  THE 
DUCAL  PALACE.  —  "  SOTTO  PIOMBI."  —  THE  POZZI. — SHUT  UP  IN  THE 
DARK  CELLS.  —  A  NIGHT  OF  HORROR.  —  A  GUIDE'S  BLUNDER.  —  DUNGEONS 
OF  ST.  PETERSBURG.  —  PETER  THE  GREAT  TORTURING  HIS  SON.  —  A 
PRINCESS  DROWNED  IN  PRISON 675 

XLVII. 
ANIMALS  UNDER  GROUND. 

HORSES  IN  MINES.  —  EFFECT  OF  AN  EVEN  TEMPERATURE  ON  HORSES  AND 
MULES.  —  EFFECT  OF  DEPRIVATION  OF  LIGHT.  —  WALKING  IN  DARKNESS.  — 
RATS  IN  MINES.  —  A  MONKEY  IN  A  SILVER  MINE.  —  THE  CONSTERNATION 
HE  CREATED.  —  WHAT  HE  WAS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE.  —  HIS  UNHAPPY  FATE. 
—  A  MONKEY  AT  SEA.  — HIS  PRANKS.  —  DEMOCRATIC  HABITS.  —  HOW  HE 
LOST  HIS  LIFE.  —  HIS  LAST  PERFORMANCE.  —  DOGS  IN  MINES,  AND  THE 
EFFECT  OF  UNDERGROUND  CONFINEMENT.  —  JOY  AT  REACHING  DAYLIGHT 
AGAIN.  —  TWO  DOGS  AT  SEA,  AND  WHAT  THEY  DID.  — A  DOG  SAILOR, 
AND  WHAT  HE  DID.  — HIS  UNHAPPY  END. 686 


13  CONTENTS. 

XLYIII. 
OUT   OF  PRISON. 

WONDERFUL  ESCAPE  FROM  A  FRENCH  PRISON.  —  PLANS  OF  ESCAPE.  —  A 
LONG  LABOR.  —  TUNNELLING  THROUGH  A  WALL.  —  INGENUITY  OF  A  SAIL- 
OR. —  LUCKY  ACCIDENTS.  — DISCOURAGING  EVENTS.  —  HOW  SUCCESS  WAS 
ATTAINED.  —  ELUDING  THE  GUARDS.  —  REACHING  A  PLACE  OF  SAFETY.  695 

XLIX. 

THE   GAMBLING   HELLS   OF   GERMANY*. 

THE  FOUR  GREAT  SPAS. —  DESCRIPTION  OF  BADEN,  HOMBURG,  WIESBADEN, 
AND  EMS.  —  ROULETTE  AND  ROUGE-ET-NOIR.  SPLENDOR  OF  THE  SA- 
LOONS. —  THE  PERSONS  WHO  FREQUENT  THEM.  —  PROFITS  AND  PECU- 
LIARITIES OF  THE  DIRECTION.  —  THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  GAMBLING.  — WHY 
PLAYERS  LOSE.  —  STRANGE  SUPERSTITIONS  OF  BETTORS.  —  THE  INVALIDS. 

—  DROLL  SCENES   AT   THE  PUMP-ROOM.  —  THE  MAN  WITH  A  SNAKE  IX  HIS 
STOMACH.  —  THE    ROBUST  HYPOCHONDRIAC <"05 

L. 

GAMING  AND  GAMESTERS  ABROAD. 

FOREIGN  AND  DOMESTIC  SUMMER  RESORTS. — THE  ADVANTAGE  OF  THE  FOR- 
MER. —  MYSTERIOUS  CHARACTERS.  —  A  TRIO  OF  CELEBRATED  GAMESTERS. 

—  THEIR  EXTRAORDINARY  HISTORY.  — TRAGIC  FATE  OF  A  YOUNG  RUSSIAN 
OFFICER. — TEMPTATION,  DESPAIR,  AND  SUICIDE    OF    A    BEAUTIFUL    ENG- 
LISH GIRL.  —  A  LUCKY  BANKER'S  CLERK.  — A    HUNGARIAN    HANGING  HIM- 
SELF   FOR    A    WARNING.  —  ECCENTRICITIES    OF    CROUPIERS.  —  A    CALM- 
BLOODED  HOLLANDER.  — THE  SKELETON  IN  THE  CLOSET.  — ROSE-STREWN 
KOADS  TO  RUIN 721 

LI. 

SUBTERRANEAN  DWELLINGS. 

THE    EARLIEST    HABITATIONS.  — UNDERGROUND     HOUSES. — A    DWELLING 

ON      THE     AMERICAN     PLAINS.  HO\V     AN     EARTH     HOUSE      IS      MADE. — 

RESULT     OF    A    NIGHT     IN     IT.  —  ARCTIC     DWELLINGS. — A     MANSION     IN 

KAMCHATKA. ITS     ADVANTAGES     AND     DISADVANTAGES. — A     CHIMNEY 

AND     DOORAVAY     IN     COMMON. THE     AUTHOR'S     EXPERIENCE.  —  A    LIVE 

DOG  IN  A  STEW-KETTLE. — THE  STORY  OF  GAMOOT.  — HOW  HE  ENTER- 
TAINED HIS  FRIENDS.  —  FISH  OIL  PUNCH  AND  A  CANDLE  BREAKFAST. — 
HOW  HR  LEARNED  ENGLISH. — NEW  MODE  OF  BOXING  THE  COMPASS. — 
GAMOOT'S  MELANCHOLY  FATE.  .  736 


CONTENTS.  19 

LIT. 

BRIGANDAGE  AS  A  FINE  ART. 

HIGHWAY  ROBBERY  IN  MODERN  TIMES.  —  THE  OLD  WORLD  AND  THE  NEW 
CONTRASTED.  —  HABITS  OF  RUSSIAN  ROBBERS.  —  PIOUS  THIEVES.  — 
PRAYERS  FOR  SUCCESS.  —  ROAD  AGENTS.  —  CRUELTIES  OF  ITALIAN  BRIG- 
ANDS. —  TORTURE  AND  RANSOM  OF  PRISONERS.  —  SPANISH  BRIGANDS.  — 
ADVENTURE  ON  A  SPANISH  ROAD.  —  AN  AMERICAN  PRINCE  AND  AN  ENG- 
LISH DUCHESS.  —  AN  EXCITING  RACE.  —  A  DUCHESS  IN  UNDRESS.  .  .  748 

LI1I. 

MINERAL  RESOURCES   OF  AUSTRALIA  AND  NEW  ZEALAND. 

COLONIAL   EXHIBITS   AT     THE    PHILADELPHIA   CENTENNIAL.  —  WONDERFUL 

MINERAL   WKALTH    OF     THE   ANTIPODES.  CURIOUS    FEATURES     OF    THE 

GOLD  FIELDS. — HOW  A  PARTY  OF  CALIFORNIANS  WERE  DECEIVED. — 
DISCOVERIES  OF  GOLD  AND  HOW  THEY  WERE  MADE.  —  TROUBLES  WITH 

THE     MINERS. AN     INSURRECTION   AND    ITS    RESULT.  —  FIELD     OF     THE 

AUSTRALIAN  MINES. COAL,  IRON,  AND  OTHER  MINERALS.  THE  RE- 
SOURCES OF  NEW  ZEALAND. ITS  GOLD  YIELD. GEOLOGICAL  PECU- 
LIARITIES.—  AGRICULTURAL  AND  OTHER  WEALTH. VICISSITUDES  OF 

MINING   LIFE. — PLANS   FOR   ENCOURAGING   IMMIGRATION.          .  .  .755 

LIT. 

UNDERGROUND  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

CHINESE  OPIUM  DENS.  —  PISCO.  —  EXPERIMENTS  IN  LIQUORS.  —  SATURDAY 
NIGHT  AMONG  THE  CHINESE.  —  COCOMONGO.  —  MURDERER'S  ALLEY.  — 
CHINESE  MUSIC.  —  THE  THEATRE.  —  BETEL  AND  ITS  USE.  —  THE  BARBARY 
COAST.  —  CHEAP  LODGING-HOUSES.  —  A  DYING  VICTIM.  —  A  DEN  OF 
THIEVES.  —  "  THE  SHRIMP."  —  UNDER  THE  STREET.  —  A  REPULSIVE  SPEC- 
TACLE. —  OPIUM  SMOKING.  —  ITS  EFFECTS.  —  SAMSHOO.  —  ITS  PREPARA- 
TION AND  QUALITIES.  — INTRODUCTION  TO  AN  OPIUM  DEN.  — THE  OCCU- 
PANTS. —  EXPERIMENT  ON  A  SMOKER.  —  HOW  TO  SMOKE.  —  TRYING  THE 
DRUG.  —  MESCAL.  —  GOING  HOME.  —  TRYING  A  SEWER.  —  A  COUNTRY- 
MAN'S DRINK. 768 

LV. 

GOLD   AND  ITS  USES. 

ITS  ANTIQUITY.  —  WORSHIP  OF  GOLD.  —  ANCIENT  GOLD  MINES.  —  KING  SOLO- 
MON. —  GOLD  IN  AMERICA.  —  STORY  OF  A  HUNTER.  —  THE  SHEPHERD  AND 
THE  CHILD.  —  HOW  PIZARRO  EUCHRED  THE  PERUVIAN  KING.  —  BUTTER'S 
FORT  AND  SAW-MILL.  —  MARSHALL'S  DISCOVERY  IN  THE  MILL  RACE.  —  RO- 
MANCE AND  REALITY.  —  SPREADING  THE  NEWS.  —  NAVIGATION  UNDER 
DISADVANTAGES.  —  THE  GOLD  EXCITEMENT.  —  THE  PAN  AND  ROCKER. 
—  THE  AUTHOR  AS  A  GOLD  MINER.  — HOW  HE  WORKED  THE  ROCKER.  — 
HARRY  AND  HIS  TIN  DIPPER.  —  DISAPPOINTMENT  AND  DINNER.  —  VICISSI- 
TUDES OF  GOLD  MINING.  7^5 


20  CONTENTS. 

LVI. 

GOLD  MINING. 

VARIOUS  WAYS  OF  MINING  GOLD.  —  SLUICING  AND  HYDRAULIC  MINING.  — AC- 
CIDENT TO  A  MINER.  —  A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  — POWER  OF  WATER  IN  HY- 
DRAULIC MINING. — EFFECT  ON  RIVERS  AND  BAYS.  —A  SCENE  OF  DESO- 
LATION. —  QUARTZ  MINING.  — QUICKSILVER  AND  ITS  AMALGAM.  —  STOCK 
OPERATIONS.  —  THE  MARIPOSA  MINES.  —  THE  AUTHOR'S  VISIT.  —  HAY- 
WARD'S  MINE.  —  MANIPULATION  OF  MARIPOSA.  —  FUNNY  STORY  OF  A  SEA 

CAPTAIN.  —  HOW  HE    SUPERINTENDED  A   MINE.  —  HIS    MANAGEMENT    OF  A 
MILL.  —  ACCIDENTS  ON  PURPOSE,  AND  HASTY  FLIGHT 802 

LVII. 

COPPER   AND   COPPER  MINES. 

ANTIQUITY  OF  COPPER.  —  USE  OF  IT  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  OLDEST 
COINS.  —  THE  COLOSSUS  OF  RHODES.  —  COPPER  MINES  OF  ENGLAND  AND 
OTHER  COUNTRIES.  —  NATIVE  JCOPPER.  —  HOW  IT  IS  WORKED.  —  OVER- 
THROWING A  MASS.  —  A  LUMP  WEIGHING  EIGHT  HUNDRED  TONS.  —  MALA- 
CHITE  8l  7 

LVIII. 

THE  CATACOMBS  OF  ROME. 

THEIR  AGE  AND  EXTENT.  — THE  SEVEN  HILLS  HONEYCOMBED.  —  HOW  THE 
CATACOMBS  WERE  MADE.  — THEIR  USES. — THE  CHRISTIAN  MARTYRS. — 
IMMENSE  BURIAL  VAULTS. —  MILLIONS  OF  PERSONS  BURIED.  — RESORTS 
OF  ROBBERS.  —  STRANGE  ADVENTURES.  —  VISITING  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE 
CAPUCHINS.  —  FANCY  OF  AN  IRREVERENT  AMERICAN.  —  DOWN  THE 
CATACOMBS.  —  STORY  OF  THE  GUIDE.  —  STRANGE  EXPERIENCE  OF  TWO 
AMERICANS. 829 

LIX. 

THE  PARISIAN  RAG-PICKERS. 

THEIR  NUMBER  AND  EQUIPMENT.  — THEIR  KEEN-SIGHTEDNESS  AND  SKILL.  — 
THE  PLEASURE  OF  THE  BOTTLE.  —  SEEKING  COMFORT  UNDER  DIFFICUL- 
TIES.—  UNWHOLESOME  MAGAZINES.  — WHERE  AND  HOW  THE  CHIFFON- 
NIERS  LIVE.  — DISMAL  AND  NOISOME  ABODES. — A  SOUP  LOTTERY. — 
QUAINT  SCENES  IN  CHEAP  BOOK-SHOPS.  —  TASTING  ROAST  CAT  AND 
STEWED  PUPPY.  —  ROMANCE  IN  DIRT-HEAPS.  —  A  HIDEOUS  HAG  ONCE  A 
FAMOUS  BEAUTY.  —  PENITENCE  AND  REFORMATION  THROUGH  FIRE.  .  544 


CONTEXTS.  21 

LX. 

BRIGANDAGE  AND  PIRACY. 

RELATIONS  OP  THE  STEAM  ENGINE  TO  HONESTY.  —  PIRACY  AND  STEAM- 
SHIPS.—  HOW  THE  SLAVE  TRADE  WAS  BROKEN  UP.  —  STORIES  OF 
BRIGANDS. — EXPLOITS  OF  SPANISH  ROBBERS.  —  "ROAD  AGKNTS  "  IN 
CALIFORNIA  — AN  ADVENTURE  WITH  HIGHWAYMEN. — AN  ARMED  STAGE 
COACH. — THE  HAUNTS  OF  THE  ROBBERS.  —  STORY  OF  A  PLUNDERED 
PASSENGER.  —  "PUT  UP  YOUR  HANDS." — AN  EXCITING  INCIDENT. — 
BROAD-HORNS  AND  KEEL  BOATS. — MIKE  FINK  AND  THE  CLERGYMAN. — 
PIRACY  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI. — A  FIGHT  WITH  RIVER  PIRATES. — A 
CAPTAIN  AND  CEEW  MURDERED.  —  VISIT  TO  A  BOBBER'S  CAVE.  .  .  853 

LXI. 

BURIED  TREASURES. 

CAPTAIN  KIDD.  —  HIS  HISTORY.  —  HOW  HE  MADE  HIS  FORTUNE.  —  HIS  MEL- 
ANCHOLY FATE.  — JOINT  STOCK  IN  THE  ADVENTURE  GALLEY.  —  SEARCH- 
ING FOR  TREASURES.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  SEA-COAST.  —  TRADITIONS.  — 

ADVENTURES  OF  A  TREASURE-HUNTER.  —  BILL  8ANBORN,  AND  WHAT  HE 
DID.  —  JIM  FOLLETT'S  DOG.  —  A  PRACTICAL  JOKER.  — A  MESSAGE  FROM 
THE  SANDS  OF  THE  SEA.  —  BILL  SANBORN'S  DREAM.  —  FINDING  THE 

CHEST.  —  A  SUPERNATURAL  VISITOR •    866 

LXII. 

OPERATIONS  AT  HELLGATE. 

HELLGATE  AND    SANDY  HOOK.  — ENTRANCES  TO  NEW  YORK   HARBOR THB 

HELLEGAT  AND  ITS  MEANING.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  OLD  VOYAGERS.  —  EDI- 
TORIAL JOKES. — MAILLEFERT'S  OPERATIONS. — DEEPENING  THE  CHAN- 
NEL. —  GENERAL  NEWTON.  —  THE  AUTHOR  ON  AN  EXCURSION.  —  BLOW- 
ING UP  COENTIES'  REEF.  —  HOW  IT  IS  DONE.  —  AN  ACCIDENT  WITH  NITRO- 
GLYCERINE.—  THE  AUTHOR'S  NARROW  ESCAPE.  —  DIVER'S  EXPERIENCE. 

—  ASTONISHING  THE  FISHES.  —  RECEPTION  AT  HALLETT's  POINT.  —  GOING 
UNDER  THE  REEF.  —  THE  MEN  AT  WORK.  —  AN  INUNDATION.  —  HOW  THE 
REEF  IS  TO  BE  REMOVED.  —  SURVEYING    IN  THE  WATER.  —  A   GRAND   EX- 
PLOSION.   882 

Lxin. 

THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  MANKIND. 

THE  STONE  AGE.  —  PICTURE    OF   ADAM    AND  EVE.  —  HOW  EVE    CUT   THE  AP- 
PLE.—  MINERS  OF  ANCIENT  TIMES.  — DISCOVERY  OF  STONE  IMPLEMENTS. 

—  THE    INVENTION  OF    FIRE.  —HOW   GOLD   WAS    FOUND. — COPPER   AND 
BRONZE.  —  THE  BRONZE  AGE.  — IRON  AND  ITS  USES.  —  MINERAL  PRODUC- 
TIONS OF  DIFFERENT  COUNTRIES.  —QUICKSILVER  IN  SPAIN  AND  CALIFOR- 
NIA. —  THE  WEALTH  OF   NEVADA.  —ROMANTIC    STORY  OF  THE  COMSTOCK 
LODE. — MINERAL  FUTURE  OF  AMERICA.  .  .«••••    898 


22  CONTENTS. 


LXIV. 

DIAMOND  AND   OTHER  SWINDLES. 

THE  GREAT  DIAMOND  SWINDLE  OF  1872.  —  HOW  IT  WAS  ORGANIZED.  —  MAG- 
NIFICENT PLANS  OF  THE  SWINDLERS.  —  PLANTING  A  DIAMOND  FIELD.  — 
HOW  THE  FRAUD  WAS  EXPOSED.  —  A  NEAT  SWINDLE  ATTEMPTED  IN  .SAP- 
PHIRES.—  HOW  IT  WAS  DISCOVERED.  —  A  MYTHICAL  COPPER  MINE. — 
FATE  OF  THE  SWINDLER. .  .905 

LXV. 

PERQUISITES. 

CURIOSITIES  OF  COMMERCIAL  TRANSACTIONS.  —  PAYING  COMMISSIONS  IN 
EUROPE. — FUNNY  EXPERIENCES.  —  SPREAD  OF  THE  CUSTOM  IN  AMERICA.* 
—  HOW  CONTRACTS  ARE  OBTAINED  AND  PAID  FOR.  —  COMMISSIONS  TO 
TRADESMEN  AND  OTHERS.  —  CURIOUS  FEATURES  OF  THE  PIANO  TRADE.  .  917 

LXYI. 

THE  WIELICZKA  SALT  MINES. 

*HE  GREAT  WIELICZKA  SALT  MINES,  THE  LARGEST  IN  THE  WORLD.  —  THEIR 
HISTORY.  —  EXTENT  AND  PRODUCT.  —  DESCENT  INTO  AND  EXPLORATION 
OF  THEM.  —  WHAT  IS  TO  BE  SEEN.  —  MINERS  AT  WORK  BLINDFOLDED.  — 
WONDERFUL  CHAMBERS.  —  GLOOM  CONVERTED  INTO  SPLENDOR.  —  BAN- 
QUETS IN  THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  EARTH.  — THE  INFERNAL  LAKE.  — HUMAN 
DEMONS.  —  AWFUL  APPARITIONS.  —  EXTRAORDINARY  NARRATIVES.  .  .  930 

LXVIL 

EXPLOSIONS  IN  MINES. 

THICKNESS  OP  COAL  SEAMS.  —  STUPIDITY  OF  A  TURKISH  MINING  SUPERIN- 
TENDENT. —  THE  RESULT.  —  BLASTING  IN  MINES.  —  HOW  IT  IS  DONE.  — 
TERRIBLE  ACCIDENTS.  —  MINES  ON  FIRE.  —  SCENES  OF  DEVASTATION.  — 
EFFECT  OF  SUBTERRANEAN  FIRE.  —  EXPLOSIONS  OF  FIRE-DAMP.  —  HOR- 
RIBLE ACCIDENTS.  —  STORIES  OF  SURVIVORS.  —  LOSS  OF  LIFE.  —  SCENE 
IN  A  WELSH  MINE.  —  EXPLOSIONS  IN  ENGLISH  AND  AMERICAN  MINES.  — 
MODES  OF  RELIEF.  —  STORY  OF  TWO  BROTHERS.  —  HOW  THEY  WERE 

.  SAVED.  —  THE  SAFETY-LAMP.  —  ITS  CONSTRUCTION.  —  THE  FIRE-WALLS 

OF  CHINA.  —  THE  PENITENT  AND  CANNONEER 948 


CONTENTS.  23 

LXVIII. 


MYSTERIES  OF   THE   GRAND  JURY. 

SITTING  ON  A  GRAND  JURY.  —  HOW  IT  IS  COMPOSED.  —  PECULIARITIES  OP 
MODERN  JUSTICE.  — HOW  TO  SELECT  BLOCKHEADS.  — A  DISHONEST  BAG- 
GAGE-MAN. —  CHARITY  AND  MERCY.  —  AN  AFFECTING  INCIDENT.  —  SAVING 
A  YOUTHFUL  OFFENDER.  — A  GENEROUS  WOMAN.  — CURIOUS  PHASES  OF 
HUMAN  NATURE.  —  CELT  AND  AFRICAN.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  DETECTIVES. 

—  A  GARRULOUS    IRISH  WOMAN. — FAMILY   TROUBLES. — THE  HORSE  AND 
CART  STORY.  —  HOW  A  PRETTY  WOMAN  CAPTURED  THE  JURY.  .  .  960 

LXIX. 
BORROWING  AND  BORROWERS. 

HOW  THE  BUSINESS  IS  PROSECUTED  IN  NEW  YORK.  —  THE  NUMBER  OF  BOR- 
ROWERS. —  THEIR  DIVISIONS  AND  SUBDIVISIONS.  —  HOW  THEY  OPERATE. 

—  THE  STORIES  THEY  TELL.  —  THEIR  ENERGY.  —  ABILITY  TO  READ  CHAR- 
ACTER. —  SUFFERINGS  OF  THEIR  VICTIMS.  —  FRAUDS  UPON  HORACE  GREE- 
LKY.  — DEVICES    TO     AVOID    THESE     SWINDLERS. — ANNUAL    AMOUNT    OF 
THEIR  SWINDLES.  —  HOW  A  MAN  CUTS  HIS  EYE  TEETH.      ....   979 

LXX. 

AMONG  THE   DETECTIVES. 

DETECTIVE  LIFE.  —  CURIOSITIES  OF  LIFE  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  —  NOT  KNOW- 
ING YOUR  NEIGHBORS.  — PECULIAR  ACQUAINTANCES.  — ROBBERY  OF  A 
DRY  GOODS  STORE.  —  INGENIOUS  DETECTION  OF  THE  CRIME.  —  I^OVE  AND 
JUSTICE. — A  SURPRISING  DENOUEMENT. 991 

LXXI. 

WAR  AND  PRISON  ADVENTURES. 

EXPERIENCES  OF  AN  ARMY  CORRESPONDENT.  — RUNNING  THE  BATTERIES  OF 
VICKSBURG.  —  EXCITING  SCENES.  —  PERILOUS  SITUATION  AND  HAIR- 
BREADTH ESCAPE.  —SHOT,  SHELL,  STEAM,  FIRE,  AND  WATER.  —  TWO 
YEARS  AS  A  CAPTIVE.  — TUNNELLING. — ITS  MODE,  MANAGEMENT,  AND 
MISHAPS.  —TOILING  FOR  FREEDOM  UNDER  GROUND.  —  BOLD  AND  PROS- 
PEROUS EFFORTS  FOR  LIBERTY.  — LIFE  IN  A  DUNGEON.  —  PERISHING  BY 
INCHES.  —  DEATH  ON  EVERY  HAND.  —  SUBTERRANEAN  SEEKING  FOR  THE 
LIGHT.  —  SELF-DELIVERANCE  AT  LAST 993 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


1.  Phases  of  Underground  Life,         .  .  .     FRONTISPIECE. 

2.  Austin,  Nevada;  A  Western  Mining  Town,         .  .  .34 

3.  Impressions  of  Plants  found  in  Coal,        .  .  .  .40 

4.  Discovery  of  Anthracite  Coal  in  Pennsylvania,    .  .  .40 

5.  Wire  Railway  at  the  Harewood  Coal  Mine,  British  Columbia,  .      51 

6.  Entrance  to  a  Coal  Mine,     .  .  .  .  .  .54 

7.  Interior  of  a  Coal  Mine,      .  .  .  .  .  .54 

8.  Descending  a  Shaft,  ......      68 

9.  Sections  of  an  English  Coal  Mine, .  .  .  .  .74 

10.  Discovery  of  Silver  in  Peru,  .  .  .  .  .82 

11.  Interior  of  a  Silver  Mine,    ......      82 

12.  Entrance  to  a  Silver  Mine  of  Central  America,    .  .  .88 

13.  Indian  Silver  Miners  at  Work,       .  .  .  .  .88 

14.  One  Method  of  Washing  for  Silver,          .  .  .  .94 

15.  Another  Method  of  Washing  for  Silver,   .  .  .  .94 

16.  New  York  Speculators  at  the  Mines,        .  .  .  .108 

17.  Demonstrating  the  Value  of  a  Silver  Mine,          .  .  .     108 

18.  Pearl  Diving  in  the  East  Indies,     .  .  .  .  .130 

19.  Discovery  of  Loaves  of  Bread  Baked  1800  Years  Ago,     .  .     167 

20.  Bodies  of  Pompeians  Cast  in  the  Ashes,   ....     173 

21.  Railroad  from  Naples  to  the  Summit  of  Mt.  Vesuvius,    .  .     187 

22.  Descent  of  Vesuvius,  .  .  .  .  .  .188 

23.  Searching  for  Relics,  .  .  .  .  .  .193 

24.  The  Gate  of  Herculaneum  and  Street  of  Tombs, .  .  .     197 

25.  The  Crater  of  Vesuvius,      .  .  .  .  .  .198 

26.  Bay  of  Naples,         .  .  .  .  .  .  .206 

27.  Naples  Wagon,        .  .  .  ..  .  .  .206 

28.  Nero's  Gymnasium,  ......     214 

29.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Schliemann  the  Excavators  at  Mycenae  (Greece),  .     221 

30.  The  Explorations  at  Mycena? — the  Treasury  of  Atreus  (entrance),     228 
81.  Battle  of  the  Warriors,        .  .  .  .  .  .263 

32.  The  Philadelphia  Bank  Robbery,  .  .  .  ,  .268 

33.  Australian  Natives  Burning  their  Dead,    .  .  .  .278 

34.  An  Indian  Burial  Place,      .  .  .  .  .  .278 

35.  The  Tombs  of  the  Kings  at  Thebes,  .  .     286 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS.  25 

36.  Hall  in  the  Tombs  of  Assasseef,     .  .            .            .            .286 

37.  Pumping  Well  on  Oil  Creek,          .  .            .            .            .334 

38.  The  Grand  Hotel,     .  .            .            .            .           .            .356 

39.  Place  De  La  Bastile, .362 

40.  The  Bastile,  .  ......     363 

41.  Destruction  of  the  Bastile,  .  .            .            .            .            .368 

42.  Working  a  Diamond  Claim,  .....     376 

43.  River  Washing — Cradling  for  Diamonds,  ....     376 

44.  Celebrated  Diamonds  of  the  World,          .  .            .            .382 

45.  The  Orloff  Diamond,  .            .            .            .                        .382 

46.  Star  of  the  South,     .  •           /•            •            •            •            .382 

47.  TheNassac,  .           .           ...           .           .           .382 

48.  The  Cumberland, 382 

49.  The  Sancy,    .  .            .            .            .            .            .            .382 

50.  Star  of  the  South— rough,  .  .            .            .            .            .382 

51.  The  Dresden,  .            .            .            .            .            .            .382 

52.  The  Regent  Diamond,         .  .            .            .            :            .382 

53.  The  Kohinoor— recut,         .  .            .            .            .            .382 

54.  Australian  Brilliant,  .            .            .            .            .            .382 

55.  The  Eugenie,  .......     382 

56.  Regent — side  view,  .......     382 

57.  The  Hope,    ...  .            .            .            .            .            .382 

58.  The  Florentine,        .  .            .            .            .            .            .382 

59.  The  Shah, 382 

60.  The  Diamond  Fields  of  South  Africa,      .  .           .           .391 

61.  Grand  Avenue  of  the  Champs  Elysees,      .  .           .   ,            404 

62.  Ball  at  Mabille, 412 

63.  East  River  Bridge,  .  .            .            .            .            .            .426 

64.  Inundation  of  a  Mine,         ......     436 

65.  Falling  in  of  a  Mine,  .            .            .            .            .            .444 

66.  View  of  Mammoth  Cave,     .  .            .            .            .            .474 

67.  Stalagmites  in  the  Cave,      ......     474 

68.  Execution  of  a  Chinese  Criminal,  .  .            .           .                488 

69.  Eastern  Entrance  to  Hoosac  Tunnel,         ....     500 

70.  Western  Entrance  to  Hoosac  Tunnel,        .  .            .            .500 

71.  Work  at  the  Heading, 506 

72.  Boring  machine  used  in  Mount  Cenis  Tunnel,     .  .            .     518 

73.  Side  View  of  Boring  Machine,        .  .            .            .            .518 

74.  Place  De  La  Concorde,        .  .            .            .            .            .524 

75.  The  Madalaine  Church,       .  .            .            .            .            .530 

76.  Subterranean  Paris,  ......     536 

77.  The  Great  Sewer, 536 

78.  Quicksilver  Mines  of  New  Almaden,        ....     554 

79.  Blasting  in  the  Quicksilver  Mines,  ....     554 

80.  Burning  of  a  Coolie  Ship,    .  .            .            .            .            .568 

81.  Coolies  Planning  a  Mutiny,  .....     574 


26  LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

82.  Mutiny  on  the  Lower  Deck,  .....    574 

83.  The  Avondale  Disaster — Removing  Bodies  from  the  Mine,        .     586 

84.  Interior  of  an  Iron  Mine,     .  *    .  .  .  .     594 

85.  Section  of  the  Broadway  Underground  Railway,  .  .     644 

86.  Tunneling  Broadway  for  the  Underground  Railway,      .  .651 

87.  Interior  of  Pneumatic  Passenger  Car,        ....     655 

88.  Portal  of  the  Broadway  Tunnel,     .  .  .  .  .655 

89.  The  Bomb  Ferry— Travel  in  the  30th  Century,    .  .  .     661 

90.  The  Public  Highway— Travel  in  the  30th  Century,         .  .     661 

91.  Underground  Rail  Road  Station,  Aldgate  London,          .  .     671 

92.  Conversationhaus  at  Baden,  .....     708 

93.  Concert  in  the  Gardens  at  Baden,  .....     708 

94.  Gambling  Saloon  at  Baden,  .  .  .  .  .722 

95.  Esquimaux  Dwellings,        .  .  .  .  .  .     736 

96.  Robbery  of  the  Diligence,  .  .....     750 

97.  Drinking  Pisco  in  a  San  Francisco  Saloon,  .  .  .     769 

98.  Jas.  W.  Marshall,  the  Discoverer  of  Gold  in  California, .  .     790 

99.  Suiter's  Mills  where  Gold  was  Discovered,  .  .  .     790 

100.  Emigrant  Train  of  Gold  Hunters  in  1849,.  .  .  .794 

101.  Chinese  Gold  Mining  in 'California,  ....     794 

102.  Gold  Washing  in  the  California  Mines,     .  .  .  .798 

103.  Miners  Prospecting,  .  .  .  .  .  .804 

104.  Miners  Around  their  Camp-fire,     .....     810 

105.  Ground  Sluicing,      .  .  .  .  .  .  .814 

106.  Hydraulic  Mining,   .  .  .  .  .  .  .814 

107.  A  Copper  Mine  of  the  Lake  Superior  Region,      .  .  .     821 

108.  Interior  of  a  Copper  Mine,  ......     821 

109.  Drilling  in  a  Copper  Mine,  .  .  .  .  .  .824 

110.  Catacombs  of  Rome— The  Three  Brothers,  .  .  .832 

111.  Vaulted  Chapel  in  the  Catacombs,.  .  .  .  .840 

112.  Lost  in  the  Catacombs,        .  .  .  .  .  .840 

113.  Pirates  of  the  Mississippi,   .  .  .  .  .  .862 

114.  View  of  Hellgate  from  Negro  Point,         .  .  .  -885 

115.  General  View  of  Works  at  Hallett's  Point,  .  .  .     885 

116.  View  of  Shaft  from  the  Dam,        .  .  .  .  .892 

117.  The  Shaft,  Showing  Headings,      .  .  .892 

118.  Dream  of  a  Diamond  Swindler,      .....     911 

119.  Descending  the  Shaft— Wieliczka  Salt  Mines,      .  .  .932 

120.  Chapel  in  the  Wieliczka  Salt  Mines,         .  .  .032 

121.  Getting  out  Salt,      .......     941 

122.  Illustration  of  the  Infernal  Lake,  .....     941 

123.  Explosion  of  Fire  Damp,     ....  .955 

124.  Our  Quarters  in  Libby  Prison,       .....  1008 

125.  Tail  Piece, 1016 


UNDERGROUND. 


i. 


BELOW    THE    SURFACE. 

DIFFUSION  OF  KNOWLEDGE.  — WHAT  THE  WORLD  BELIEVES. — MUNGO  PARK  IH 
AFRICA.  —  WHY  THE  NATIVES  PITIED  HIM.  —  EXTENT  OF'UM^EPG'JOUrD  LIFE. 
—  DISTRIBUTION  OF  THE  EARTH'S  WEALTH.  —  VALUE '  O^  'MYN.^S^ -1—  THEII1 
EXTENT  AND  IMPORTANCE.  — COAL  AND  IRON.  —  M.Y£TERIEJS  OF  MINES.  — 
EXPERIENCE  WITH  A  NOVICE.  — CHANGES  OF  SEASONS  TO  ^  MIKL14.  — jl>Atf- 

GERS     IN    MINES.   —  LIFE     IN    CAVERNS.  UNDERGROUND    IN    METAPHOR.  

SOCIAL  MINING.  — OBJECT  OF  THIS  VOLUME. 

IN  these  days  of  fast  presses,  cheap  books  and  newspapers, 
lightning  telegraphs,  and  other  disseminators  of  intelligence, 
there  may  be  those  who  doubt  the  correctness  of  the  adage 
which  says,  "  One  half  the  world  does  not  know  how  the  other 
half  lives."  Human  nature  is  inquisitive.  We  are  constantly 
seeking  information  regarding  the  affairs  of  others,  and  we 
generally  manage  in  some  way  to  obtain  what  we  seek.  We 
store  our  minds  with  useful  and  useless  knowledge  of  the 
manners  and  customs  of  people  in  other  lands,  and  of  the  pri- 
vate lives  and  histories  of  our  near  neighbors.  Yery  often  the 
material  we  thus  lay  aside  in  our  mental  storehouses  does  not 
particularly  concern  us,  but,  like  Mrs.  Toodles,  in  her  purchase 
of  a  door-plate  bearing  the  name  of  Thompson  with  a  p,  we 
think  it  will  be  handy  to  have  at  some  future  day,  and  so  we 
keep  it.  With  a  fair  devotion  to  inquiries,  and  a  well-culti- 
vated memory,  a  life  of  threescore  and  ten  years  ought,  at 
this  day,  to  acquaint  its  possessor  with  a  general  knowledge 
of  the  how  and  why  of  the  existence  of  at  least  half  the  in- 
habitants of  the  globe. 


28  VARIED   TASTES. 

But  it  may  be  set  down  as  an  axiom,  that  one  half  the  world 
does  not  live  as  the  other  half  does.  People's  tastes  differ, 
and  there  are  very  few  who  would  wish  to  live  exactly  like 
others,  especially  if  those  to  whom  the  choice  is  offered  are 
richer  than  the  others.  There  are  many  who  would  not  change 
places  with  their  wealthy  neighbors,  and  it  is  more  than  prob- 
able that  their  wealthy  neighbors  would  not  change  places 
with  them.  The  majority  of  sailors  are  not  happy  when  on 
shore,  but  are  constantly  sighing  for  a  wet  sheet  and  a  flowing 
sea,  while  the  majority  of  landsmen  have  no  desire  for  such 
hydropathic  experience.  When  Mungo  Park  travelled  in 
Africa,  the  natives  expressed  great  pity  for  him  because  he 
.had  Iqst,  bi3  oc$lor ;  they  constantly  mourned  over  the  unhappy 
'',R)t  of  tlie-tvliite.  man,  and  would  have  been  quite  unwilling  to 
prnplfiXiofes  with  him.  Mungo  received  their  sym- 
'witif  'a*  countenance  becomingly  solemn,  but  the  chances 
are  more  than  even  that  what  they  regarded  as  a  misfortune 
was  by  him  considered  a  blessing.  "  Give  me  a  bed  of  ice  and 
a  pillow  of  snow,"  said  a  moribund  Laplander  in  Italy,  "and  I 
shall  die  happy."  A  refrigerating  couch  of  this  kind  would 
be  comfortless  in  the  extreme  to  a  countryman  of  Pauline 
Borghese. 

A  comparatively  small  portion  of  the  human  race  lives,  or 
would  wish  to  live,  beneath  the  surface  of  the  globe.  Most 
of  us  rarely  go  there  voluntarily,  and  our  first  visits  of  any 
important  duration  are  made  after  we  have  shuffled  off  this 
mortal  coil  and  invoked  the  aid  of  the  sexton.  Then  we  are 
carried  there  without  protest,  and  the  earth  is  filled  above  us 
in  sufficient  depth  to  guard  us  against  ordinary  intrusions. 
We  may  be  certain  that  none  of  our  friends  will  come  in  living 
flesh  to  join  us,  and  when  death  brings  them  to  our  side  their 
slumbers  will  be  as  long  and  peaceful  as  our  own.  The  earth, 
beneath  its  surface,  is  regarded  by  many,  as  the  dwelling-place 
of  Death,  to  be  contemplated  with  a  shudder,  and  to  be  visited 
only  when  life  has  left  us. 

But  have  they  ever  considered  how  much  of  life  there  is 
which  the  light  of  day  does  not  reveal  ?  The  plants  in  our 


WEALTH   UNDERGROUND.  29 

gardens  have  their  roots  in  the  rich  soil  prepared  for  their  sus- 
tenance ;  remove  those  roots,  and  the  plants  fall  and  die.  The 
trees  of  the  forest  spread  their  branches  and  unfold  their  leaves 
to  sun  and  storm,  but  there  are  other  branches  spread  below 
which  sometimes  extend  more  widely  than  those  above. 
Through  these  lower  limbs,hidden  from  the  light  of  the  sun  and 
sheltered  from  the  peltings  of  the  pitiless  storm,  life  comes  to 
the  trunk  and  to  the  upper  branches.  Lay  bare  these  lower 
branches,  and  tear  them  from  the  earth,  and  the  tree  soon 
withers  and  perishes.  The  grass  carpets  the  meadow,  the 
flowers  adorn  the  hill-sides,  wheat  and  corn  grow  in  the  fields, 
the  trees  spread  their  shading  limbs  and  drop  their  fruits  in 
their  season,  and  without  these  the  world  would  be  desolate. 
But  all  have  their  existence  underground,  and  they  cling  as 
tenaciously  to  the  bosom  of  Mother  Earth  as  the  men  -who  walk 
among  or  upon  them  cling  to  that  mysterious  element  which 
we  call  life. 

A  great  portion  of  the  wealth  of  the  globe  lies  beneath  its 
surface.  Gold  and  silver  form  the  circulating  medium  of  all 
civilized  and  many  savage  people.  Their  possession  is  wealth, 
as  the  lack  of  them  is  poverty ;  their  coming  brings  happiness, 
and  their  departure  leaves  misery.  From  the  earth  they  are 
taken,  and  in  their  pursuit  men  undergo  many  privations  and 
suffer  many  hardships.  The  diamond  that  sparkles  on  delicate 
fingers  has  been  washed  from  the  accumulations  which  many 
centuries  had  piled  above  it.  Iron,  copper,  tin,  and  other 
metals  are  sought  by  the  light  of  the  miner's  lamp,  far  away 
from  the  rays  of  the  sun,  and  sometimes  in  long  tunnels  pushed 
beneath  the  ever-restless  ocean.  Ages  and  ages  ago  the  hand 
of  Nature  deposited  beds  of  coal  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe, 
and  to-day  they  afford  light  and  heat  to  millions  of  the  human 
race.  Down,  down,  hundreds  and  thousands  of  feet  below  the 
surface  of  the  earth  these  coal-beds  are  spread,  sometimes  over 
areas  many  miles  in  extent,  and  promising  a  supply  of  fuel  for 
many  centuries  to  come.  Thousands  of  men  find  profitable 
employment  in  these  mines  ;  and  but  for  their  labors,  those  of 
us  who  live  above  the  surface  would  often  suffer  the  pangs  of 
cold. 


30  VALUE   OP   COAL   AND   IRON. 

As  the  coal  burns  brightly  in  our  grates  and  fills  our  rooms 
with  heat,  do  we  think  of  the  many  centuries  it  has  been  await- 
ing our  use,  and  of  the  toil  that  has  placed  it  in  our  control  ? 
As  we  look  at  the  great  network  of  railways,  spreading  over 
our  continent,  bringing  north  and  south,  east  and  west,  nearer 
together,  annihilating  time  and  space  (and  sometimes  annihi- 
lating people),  do  we  think  that  but  for  the  mines  of  coal  and 
iron  our  country  to-day  would  be  little  better  than  it  was  half 
a  century  ago,  and  much  of  its  area,  now  rich  in  commercial 
and  agricultural  prosperity,  would  be  little  else  than  a  wilder- 
ness? To  coal  and  iron  the  world  owes  much  of  its  present 
advancement,  and  both  these  substances  come  from  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  earth. 

The  most  valuable  minerals,  and  those  which  employ  the 
greatest  amount  of  capital,  are  of  comparatively  recent  ex- 
ploitation. Iron  has  done  more  good  to  the  world  than  gold, 
and  is  many  times  more  valuable  ;  but  gold  was  known  and  used 
long  before  iron  was  discovered.  Coal  is  more  valuable  than 
copper,  and  gold,  and  diamonds ;  the  world  could  go  on  without 
these  last,  as  other  minerals  could  take  their  places,  but  noth- 
ing now  known  could  take  the  place  of  coal.  From  many 
parts  of  the  globe  the  forest  primeval  has  been  removed,  and 
countries  that  a  few  hundred  years  ago  were  thickly  wooded 
are  now  almost  denuded  of  timber.  Should  the  working  of 
coal  mines  cease  to-day,  there  would  speedily  ensue  a  scarcity 
of  fuel,  and,  if  prolonged,  this  scarcity  would  result  in  much 
suffering  and  death.  The  exploitation  of  coal  is  one  of  the 
great  interests  of  the  British  Isles,  and  is  of  nq  incon- 
siderable importance  in  the  United  States.  More  than  two 
thirds  of  the  mining  enterprise  of  the  world  is  devoted  to  it : 
yet  this  substance,  possessing  no  beauty,  and  to  a  casual  ob- 
server devoid  of  all  merit,  is  included  among  the  most  recently 
discovered  minerals.  "  Time's  noblest  offspring  is  its  last.'7 

To  most  people  the  underground  life  of  the  miner  is  a  mys- 
tery. Comparatively  few  of  those  who  walk  the  earth  to-day 
have  ever  been  farther  within  it  than  to  the  bottom  of  a  cellar  ; 
and  in  many  localities  even  this  experience  has  been  denied  to 


FUNNY  EXPERIENCE  OF  A  NOVICE.  31 

the  inhabitants,  for  the  reason  that  no  cellars  are  found  there. 
If  an  enumeration  were  made  to-day  of  all  persons  in  the 
United  States  who  have  ever  been  underground  more  than 
fifty  feet  from  the  surface,  and  more  than  one  hour  at  a  time, 
the  number  would  be  found  surprisingly  small.  I  once  ac- 
companied a  gentleman  from  Boston  in  a  descent  into  a  mine 
a  hundred  feet  in  depth,  and  having  a  single  gallery  about 
eighty  feet  long,  leading  from  the  foot  of  the  shaft.  It  was  an 
old  story  to  me,  but  a  new  one  to  my  Boston  friend,  who  clung 
to  the  rope  of  our  bucket  as  convulsively  as  a  drowning  man 
would  clutch  a  life  buoy.  When  we  reached  the  bottom,  and 
crept  along  the  low  gallery,  his  heart  beat  violently,  arid  he 
several  times  wished  himself  safe  above  ground.  When  we 
finished  our  exploration,  and  returned  to  the  upper  air,  I  asked 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  mine. 

"  Most  wonderful  thing  I  ever  saw,"  he  replied.  "  I  never 
knew  much  about  mines,  and  didn't  suppose  they  were  so 
deep.  Wonderful,  certainly." 

"  What  would  you  think,"  I  asked,  "  if  I  should  take  you 
into  a  mine  twenty  times  as  deep  as  this,  and  having  miles  of 
galleries  underground,  where  you  could  walk  a  whole  day 
without  going  through  all  of  them?" 

His  face  assumed  the  most  puzzled  expression  I  ever  saw 
on  a  human  being,  and  he  was  speechless  for  a  full  minute. 
When  he  regained  his  voice,  he  said, — 

"  You  might  tell  me  of  such  a  mine,  and  I  should  be  obliged 
to  believe  you,  though  I  can  hardly  conceive  one  could  be 
made  so  large.  But  as  for  taking  me  into  such  a  place,  you 
could  never  do  it  without  tying  me  and  carrying  me  there. 
Catch  me  in  such  a  place  as  that,  never." 

I  told  him  the  story  of  the  boy  who  went  from  home  for  the 
first  time  in  his  life  to  accompany  his  father  to  a  grist-mill, 
about  three  miles  away.  When  the  boy  returned,  he  was 
thoughtful  for  a  long  time,  and 'finally  remarked  that  he  never 
supposed  the  world  was  so  large. 

The  miner's  life  is  one  of  vicissitudes  and  dangers.  He  is 
shut  out  from  the  light  of  day,  and  depends  upon  his  lamp  or 


32  DANGERS  UNDERGROUND. 

candle,  instead  of  the  sun  and  moon.  Shut  up  in  the  earth, 
all  is  night  to  him ;  and  whether  the  sun  shines  or  is  obscured 
by  clouds,  whether  the  moon  is  in  the  heavens,  surrounded  by 
twinkling  stars,  or  the  whole  dome  above  is  wrapped  in  dark- 
ness, makes  little  difference  to  him.  All  is  night,  and  without 
his  artificial  light,  all  is  blackest  darkness.  The  changes  that 
follow  the  earth's  daily  revolutions  are  unknown  to  the  miner 
as  he  performs  his  work,  and  if  he  remained  continually  below, 
the  seasons  might  come  and  go  without  his  knowledge.  Sum- 
mer's heat  and  winter's  frost  do  not  reach  him ;  there  is  for 
him  but  one  season  —  the  season  that  has  endured  for  millions 
of  years,  and  may  endure  for  millions  of  years  to  come.  The 
temperature  of  the  surrounding  earth,  unless  varied  by  that 
of  the  air  driven  to  him  by  the  machinery  of  his  mine,  or  by 
the  heat  of  his  lamp,  is  the  temperature  in  which  he  performs 
his  labors.  Day  and  night,  spring  and  autumn,  new  moon  and 
full  moon,  may  come  and  go,  but  they  extend  not  their  influ- 
ence to  the  depths  of  the  mine. 

There  are  dangers  from  falls  of  rock  and  earth,  which  may 
cause  immediate  death,  or  enclose  their  victims  in  a  living 
tomb.  There  are  dangers  from  water,  which  may  enter  sud- 
denly, flood  the  mine,  and  drown  all  who  cannot  reach  the 
opening  in  time  to  escape.  There  are  dangers  from  the  atmos- 
phere, which  may  become  foul,  and  leave  him  who  breathes  it 
lying  dead,  far  away  from  those  who  would  gladly  assist  him, 
but  would  lose  their  lives  should  they  go  to  his  rescue.  His 
light  grows  dim,  and  warns  him  of  his  peril ;  as  he  starts  for  a 
place  of  safety  the  light  goes  out,  and  in  blackest  darkness  he 
falls  and  dies,  unless  speedily  rescued.  There  are  dangers 
from  fire,  where  the  atmosphere  becomes  charged  with  in- 
flammable gas :  it  is  lighted  by  an  accident,  and  an  explosion 
follows,  in  which  dozens  and  sometimes  hundreds  of  men  are 
killed.  There  are  dangers  from  fire  outside  the  mine,  as  in 
the  horrible  affair  of  Avondale.  There  are  dangers  from  the 
breaking  of  ropes,  and  the  derangement  of  machinery,  from  the 
carelessness  of  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  exercise  the  utmost 
caution,  and  from  other  causes  to  be  hereafter  enumerated. 


EARLY  LIFE  UNDERGROUND.  83 

And  yet  with  all  these  perils  there  is  no  lack  of  men  ready  to 
meet  them,  as  there  is  no  lack  of  men  ready  to  meet  the  perils 
and  dangers  of  all  branches  of  industry.  Laborers  can  always 
be  found  for  any  honest  employment,  and  too  often  for  em- 
ployment quite  outside  the  bounds  of  honesty. 

The  earliest  life  underground  was  in  caves  of  natural  for- 
mation. All  over  the  globe  there  are  caverns  where  men 
have  lived,  sometimes  under  concealment,  sometimes  for  san- 
itary reasons,  and  sometimes  because  they  saved  the  labor  of 
constructing  houses.  Some  of  these  caverns  are  of  great  di- 
mensions, and  could  furnish  shelter  for  thousands  of  men, 
while  others  are  adapted  to  the  wants  of  only  a  few  persons. 
Many  caverns  and  caves  are  not  available  as  dwelling-places, 
but  are  visited  only  from  motives  of  curiosity  on  the  part  of 
travellers,  or  from  a  desire  for  gain  on  the  part  of  those  who 
seek  whatever  may  be  valuable.  Many  caves  have  histories 
romantic  or  tragic,  and  some  of  them  combine  romance  and 
tragedy  in  about  equal  proportions.  Tales  of  love  and  war, 
of  fidelity  and  treachery,  and  of  all  the  contending  passions 
and  experiences  of  human  nature,  can  be  found  in  the  histories 
of  these  excavations  which  have  been  made  by  no  mortal 
hands. 

Metaphorically,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  underground  life 
above  the  surface  of  the  earth.  Men  devote  time,  and  patience, 
and  study  to  the  acquisition  of  wealth  by  measures  that  are 
as  far  removed  from  the  light  of  honesty  as  the  tunnel  the 
miner  drives  beneath  the  mountain  is  removed  from  the  light 
of  the  sun.  One  builds  a  reputation  which  another  burrows 
beneath  and  destroys,  as  the  engineers  at  Hell  Gate  undertook 
to  destroy  the  rocky  reef  which  sunk  the  ships  of  many  a  nav- 
igator, from  the  days  of  Hendrick  Hudson  to  Gen.  Newton. 
Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast,  but  it  is  not  always 
hope  for  better  things. 

Dishonest  men  hope  for  wealth,  they  care  not  how  obtained, 

and  in  its  pursuit  they  frequently  imitate  the  labors  of  the 

miner.     Shafts  are  sunk  and  tunnels  are  driven ;  the  pick,  the 

drill,  and  the  powder-blast  perform  their  work  ;  operations  are 

3 


84  MINING   IN   METAPHOR. 

silently  and  secretly  conducted,  and  all  unknown  to  the  outer 
world ;  dangers  of  falls  of  earth,  of  floods  of  water,  of  choke- 
damp,  and  fire-damp,  are  unheeded,  and  by  and  by  the 
prize  may  be  obtained.  A  great  city,  in  its  moral  or  immoral 
life,  is  cut  and  seamed  with  subterranean  excavations  more 
extensive  than  those  of  the  richest  coal-fields  of  England  or 
Belgium.  Wall  Street  is  a  mining  centre  greater  than  the 
whole  of  Pennsylvania,  and  to  one  who  knows  it  intimately  it 
reveals  daily  more  shafts  and  tunnels  than  can  be  found  in 
Nevada  or  Colorado.  The  career  of  a  politician  is  not  unlike 
that  of  the  miner,  though  it  is  frequently  much  more  difficult 
to  follow.  The  miner  may  be  tracked  and  found,  but  there  is 
many  a  politician  whose  devious  windings  would  baffle  the 
keenest  detective  that  ever  lived. 

To  describe  underground  life  in  its  many  phases  is  the 
object  of  this  volume.  The  experience  of  the  miner  is  full 
of  adventures  of  an  exciting  character ;  so  exciting,  indeed, 
that  there  is  no  occasion  to  use  fiction  in  place  of  fact.  The 
hardships,  the  difficulties,  and  the  dangers  that  surround  him 
who  labors  beneath  the  earth's  surface  might  form  the  basis 
of  a  story  more  interesting  than  the  most  skilfully  constructed 
romance  ever  printed.  It  is  an  old  adage,  that  Truth  is 
stranger  than  Fiction :  the  experience  of  the  miner  affords 
better  illustrations  of  the  correctness  of  this  adage  than  does 
that  of  any  other  laborer.  Especially  is  this  the  case  if  we 
consider  Underground  Life  in  its  metaphoric  as  well  as  in 
its  literal  sense,  and  note  the  devious  and  hidden  ways  in 
which  many  of  our  fellow-men  pass  the  greater  part  of  their 
existence. 


,  II. 

DISCOVERY   OF   COAL. 

SAVAGE    THEORIES     ABOUT     COAL.  —  EXPERIENCE     OF    A     SIBERIAN    EXPLORING 
PARTY.  —  BURNING   BLACK   STONES.  —  MINERAL  FUEL  AMONG   THE  ANCIENTS. 

—  THEIR   MOTIVE   POWER.  —  CHINESE    TRADITIONS.  —  CHINESE    GAS   WELLS. 

—  HISTORY  OF   COAL   IN   ENGLAND.  —  A   ROYAL   EDICT.  —  CURIOUS    STORY  OF 
THE   MINER    OF   PLENEVAUX.  —  EXTENT    OF   COAL    FIELDS   THROUGHOUT   THE 
GLOBE.  —  THE    QUAKER   AND    THE   YANKEE    PEDLER.  —  THE    FIRST    ANTHRA- 
CITE. —  BELLINGHAM    BAY   AND    THE  CHINOOKS.  —  HOW  COAL   WAS   FORMED. 

—  INTERVIEWING  A   REPTILE.  —  THEORIES    OF    THE   ANCIENTS.  —  RIVERS    OF 
OIL   OF   VITRIOL.  —  ANCIENT  AND   MODERN   EIRE  WORSHIPPERS. 

IN  the  autumn  of  1865,  a  small  party  connected  with  the 
survey  of  a  telegraph  route  through  North-eastern  Asia,  was 
landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Anadyr  River,  near  Behring's 
Straits.  Another  party  was  landed  in  Kamchatka,  and  pro- 
ceeded over  land  towards  the  north.  They  made  constant 
inquiries  about  the  Anadyr  party,  and  at  last  learned  from  a 
band  of  wandering  aboriginals  that  some  white  men  had  been 
left  by  a  fire  ship  (steamer)  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and 
were  living  in  a  small  house  which  they  had  constructed 
partly  of  boards,  partly  of  bushes,  and  partly  of  earth.  The 
savages  described  them  as  the  most  wonderful  white  men 
they  had  ever  seen.  "  They  have/'  said  one  of  the  savages, 
"  an  iron  box,  and  they  burn  black  stones  in  it  to  make  a 
fire."  These  savages  had  never  seen  a  stove,  and  they  had 
never  seen  coal.  To  their  untutored  minds  the  work  of  the 
white  men  was  something  wonderful. 

It  is  probable  that  the  comparatively  recent  discovery  of 
mineral  coal  is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  its  close  resem- 
blance to  stone.  A  savage  or  civilized  man  knows  that  an 
ordinary  stone,  whether  white,  red,  blue,  green,  or  gray,  will 
not  burn ;  then  why  should  he  suppose  that  a  black  stone 


38  COAL  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS. 

will  burn  ?  Until  a  comparatively  recent  date  there  has  been 
no  great  demand  for  coal  as  fuel.  Many  parts  of  the  world  at 
the  present  day  are  covered  with  immense  forests,  and  for  a 
hundred  and  perhaps  thousands  of  years  there  will  be  no 
occasion  in  these  localities  to  make  use  of  the  mineral  fuel. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  Greeks  and  Romans  had  some  knowl- 
edge of  fossil  fuel,  but  they  made  very  little  use  of  it,  partly 
for  the  reason  that  they  did  not  know  the  proper  way  to  burn 
it,  and  partly  because  the  forests  in  those  days  furnished  all 
the  fuel  needed  for  industrial  purposes.  There  were  no 
manufactories  and  smelting  establishments,  and  the  working 
of  metals  was  carried  on  in  a  very  primitive  way.  Wood  and 
charcoal  were  the  only  fuel,  and  most  of  the  countries 
inhabited  at  that  early  day  were  favored  with  a  warm  climate, 
that  for  the  most  part  of  the  year  was  comfortable  enough  by 
day,  while  blankets  and  other  bed-clothing  gave  sufficient 
warmth  by  night.  The  laws  of  heat  were  not  known;  the 
pressure  of  vapor  was  not  even  thought  of,  or  suspected ;  and 
mechanical  force  was  derived  from  wind,  from  water,  and 
from  animated  beings. 

When  the  winds  did  not  blow  the  galleys  were  rowed  by 
convicts,  and  in  the  absence  of  a  stream  of  water,  animals,  and 
sometimes  men,  turned  the  mill. 

Occasionally  in  building  aqueducts,  large  beds  of  coal  were 
laid  bare,  but  no  attention  was  paid  to  them.  In  making  one 
aqueduct,  a  branch  of  a  canal  was  cut  through  a  bed  of  rock, 
and  at  the  bottom  of  that  bed  a  valuable  seam  of  coal  was 
found,  but  nobody  appears  to  have  troubled  his  head  about 
it.  It  is  supposed  by  most  writers  that  the  discovery  of  coal 
occurred  in  the  East.  The  Chinese  have  been  credited  with 
the  discovery  and  invention  of  nearly  everything  in  the 
world  except  the  discovery  of  America  and  the  invention  of 
the  electric  telegraph.  It  is  pretty  certain  that  they  were 
acquainted  with  mineral  fuel  from  a  very  remote  antiquity. 
They  knew  how  to  work  it,  and  apply  it  to  industrial  uses, 
such  as  baking  porcelain,  drying  tea,  and  the  like.  The  Chi- 
nese, for  hundreds  of  years,  used  to  bake  porcelain  with 


CHINESE  FIRE  WELLS.  39 

mineral  coal.  It  is  only  recently  that  mineral  coal  has  been 
substituted  for  charcoal  for  this  very  same  purpose  in  France, 
and  it  has  been  found  to  be  quite  economical. 

The  Chinese  knew  how  to  collect  the  gases  which  came  from 
coal,  and  they  used  them  for  illuminating.  The  accounts  of 
the  early  missionaries  state  that  from  time  immemorial  the 
Chinese  used  to  bore  into  the  earth  in  search  of  gas,  and 
when  they  found  it  they  conveyed  it  in  pipes  to  the  places 
where  it  was  wanted.  Gas  was  not  used  for  illuminating  in 
Europe  until  quite  recently. 

Historians  also  say  that  for  many  centuries  mines  of  coal 
have  been  worked  in  the  Celestial  Empire,  but  that  the  work- 
ing was  in  a  very  barbarous  fashion.  Many  of  their  coal 
mines  consist  of  open  cuttings ;  when  they  went  underground 
they  took  but  little  care  to  construct  drains  or  support  the 
subterranean 'ways,  and  they  took  no  precaution  whatever 
against  explosions  of  fire-damp,  which  often  proved  fatal. 
Their  working  of  mines  to-day  is  in  the  same  barbarous 
fashion  of  centuries  ago,  and  one  might  be  pardoned  for 
thinking,  like  the  boy  who  was  trying  to  learn  the  alphabet, 
that  it  was  hardly  worth  while  to  go  through  so  much  to 
accomplish  so  little. 

In  England  there  are  evidences  to  show  that  coal  was 
known  to  the  Romans,  and  possibly  to  the  Britons  before  the 
Roman  invasion ;  but  it  was  only  worked  at  the  outcrops 
of  the  coal  seams.  No  mention  is  made  of  coal  until  the 
time  of  Henry  II.  In  1259  a  charter  was  granted  to  the 
Freemen  of  Newcastle,  giving  them  the  liberty  "to  dig  for 
cole,"  and  a  few  years  later  coal  was  carried  to  London. 

In  1306  Parliament  petitioned  the  king  to  prevent  the 
importation  of  coal,  and  Edward  I.  issued  a  proclamation 
forbidding  the  use  of  mineral  fuel.  Coal  was  worked  to 
some  extent  in  the  thirteenth,  fourteenth,  fifteenth,  and  six- 
teenth centuries,  and  by  the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth 
century  the  English  coal  mines  were  in  full  operation.  In 
1615  four  thousand  English  ships  were  employed  in  the  coal 
trade.  The  coal  mines  of  Belgium  were  opened  about  tho 


40  THE  MINER   OF  PLENEVAUX. 

same  time  as  those  of  England.  The  Belgian  coal  miners  tell 
a  curious  story  of  the  discovery  of  coal,  in  the  twelfth  century, 
at  the  village  of  Plenevaux,  near  Liege.  One  of  the  old 
chroniclers  gives  the  account  as  follows :  — 

"  Houiilos,  a  farrier,  at  Plenevaux,  was  so  poor  as  not  to  be 
able  to  earn  enough  for  his  wants,  not  having  sometimes 
bread  enough  to  give  to  his  wife  and  children.  One  day, 
being  without  work,  he  almost  made  up  his  mind  to  put  an  end 
to  his  life,  when  an  old  man,  with  a  white  beard,  entered  his 
shop.  They  entered  into  conversation.  Houillos  told  him 
his  troubles ;  that,  being  a  disciple  of  St.  Eloi,  he  worked  in 
iron,  blowing  the  bellows  himself  to  save  the  expense  of  an 
assistant.  He  could  easily  realize  some  advantages  if  char- 
coal was  not  so  dear,  as  it  was  that  which  ruined  him. 

"  The  good  old  man  was  moved  even  to  tears.  '  My  friend/ 
said  he  to  the  farrier,  '  go  to  the  neighboring  mountain,  dig 
up  the  ground,  and  you  will  find  a  black  earth  suitable  for 
the  forge.' 

"  No  sooner  said  than  done.  Houillop  went  to  the  spot 
pointed  out,  found  the  earth  as  predicted,  and  having  thrown 
it  into  the  fire,  proceeded  to  forge  a  horseshoe  at  one  heating. 
Transported  with  joy,  he  would  not  keep  the  precious  dis- 
covery to  himself,  but  communicated  it  to  his  neighbors, 
and  even  to  his  brother  farriers.  A  grateful  posterity  has 
bestowed  his  name  to  coal,  which  is  called,  in  French,  Houille. 

"His  memory  is  still  cherished  by  all  the  miners  of  Liege, 
who  frequently  tell  the  story  of  the  honest  collier,  or  of  the 
old  coal  miner,  as  they  delight  in  calling  him.  The  miners 
say  it  was  an  angel  who  showed  him  the  spot  where  the  coal 
was." 

It  is  not  positively  known  when  the  first  discovery  of  coal  was 
made  in  the  United  States.  Some  historians  say  that  it  was 
before  the  Eevolutionary  war,  while  others  say  it  was  since 
that  time.  It  is  certain  that  coal  mining  has  not  been  exten- 
sively prosecuted  on  the  American  continent  until  within  the 
past  fifty  years. 
There  is  an  old  story  told  somewhere  of  a  discovery  of  coal  in 


IMPRESSIONS    OF    PLANTS    FOUND    IN   COAL. 


DISCOVERY   OF   ANTHRACITE    COAL    IN    PENNSYLVANIA,    IN    1768. — INTRODUCE!- 
AS    FUEL    FOR   RAILWAY    LOCOMOTIVES    IN   1836. 


THE  QUAKER  AND  THE  YANKEE.  43 

Pennsylvania  by  one  of  the  Quaker  settlers  in  the  mountains, 
not  far  from  where  Scranton  now  stands.  According  to  the 
story-teller,  —  but  I  cannot  vouch  for  his  correctness,  —  the 
Quaker  settler,  who  was  familiar  with  coal  in  England,  dis- 
covered a  peculiar  stone,  which  seemed  to  him  almost  iden- 
tical with  the  substance  which  he  had  used  in  England  for 
fuel.  He  carried  some  of  it  home,  and  threw  it  in  the  fire. 
He  found  that  it  became  red,  and  was  consumed,  but  that  it 
would  only  ignite  when  there  was  a  very  hot  fire  of  wood 
around  it,  The  coal  with  which  he  had  been  familiar  would 
burn  quite  readily,  and  gave  off  a  thick  black  smoke  ;  but  the 
substance  which  he  had  discovered  gave  neither  smoke  nor 
flame.  He  wondered  at  this,  and  concluded  that  the  sub- 
stance which  he  found  was  worthless. 

One  day  a  traveller,  whom  the  story-teller  converts  into  a 
Yankee  pedler,  came  along.  As  they  sat  by  the  evening  fire, 
the  Quaker  told  him  of  the  peculiar  region  they  were  in,  and 
of  the  remarkable  stones  which  he  had  discovered.  He 
threw  a  few  fragments  upon  the  fire,  and  in  a  little  while  they 
became  red  and  were  consumed. 

The  traveller  insisted  that  the  substance  was  valuable ; 
that  it  was  probably  good  coal,  but  the  great  difficulty  was  to 
make  it  burn.  After  gossiping  a  while  about  the  matter,  the 
traveller  went  to  bed. 

During  the  night  he  pondered  over  the  matter,  and  in  the 
morning  asked  his  Quaker  friend  to  take  him  to  the  spot 
where  he  had  found  the  black  stone.  The  spot  was  shown 
him ;  he  examined  the  substance  carefully.  The  Quaker  car- 
ried to  the  house  a  considerable  quantity  of  the  substance, 
and  then  the  Yankee  said,  — 

"  I  think  we  can  make  this  stuff  burn  if  we  can  only  draw 
a  fire  through  it.  Now,  what  we  want  to  do  is  to  fix  up 
something  so  as  to  make  the  fire  go  where  we  want  it  to." 

The  Quaker  assented  to  the  proposition,  and  asked  if  it 
w^re  possible. 

The  Yankee  said,  "  Yes.  I  know  how  it  can  be  done  ;  but 
before  I  tell  you  I  want  to  buy  half  of  the  land  where  you 
found  that  stone." 


44  DISCOVERY  AT  BELLIKGHAM  BAY. 

A  bargain  was  struck  very  speedily,  and  the  Yankee 
hunted  around  the  establishment,  and  found  a  piece  of  sheet 
iron,  which  he  fashioned  into  a  blower.  He  then  built  up 
a  small,  narrow  fireplace,  and  fitted  his  blower  to  the  front. 
"  The  next  thing,"  said  he,  "  is  to  make  something  like  a 
grate ;  "  and  they  took  some  rods  of  iron  and  fashioned  them 
into  a  rude  grate. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Yankee  to  the  Quaker,  "  build  a  good  fire 
of  wood,  so  that  it  will  fill  the  bottom  of  that  grate." 

The  Quaker  followed  the  directions,  and  when  the  fire  was 
well  started,  the  Yankee  threw  a  peck  or  so  of  the  coal  on 
the  top  and  put  up  the  blower.  The  fire  was  drawn  directly 
among  the  fragments  of  coal ;  in  a  little  while  the  blower 
was  removed,  and  the  coal  was  found  to  be  a  red,  burning 
mass,  which  threw  off  an  intense  heat. 

Both  were  delighted  with  the  discovery ;  and  thus  was 
opened  the  first  anthracite  coal  mine  in  America. 

A  story  was  once  told  to  me,  on  the  Pacific  coast,  concern- 
ing the  discovery  of  coal  at  Bellingham  Bay,  in  British 
Columbia.  The  narrator  said  that  a  party  of  men  connected 
with  the  Hudson  Bay  Company's  service,  was  at  one  time  in 
the  camp  of  a  family  of  Chinook  Indians.  The  Indians  told 
them  that  a  few  days  before,  in  a  locality  which  they  had 
visited,  they  had  attempted  to  build  a  fire.  The  wind  was 
blowing,  and  in  order  to  shield  their  fire  they  piled  some 
stones  around  it.  Among  these  were  two  or  three  large 
black  stones,  which  they  had  picked  up  on  the  surface. 
Great  was  their  astonishment,  when  the  fire  was  under  way, 
to  see  these  black  stones  ignite  and  burn.  They  thought  it 
something  mysterious,  and  immediately  ascribed  it  tg  the 
work  of  the  devil,  just  as  a  great  many  savage  and  civilized 
people  are  inclined  to  attribute  anything  they  do  not  under- 
stand to  His  Satanic  Majesty.  Next  day  they  guided  the 
white  men  to  the  spot.  It  was  found  that  a  vein  of  coal  out- 
cropped upon  the  surface,  and  gave  sure  indications  of  a  rich 
deposit  below. 

The  annual  production  of  coal  throughout  the  entire  world 


ANNUAL   COAL  PRODUCT.  45 

is  roughly  estimated  at  about  two  hundred  millions  of  tons. 
More  than  half  of  this  coal  is  produced  in  Great  Britain. 
About  twenty  millions  of  tons  are  mined  in  North  America, 
and  the  rest  mainly  in  Belgium,  France,  and  Prussia.  The 
production  of  other  countries  is  comparatively  insignificant. 
Coal  is  the  most  valuable  mineral  substance  known.  The 
amount  of  coal  taken  from  the  earth  every  year  is  double  the 
value  of  all  the  gold,  silver,  and  diamonds  annually  produced. 
In  the  great  World's  Fair  of  London  in  1851,  when  the  famous 
Kohinoor  diamond  attracted  thousands  of  curious  spectators, 
there  was  one  day  a  lump  of  coal  placed  near  the  case  con- 
taining the  Kohinoor.  The  lump  bore  this  brief  label:  "This 
is  the  real  Kohinoor  diamond." 

America  to-day  is  of  far  less  importance  as  a  coal  producer 
than  Great  Britain,  but  she  is  destined  to  become  eventually 
the  great  coal  producer  of  the  world.  At  the  present  time 
there  is  much  anxiety  in  England  about  the  exhaustion  in  a 
few  hundred  years  of  the  coal  fields  in  the  British  Isles.  The 
United  Kingdom  contains  nine  thousand  square  miles  of  coal 
fields;  France,  Belgium,  Spain,  Prussia,  and  other  German 
states,  together,  about  two  thousand  seven  hundred  square 
miles  of  coal  fields  ;  other  countries,  not  including  America, 
contain  about  twenty-nine  thousand,  while  North  America, 
including  the  British  colonies,  contains  about  one  hundred 
and  eighty  thousand  square  miles  of  coal  fields.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  the  area  of  the  North  American  coal  fields  is 
four  times  as  great  as  all  those  of  the  other  countries  of  the 
globe.  Of  this  immense  extent  of  coal  deposits,  a  very  small 
portion  has  yet  been  touched,  and  consequently  for  thousands 
of  years'to  come  our  country  can  supply  the  world. 

Coal  was  formed  at  a  very  remote  geological  period. 
Scientific  men  differ  as  to  the  exact  age  of  this  substance, 
Their  differences  are  trivial,  however,  being  only  a  few 
millions  of  years  ;  but  they  all  agree  that  at  the  time  coal  was 
formed  there  were  wide  jungles  and  swamps  that  covered  a 
large  portion  of  the  earth's  surface.  The  atmosphere  was  very 
moist,  and  probably  contained  a  much  larger  proportion  of 


46  HOW   COAL   WAS   FORMED. 

carbonic  acid  than  at  the  present  time.  This  gas  is  one 
which  especially  promotes  the  growth  of  plants.  It  is,  and 
was,  probably  unfavorable  to  the  existence  of  animal  life ;  and 
it  has  been  suggested  that  the  gradual  withdrawal  of  the  car- 
bonic acid  by  the  growth  of  vegetation  of  that  period  slowly 
purified  the  atmosphere,  and  brought  it  to  the  condition  in 
which  we  now  find  it.  The  earth  at  that  time  was  not  fitted 
for  the  habitation  of  man.  If  man  had  existed  at  that  period, 
he  would  have  needed  fins  in  the  place  of  hands  and  feet,  and 
would  have  required  lungs  like  those  of  fishes,  instead  of  those 
which  he  now  possesses.  There  was  an  abundant  population  of 
reptiles  and  of  insects,  and  there  was  a  liberal  supply  of  fishes. 

Many  of  these  fishes,  reptiles,  and  insects  are  unknown  at 
the  present  day.  They  performed  their  work,  if  work  they 
had  to  do,  and  disappeared.  Their  remains  are  found  in  the 
coal  seams  and  in  the  rocks  which  lie  above  or  beneath  the 
coal,  and  form  an  interesting  subject  of  study. 

Some  of  the  reptiles  were  enormously  large.  Remains  have 
been  found  of  a  lizard  more  than  one  hundred  feet  long,  with 
an  open  countenance,  that  could  have  taken  in  an  ordinary 
man  about  as  easily  as  a  chicken  swallows  a  fly.  The  skele- 
tons of  these  reptiles  are  found,  and  I  think  that  most  people 
who  examine  these  skeletons  are  inclined  to  give  a  sigh  of 
relief  when  they  remember  that  such  creatures  are  now 
extinct.  They  would  be  very  disagreeable  travelling  com- 
panions, and  one  might  be  very  much  disinclined  to  meet 
them  in  a  narrow  lane  on  a  dark  night. 

Some  years  ago  I  examined  the  skeleton  of  a  reptile  dis- 
covered in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  though  the  bones  were 
cold  and  motionless,  I  had  the  wish  to  keep  at  a  respectful 
distance  from  them.  He  had  a  mouth  that  reminded  one  of 
the  extension  top  of  a  patent  carriage  ;  and  when  his  jaw  was 
pushed  back,  it  seemed  to  me  that  he  could  have  walked 
down  his  own  throat  without  the  slightest  difficulty. 

The  most  plausible  and  reasonable  theory  of  the  formation 
of  coal  seems  to  be  that  it  is  for  the  most  part  the  remains  of 
vegetable  matter  which  had  become  decomposed  and  changed 


CONVERSION  OF  PEAT  TO  COAL.  47 

to  mineral  on  the  spot  where  it  remained  and  is  now  found. 
The  fibrous  tissues  of  the  aquatic  vegetation  flourished  like 
a  thick  carpet  on  the  moist  surface.  It  became  mingled  and 
matted  together,  as  we  now  find  turf  and  peat  in  peat  bogs, 
and  in  swamps  and  marshes.  On  the  borders  of  great  lakes, 
which  in  time  were  built  up  and  became  swamps,  these 
plains  extended,  and  underwent  slow  depression.  Layers  of 
sand  and  other  substances  were  carried  down  below  the  level 
of  the  sea,  which  we  now  find  among  and  alternating  with  the 
coal  seams  in  the  shape  of  beds  of  shales  and  sandstones. 
Then  another  system  of  lagoons  formed  above  them,  and 
allowed  new  jungles  to  spring  up  and  new  marshes  to  be 
formed.  These  were  in  turn  depressed  and  covered  by  the 
waters.  In  this  way,  step  by  step,  the  coal  beds  were  built 
up.  According  to  geologists,  each  coal  seam  represents  a 
depressed  swamp,  while  the  intervening  strata  of  sandstone, 
and  shale,  and  clay,  mark  the  various  sediments  which  were 
brought  together  by  the  action  of  the  waters. 

The  coal  beds  contain  many  impressions  of  plants  and  por- 
tions of  plants,  so  that  geologists  have  been  able  to  determine 
the  nature  of  the  vegetation  of  that  period.  There  are  a  great 
many  mosses  and  ferns,  some  of  the  latter  having  thick,  broad 
stems,  and  long  and  heavy  leaves.  One  geologist  says  there 
are  one  hundred  and  seventy-seven  specimens  of  plants  found 
in  single  coal  beds.  He  says  there  are  no  palms,  nor  grasses, 
nor  flowering  plants  ]  and  for  this  reason  he  considers  that  the 
coal  beds  were  formed  from  plants  of  a  marshy  growth. 

The  layers  of  peat,  after  being  covered  by  shales,  sand- 
stone, and  limestone,  were  compressed  beneath  the  enormous 
weight  of  the  over-lying  strata,  and  while  undergoing  this 
compression,  there  was  a  sort  of  distillation  and  purifying 
process  going  on.  In  this  way  the  plants  and  peat,  originally 
loosely  matted  together,  became  more  and  more  compressed, 
and  by  means  of  the  heat  and  pressure  were  entirely  decom- 
posed. Ultimately  the  substance  was  turned  into  what  we 
now  find  it,  and  the  coal  was  stored  up  for  future  ages. 

The  ancients  had  curious  theories  in  regard  to  the  forma* 


48  SACRED   FIRE  WELLS. 

tion  of  coal.  They  regarded  it  as  streams  of  bitumen,  which 
had  become  petrified,  or  had  impregnated  certain  very  porous 
kinds  of  rock.  Another  theory  which  they  entertained  was, 
that  forests  had  been  carbonized  on  the  spot  where  they  grew, 
or  had  been  transformed  by  streams  of  sulphurous  acid,  which 
possesses  the  property  of  hardening  and  carbonizing  wood. 
It  is  easy  to  attribute  the  origin  of  coal  to  the  agency  of  riv- 
ers of  bitumen,  and  oil  of  vitriol ;  but  it  is  not  easy  to  say 
where  those  rivers  came  from. 

The  Chinese  have  a  theory  that  coal  is  a  species  of  plant 
of  which  the  seed  was  deposited  in  the  earth  ages  and  ages 
ago,  and  that  it  grew  and  spread  in  different  parts  of  the  em- 
pire where  it  is  now  found,  in  order  that  the  Chinese  of  to- 
day might  have  a  sufficient  supply  of  fuel.  They  attribute  the 
streams  of  inflammable  gas,  which  they  collect  and  utilize,  to 
the  breathings  of  an  immense  monster  below  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  and  in  some  localities  they  call  him  the  first  cousin  of 
the  God  of  Fj.re.  The  God  of  Fire  is  one  of  the  Chinese  dei- 
ties. He  occupies  a  prominent  place  in  the  temples,  and  is 
worshipped  with  great  solemnity.  In  other  parts  of  the  world 
these  streams  of  gas  are  worshipped,  and  in  localities  along 
the  coast  of  the  Caspian  Sea,  streams  of  burning  gas  are  con- 
stantly rising,  and  their  sources  are  known  as  sacred  wells. 
They  are  visited  by  thousands  of  devotees  every  year,  and 
are  regarded  with  the  greatest  reverence. 

Wells  of  similar  character  exist  in  the  United  States,  but 
they  are  mostly  of  artificial  origin.  They  are  found  in  the 
vicinity  of  Oil  Creek,  and  that  region  of  Western  Pennsylva- 
nia which  has  been  baptized  as  Petrolia.  Thousands  of 
devotees  have  worshipped  in  the  vicinity  of  these  wells, 
and  many  of  them  owe  their  fortunes  to  the  modern  God  of 
Fire  ;  but  it  is  doubtful  if  many  of  them  worship  the  wells 
with  that  religious  devotion  and  reverence  which  are  found 
among  the  fire  worshippers  of  the  far  east. 

A  novelty  in  the  way  of  carrying  coal  may  be  seen  at  the 
Harewood  coal  mine,  at  Nanaimo,  British  Columbia.  The  mines 
are  situated  at  a  considerable  elevation  above  the  sea-level,  and 


A   WIRE  TRAMWAY.  51 

the  intermediate  ground  is  covered  with  trees  and  rocks,  while 
several  deep  ravines  intercept  the  grounds.  Under  such  cir- 
cumstances, the  construction  of  a  railway  would  be  costly  and 
require  much  time,  as  several  viaducts  would  be  required,  and 
the  road  at  some  places  would  have  to  make  considerable 
curves.  The  proprietor  of  the  mines  therefore  decided  to 
avoid  all  these  difficulties,  on  putting  up  a  wire  tramway  in  a 
direct  line  from  the  mine  to  the  port,  by  means  of  which  the 
ravines  could  be  spanned  without  expense,  and  the  timber  on 
the  ground  could  be  converted  into  the  necessary  posts. 

There  are  in  all  ninety-seven  posts,  put  up  to  such  a  height 
that  the  wire  spanned  over  them  forms  a  softly  inclining  plane. 
The  distance  between  them  is  from  150  to  250  feet.  The  wire 
rope  is  of  the  best  crucible  steel,  specially  made  for  the  pur- 
pose, and  is  6J  miles  in  length ;  each  post  having  a  pair  of 
groove-pulleys  two  feet  in  diameter,  over  which  the  wire 
moves.  The  rope  is  driven  at  the  lower  end  by  an  engine  of 
20  horse-power,  which  is  sufficient  to  drive  the  line  when  car- 
rying 12  tons  per  hour. 

The  driving  machinery  is  fitted  with  drums  10  feet  in  diam- 
eter ;  at  the  mine  the  rope  simply  passes  round  a  10-foot  drum. 
Two  hundred  and  fifty  iron  buckets,  each  with  a  capacity  of  2  cwt. 
of  coal,  are  fitted  with  a  patent  hanger  and  box-head,  .by 
means  of  which  all  jolting,  when  passing  over  the  supports,  is 
avoided.  This  tramway  has  been  transporting,  during  eight 
months,  about  120  tons  of  coal  per  day,  and  no  accident  or 
stoppage  has  occurred. 

Many  other  tramways  of  the  same  nature  have  been  recently 
put  in  operation  in  various  parts  of  the  world,  as,  for  instance, 
in  Mauritius,  where  they  have  been  successfully  applied  to  the 
carriage  of  sugar-cane ;  also  in  New  Zealand,  where  they  are 
used  for  carrying  manganesed  ore. 

This  means  of  conveyance  is  certainly  a  very  practical  and 
inexpensive  one ;  it  does  away  with  railroad  material,  engines, 
engineers,  the  consumption  of  coal,  etc.,  and  may  be  applied 
over  the  deepest  ravines,  where  it  would  almost  be  an  impossi- 
bility to  build  a  railroad,  unless  a  bridge  were  built,  at  enormous 


52  ESTIMATE   OP   COAL. 

expense  and  labor.  Let  us  conclude  this  article  by  giving  the 
following  estimate,  in  round  numbers,  of  the  world's  present 
annual  production  of  coal.  It  is  taken  from  various  sources, 
and  may  be  considered  approximately  correct. 

Tons.  Per  cent. 

Great  Britain,                          -     127,016,747  46.4 

United  States,                         -       50,512,000  18.4 

Germany,       -                         -       45,335,741  16.5 

France,                                     •       17,400,000  6.4 

Belgium,                                  .       17,000,000  6.2 

Austria  and  Hungary,           •       11,000,000  4.0 

Kussia,                         -             -         1,200,000  0.5 

Spain,                                       -            570,000  0.2 
Portugal,        -             -                            18,000 

Nova  Scotia,                                    1,051,567  0.4 

Australia,       .                                   1,000,000  0.4 

India,                                                     500,000  0.2 

Other  countries,         -                      1,000,000  0.4 

273,704,055  100.0 


III. 

BORINGS    AND    SHAFTS. 

HOW  COAL  MINES  ARE  DISCOVERED.  —  OUTCROPPINGS.  — -  SCIENTIFIC  RE- 
SEARCHES. —  HOW  A  MARBLE  QUARRY  WAS  FOUND.  —  BORING  A  WELL,  AND 
WHAT  CAME  OF  IT.  —  A  LOCAL  DEBATING  SOCIETY.  —  INTIMATE  RELATIONS 
OF  COAL  MINES  AND  THE  STEAM  ENGINE.  — STRIKING  OIL.  —  "  DAD\S  STRUCK 
ILE."  —  THE  UNHAPPY  MAIDEN'S  FATE.  — COAL  INSTEAD  OF  WATER. — THE 
TOOLS  TO  BE  USED.  —  A  DEEP  HOLE.  —  TERRIBLE  ACCIDENT,  AND  A  MINER'S 
COOLNESS.  —  SINKING  SHAFTS.  —  AN  INGENIOUS  APPARATUS.  —  ACCIDENTS 
IN  SHAFTS.  —  REQUIREMENTS  OF  THE  LAW. 

UXTIL  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  coal  mines 
were  discovered  more  by  accident  than  in  any  other  way. 
The  coal  seams  make  their  appearance  at  the  surface,  that  is, 
they  "  crop  out/7  or  "  come  to  grass,"  as  the  miners  say.  Coal 
on  the  surface  is  generally  of  a  poor  character,  for  the  reason 
that  it  has  been  for  many  hundreds  of  years  subject  to  the 
action  of  the  elements  ;  but  on  digging  down  a  few  feet,  or  a 
few  dozen  feet,  the  quality  is-  found  to  be  greatly  improved. 
When  coal  is  thus  found  at  the  surface,  a  preliminary  ex- 
amination  is  conducted  by  cutting  trenches,  galleries,  and 
pits,  and  if  the  conditions  are  favorable,  the  actual  working 
of  the  mine  can  begin.  Sometimes  the  mine  is  operated  by 
a  few  cuttings,  like  the  works  of  an  ordinary  stone  quarry. 

Most  coal  mines  have  been  discovered  and  opened  in  this 
way;  but  when  the  coal  is  concealed  beneath  the  soil,  and 
nothing  is  observed  on  the  surface,  it  is  discovered  by  chance, 
or  by  geological  indications.  At  the  present  day  many  coal 
mines  are  discovered  by  means  of  railway  cuttings,  or  in  sink- 
ing wells.  Other  mines  are  discovered  in  this  way.  Some 
twenty  years  ago,  while  a  railway  was  constructing  in  Ver- 
mont, the  workmen  came  upon  a  bed  of  marble,  and  it  was 
found  to  be  quite  extensive.  Speculators  bought  the  land  in 


54  DISCOVERING  COAL  MINES. 

the  vicinity,  and  thus  the  Vermont  marble  quarry  came  into 
existence. 

In  1813  a  well  was  sunk  at  La  Sarthe,  in  France.  Amongst 
the  rubbish  a  black  earth  was  noticed,  which  was  sent  to  a 
provincial  debating  society  at  Le  Mans.  An  extraordinary 
meeting  of  the  society  was  called,  and  somebody  suggested 
that  this  black  earth  might  be  coal.  It  was  immediately  tried 
in  the  stove  in  the  room  where  the  meeting  was  held,  and  it 
was  found  that  the  earth  burned  readily.  An  investigation 
followed.  Careful  examinations  were  made,  and  valuable  coal 
mines  were  opened  in  the  vicinity. 

Some  of  the  mines  in  the  United  States  have  been  discovered 
in  places  where  burrowing  animals  had  thrown  up  the  earth. 
Decomposed  coal  retains  its  original  blackness ;  in  several  in- 
stances where  it  was  found  in  the  earth  thus  thrown  up,  care- 
ful observations  were  made,  and  work  was  immediately  begun 
in  search  of  coal.  Some  valuable  mines  have  been  opened  in 
this  way. 

Many  of  the  coal  mines  in  France  and  Belgium,  and  also  in 
other  countries,  have  been  found  in  consequence  of  the  ex- 
plorations of  geologists.  In  the  year  1716  a  very  skilful  coal 
miner  in  Belgium  made  a  series  of  explorations,  and  discovered 
very  valuable  mines.  Under  ^his  direction  they  were  ex- 
plored for  several  years,  but  the  works  were  at  length  aban- 
doned, in  consequence  of  the  accumulation  of  water.  In  all 
parts  of  the  world  miners  have  always  found  great  difficulty 
in  proceeding  in  consequence  of  the  interruptions  caused  by 
water,  and  until  the  steam  engine  was  invented  there  was  an 
absence  of  sufficient  power  for  its  removal. 

In  the  eighteenth  century  deep  pits  in  the  Newcastle  coal 
fields  were  filled  with  water,  and  it  was  necessary  to  drain 
these  pits  before  the  coal  could  be  taken  out.  The  ordinary 
pump  was  not  sufficient  for  the  purpose,  and  a  more  powerful 
engine  became  necessary.  Inventions  seem  to  come  at  a  time 
when  they  are  most  needed.  When  the  necessity  for  a  pow- 
erful pump  was  greatest,  the  steam  engine  was  invented. 
Savery,  Newcomen,  and  "Watt  succeeded  each  other.  Captain 


ENTRANCE    TO    A    COAL    MINE. 


DOWN    IN    A    COAL    MINK. 


INVENTING  THE  STEAM  ENGINE.  57 

Savery  constructed  one  of  his  "  fire  engines  "  to  lift  water  from 
one  of  the  Cornish  mines ;  but  the  power  of  the  engine  was  not 
great,  and  the  quantity  of  water  raised  was  exceedingly  small. 

Newcomen  invented  the  atmospheric  steam  engine,  in  which 
the  piston  was  lifted  by  steam,  and  when  this  was  condensed 
the  piston  was  forced  to  the  bottom  of  the  cylinder  by  the 
pressure  of  the  atmosphere.  Afterwards  Watt  improved 
upon  the  engine,  and  overcame  the  difficulty  of  removing  the 
vast  accumulations  of  water  in  the  deep  mines,  about  the 
middle  of  the  eighteenth  century. 

There  is  a  curious  relation  between  coal  mines  and  the 
steam  engine.  The  latter  was  invented  among,  the  former, 
and  without  its  application  to  pumping  purposes  the  invention 
would  have  been  to  a  great  extent  worthless,  for  by  means  of 
the  very  substance  raised  from  the  mines  the  engine  is  kept 
in  motion.  The  mines  thus  furnished  the  material  with  which 
the  engine  is  operated,  and  only  with  the  aid  of  the  engine 
can  the  coal  mines  be  properly  worked. 

In  the  petroleum  regions  of  America  the  borings  and  pump- 
ings  are  frequently  conducted  by  means  of  the  gas  which  rises 
from  the  earth.  Very  often  a  steam  engine  is  run  without 
any  other  fuel  than  a  stream  of  natural  gas,  conveyed  beneath 
the  boiler,  and  fed  through  a  proper  distributing  apparatus. 

To  the  coal  mine  we  are  also  indebted  for  that  great  boon 
of  modern  civilization,  the  railway. 

Coal  is  a  heavy,  bulky  article,  selling  at  a  low  price.  Not 
only  must  it  be  removed  from  the  earth,  but  it  must  be  carried 
at  a  cheap  rate,  and  often  for  long  distances.  Where  there  is 
no  water  communication  the  roads  are  the  only  mode  of  con- 
veyance. Originally  common  earth  roads  were  used,  and  the 
coal  was  carried  in  ordinary  carts.  These,  roads  were  im- 
proved, and,  after  a  time,  were  in  the  condition  of  stone  cause- 
ways, or  macadamized  tracks.  Afterwards  wooden  tracks 
were  used,  over  which  the  wheels  would  roll  more  easily  than 
upon  ordinary  roads.  These  wooden  tracks  were  at  first 
placed  in  the  underground  ways  of  the  mines,  and  afterwards 
extended  to  the  ways  above  ground. 
4 


58  INVENTION   OF  THE   RAILWAY. 

But  wood  is  not  durable  ;  it  soon  rots  and  wears  away. 
The  wooden  tracks  were  subsequently  replaced  by  others  of 
cast  iron;  originally  these  were  grooved,  but  subsequently 
they  were  furnished  with  a  lateral  flange.  Afterwards  wrought 
iron  was  substituted  for  cast  iron.  In  the  first  instance  strips 
of  cast  iron  were  placed  upon  wooden  rails,  forming  the  old- 
fashioned  strap  rail.  Afterwards  was  invented  the  ordinary 
rail  as  we  now  find  it.  The  flange  was  renfoved  from  the 
rail,  and  placed  upon  the  wheel,  and  thus,  step  by  step,  the 
modern  railway  came  into  existence. 

Something  more  was  wanted.  Cars  were  propelled  by 
means  of  horse  or  man  power.  It  was  necessary  to  apply  the 
steam  engine  to  the  work  of  transportation.  Trefethick,  a 
Cornish  miner,  constructed  a  locomotive  with  a  simple  boiler. 
like  that  of  a  stationary  engine  ;  but  the  heating  surface  and 
the  motive  power  were  too  small.  It  was  not  then  supposed 
that  the  wheels  would  turn  upon  a  smooth  rail  and  move  for- 
ward, and  so  the  driving  wheel  was  toothed  and  worked  in  a 
rack.  The  speed  was  less  than  that  of  a  carriage  drawn  by 
horses.  George  Stephenson,  an  old  coal  miner,  completed  the 
locomotive. 

Seguin,  in  France,  about  the  same  time,  invented  the  tubes 
which  run  through  the  locomotive  boiler,  and  afford  a  passage 
to  the  flames.  They  greatly  increased  the  evaporating  surface, 
and  consequently  the  production  of  steam.  Stephenson  dis- 
charged into  the  chimney  the  steam  which  had  acted  upon  the 
piston,  and  thus  gave  a  great  draft  to  the  furnaces.  The  loco- 
motive was  then  complete,  and  since  that  day  it  has  only  been 
improved  in  its  details. 

We  have  wandered  a  little  from  the  search  for  coal  to  speak 
of  the  steam  engine,  the  locomotive,  and  the  railway. 

Many  coal  mines  have  been  discovered  by  borings  in  search 
of  artesian  springs.  About  thirty  years  ago,  in  one  of  the 
French  provinces,  a  well  was  being  bored,  and,  quite  unex- 
pectedly, the  boring  tools  revealed  the  presence  of  coal.  As 
soon  as  this  became  known,  everybody  went  to  work  search- 
ing, not  for  water,  but  for  coal.  In  a  region  sixty  miles  long 


BORING   FOR   COAL.  59 

by  twelve  or  fifteen  wide,  the  ground  was  perforated  like  a 
sieve,  by  a  series  of  borings  which  were  laid  down  on  a  plan 
that  seemed  to  resemble  a  constellation  of  stars  on  a  celestial 
map.  Everywhere  coal  was  found,  and  altogether  one  hun- 
dred thousand  acres  of  coal  fields  were  added  to  the  wealth 
of  France.  Nearly  thirty  companies  were  organized  to  work 
the  jnew  mines.  Since  the  discovery  about  fifty  pits 
have  been  sunk,  some  of  them  to  a  depth  of  five  hundred 
yards.  In  1851  the  mines  produced  five  thousand  tons  of 
coal.  At  the  present  day  their  product  is  not  far  from 
twenty  millions  of  tons.  All  this  originated  in  a  search  for 
water. 

The  process  of  boring  for  coal  is  very  much  like,  in  fact  al- 
most identical  with,  boring  for  petroleum.  The  boring  rods 
are  of  wood,  or  iron,  and  are  screwed  together  as  the  work 
proceeds.  The  primitive  instrument  is  a  steel  chisel,  or  bit, 
which  strikes  the  rock  and  wears  it  away,  precisely  as  an 
ordinary  drill  makes  a  hole  in  a  stone  ledge.  Boring  ma- 
chinery may  be  operated  by  steam  power  or  by  hand.  In 
the  primitive  way,  a  triangle,  or  pair  of  shears,  supports  the 
rods,  and  has  an  ordinary  windlass,  by  which  they  may  be 
raised  or  lowered. 

One  of  the  inconveniences  attending  the  ordinary  process 
of  boring  is,  that  the  rock  is  pulverized,  and  nothing  but  little 
fragments  of  dust  and  mud  are  brought  to  the  surface.  Some- 
times it  is  difficult  to  determine  whether  the  stones  through 
which  the  borer  has  passed  are  the  proper  ones  to  indicate 
the  existence  of  coal,  or  whether  the  black  matter  comes  from 
coal  or  shales.  All  these  disadvantages  have  been  overcome 
by  means  of  a  new  instrument,  which  is  in  general  use.  A 
gouge  in  the  form  of  a  hollow  cylinder  is  employed,  furnished 
at  the  base  with  a  row  of  teeth,  or  with  several  cutting  blades 
of  cast  steel,  and  sometimes  with  a  row  of  diamonds.  It  is 
worked  like  an  ordinary  borer  or  auger,  and  cuts  a  solid 
column  or  cylinder  out  of  the  rock  as  regular  in  shape  as 
if  it  had  been  turned  in  a  lathe. 

When  this  cylinder  has  been  cut  to  a  sufficient  length,  it  is 


60  "DAD'S  STRUCK  ILE." 

broken  off  by  means  of  the  gouge  bit,  or  grapnel,  which 
seizes  it  and  brings  it  to  the  surface.  The  boring  tool  will 
cut  a  hole  eight  inches  in  diameter,  leaving  a  pillar  of  rock 
in  the  centre  which  can  be  broken  off  at  any  desired  length 
and  brought  to  daylight.  By  means  of  this  rock,  the  fossils 
in  the  stone  may  be  studied,  together  with  the  structure  of 
the  strata,  and  all  its  peculiarities.  Beautiful  specimens 
of  rock  are  frequently  obtained  in  this  way  from  great 
depths.  Some  borings  have  been  made  to  a  depth  of  nearly 
two  thousand  feet,  with  a  diameter  varying  from  eight  to 
twenty  inches. 

As  the  boring  tool  reaches  the  depth  at  which  the  work- 
men expect  to  find  coal,  the  operations  are  conducted  with 
the  greatest  interest.  Every  motion  of  the  rod  is  carefully 
watched,  and  when  the  fragments  of  rock  or  earth  are  brought 
to  the  surface,  they  are  examined  with  great  care.  When  the 
coal  is  discovered  there  is  much  rejoicing,  as  it  is  then  certain 
that  the  prize  has  been  gained.  It  is  the  same  in  boring  for 
coal  as  for  oil.  When  a  man  in  Western  Pennsylvania  has 
"  struck  oil,"  and,  according  to  the  local  expression,  "  struck 
it  rich,"  he  feels  that  his  fortune  is  made.  More  than  one 
man  has  thus  raised  himself  above  his  fellows  when  his  search 
for  coal  was  rewarded  with  success.  An  old  story,  which 
has  been  told  many  times,  and  will  bear  telling  a  good  many 
times  more,  is  not  inapplicable  here. 

During  the  period  of  the  first  oil  excitement  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, a  j^oung  man,  whom  the  story  represents  to  have  been 
poor  but  honest,  was  paying  his  attentions  to  a  maiden  of  his 
neighborhood.  The  maiden  received  his  addresses,  and  the 
pair  were  engaged  to  be  married.  The  father  of  the  damsel 
was  an  oil  seeker,  and  one  day  his  search  for  oil  was  success- 
ful. That  evening  the  young  man  visited  his  lady  love.  She 
received  him  coldly.  He  asked  the  meaning  of  the  coolness, 
and  she  curtly  replied,  "  I  can't  marry  you." 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  the  young  man,  eagerly. 

"  Well,"  said  the  girl,  "  I  can't  marry  you  ;  dad  has  struck 
ile." 


ACCIDENT  AT   CREUZOT.  61 

The  young  man  went  away  sorrowing,  for  he  had  not  great 
possessions.  As  the  story  goes,  the  damsel,  who  had  been  thus 
suddenly  lifted  from  poverty  to  wealth  in  consequence  of  her 
father's  oil  discovery,  remained  unmarried  for  several  months, 
but  finally  gave  her  hand  to  an  engaging  stranger  from  New 
York,  who  dissipated  the  family  fortune  as  rapidly  as  it  had 
been  obtained. 

In  1853  some  wealthy  gentlemen  sought  for  coal  near 
Creuzot,  in  France.  The  spot  was  carefully  selected,  and  for 
four  years  the  work  went  on.  The  tools  penetrated  to  a 
depth  of  more  than  three  thousand  feet.  This  is  probably 
one  of  the  deepest  borings  ever  made.  An  unforeseen  acci- 
dent stopped  the  work  at  that  point. 

The  bore-hole  was  less  than  an  inch  in  diameter,  and  was 
made  by  means  of  a  steel  chisel  fastened  into  wooden  rods, 
which  were  screwed  together.  The  boring  tool  one  day  be- 
came broken  at  the  bottom  of  the  hole.  All  kinds  of  grap- 
pling implements  were  lowered  to  take  hold  of  it,  but  none  of 
them  succeeded.  The  chisel  seemed  to  be  firmly  lodged  at 
the  bottom,  and  resisted  every  attempt  to  withdraw  it.  After 
six  months  of  effort  the  work  was  abandoned.  One  of  the 
parties  interested  offered  to  subscribe  half  a  million  francs  to 
be  given  to  any  one  who  would  invent  an  instrument  that 
could  withdraw  the  chisel. 

Several  days  after  the  abandonment  of  the  enterprise,  the 
foreman  of  the  work  mounted  the  staging  and  made  another 
effort  to  raise  the  broken  tool.  The  whole  power  of  the  steam 
engine  was  exerted  in  pulling  the  ends  of  the  rods,  when 
suddenly  the  rope  gave  way.  The  man's  hand  was  caught 
and  crushed  between  the  rod  and  one  of  the  planks  through 
which  it  passed.  He  stood  there  and  shouted  to  the  man  to 
saw  off  the  rod  in  order  to  release  him.  Then  holding  the  re- 
mains of  the  ruined  hand  in  the  uninjured  one,  he  walked 
to  Creuzot,  three  miles  away,  and  without  uttering  a  word 
of  complaint,  underwent  amputation  at  the  wrist. 

After  the  coal  is  discovered,  whether  through  surface  indi- 
cations or  by  borings,  the  preliminary  working  begins  by 


62  TUBBING  A  SHAFT. 

means  of  a  shaft  and  levels.  Generally  the  first  step  is  to 
sink  a  shaft  or  pit.  When  the  ground  is  soft,  the  pit  must  be 
walled  with  brick,  stone,  or  timber,  as  fast  as  the  descent  is 
made.  When  the  pit  is  sunk  through  limestone  and  sandstone, 
the  progress  is  slow,  but  the  walls  sustain  themselves,  and  do 
not  require  either  masonry  or  timbering.  A  great  inconven- 
ience in  sinking  a  shaft  arises  from  springs  and  small  streams 
of  water.  In  many  places  where  this  inconvenience  occurs, 
the  shaft  is  fitted  with  a  wooden  lining,  or  tubbing,  as  it  is 
called,  which  is  made  of  thick  staves  somewhat  resembling 
those  of  casks,  the  joints  being  carefully  fitted,  in  order  to 
keep  out  all  water,  and  to  withstand  great  pressure.  Some- 
times this  tubbing  is  made  of  iron,  wrought  or  cast.  Where 
the  ground  is  loose,  or  composed  of  sand  and  water,  the 
tubbing  is  forced  down  from  the  top,  or  sinks  by  its  own 
weight.  When  this  tubbing  consists  of  masonry,  it  is  built  in 
a  circle  at  the  surface,  and  as  fast  as  the  earth  is  removed  the 
masonry  sinks.  A  fresh  circle  is  added  at  the  surface,  and  thus 
the  work  goes  on.  It  was  in  this  way  that  Brunei  constructed 
the  shafts  which  formed  the  descent  into  the  Thames  Tunnel. 
Sometimes  shafts  are  sunk  under  water,  and  in  such  case  they 
are  lowered  in  a  perpendicular  position  until  the  ends  strike 
the  bottom,  and  then  the  water  is  pumped  out.  An  ingenious 
apparatus  raises  the  mud  from  the  bottom,  and  a  pump  is 
kept  at  work  to  remove  the  water. 

Sometimes,  in  sinking  a  shaft  through  quicksand,  the  water 
runs  in  faster  than  any  ordinary  mode  of  drainage  will  remove 
it.  M.  Triger,  an  ingenious  Frenchman,  invented  a  machine 
by  which  the  water  could  be  pumped  out.  The  cylinders  of 
iron  were  five  or  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  he  divided  them 
into  three  compartments,  as  nearly  air-tight  as  possible.  He 
forced  compressed  air  into  the  lower  one,  and  enclosed  the 
workman  inside.  The  man  was  thus  in  a  sort  of  diving-bell. 
The  compressed  air,  being  forced  against  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft,  prevented  the  great  mass  of  water  from  filtering  through 
the  sand.  The  small  quantity  which  filtered  in  was,  by  the 
force  of  the  compressed  air,  driven  through  the  sand  pipe 


AN  INGENIOUS   APPARATUS.  63 

communicating  with  the  surface.  "  Imagine  an  army  of  mice/' 
the  inventor  graphically  said  to  M.  Simonin,  "  and  a  cat  sud- 
denly to  make  her  appearance,  and  you  would  have  the  pic- 
ture of  water  reaching  the  bottom  of  our  shafts  through  a 
thousand  holes  in  the  ground,  if  the  presence  of  the  air  is 
lowered,  and  returning  suddenly  to  the  surface  as  soon  as  the 
air  recovers  its  tension." 

The  rubbish  and  running  sands  are  removed  in  buckets  by 
hand,  or  by  means  of  a  rope  passing  through  a  pulley.  Trap- 
doors communicate  from  one  stage  to  the  other,  by  means  of 
which  the  buckets  are  removed  without  any  serious  loss  of  the 
compressed  air.  Shafts  may  be  sunk  through*  quicksands  in 
this  way  to  a  depth  of  eighty  or  one  hundred  feet  without 
difficulty.  The  laborers  who  pass  their  time  in  the  com' 
pressed  air  work  as  easily  as  in  the  open  atmosphere.  Some 
of  them,  however,  cannot  remain  there  long,  especially  if  they 
have  the  drum  of  the  ear  very  delicate,  or  are  in  the  habit 
of  drinking  to  excess.  The  pressure  of  air  in  the  chambers 
rarely  exceeds  three  or  four  atmospheres. 

This  apparatus  is  frequently  used  for  laying  the  foundation 
of  bridges  in  the  beds  of  rivers,  where  there  are  deep  quick- 
sands. The  famous  bridge  of  Kehl,  near  Strasbourg,  was 
constructed  in  this  way,  and  the  engineers  say  that  without 
some  such  apparatus  the  construction  of  the  bridge  would 
have  been  impossible. 

If  a  shaft  has  been  sunk  and  properly  supported,  —  that  is  to 
say,  timbered  or  walled,  —  it  is  generally  divided  into  compart- 
ments. The  shafts  are  generally  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
in  diameter,  and  consequently  there  is  plenty  of  space  for 
dividing  them.  One  of  the  compartments  will  serve  for 
the  tubs,  cages,  or  buckets,  in  which  the  coal  is  raised.  An- 
other is  for  pumps  to  draw  off  the  water,  and  sometimes  where 
the  miners  go  up  and  down  by  ladders  a  compartment  is  made 
especially  for  them. 

In  all  cases  one  compartment  in  the  shaft  serves  as  an  air- 
way or  chimney,  whether  the  draft  is  free  or  not.  In  some 
countries  the  law  requires  that  there  shall  be  more  than  one 


64:  LEGAL   NECESSITIES. 

shaft,  or  opening,  to  every  mine,  while  in  other  countries  no 
such  law  exists.  Many  of  the  owners  of  mines  are  abandon- 
ing the  single  shaft  system,  and  gradually  supplying  their 
mines  with  more  than  one  entrance.  Many  terrible  accidents, 
accompanied  by  a  great  loss  of  life,  might  have  been  avoided 
had  the  mines  been  constructed  with  more  than  one  entrance 
or  shaft.  A  striking  example  of  this  is  in  the  terrible  ca- 
lamity at  Avondale,  a  few  years  ago.  The  most  approved 
arrangement  of  shafts  for  a  large  mine  where  there  is  explo- 
sive gas,  and  where  water  is  to  be  pumped,  is  to  sink  one 
shaft  for  the  pumps,  another  for  raising  coals,  and  a  third  for 
ventilation.  At  the  bottom  of  the  third  one  a  large  furnace 
is  always  kept  burning. 

In  some  of  the  mines  there  may  be  half  a  dozen  shafts. 
Those  through  which  the  coal  is  drawn  are  called  the  winding 
pits,  those  where  the  pumps  are  fitted  are  called  pumping  pits, 
those  where  the  men  go  up  and  down,  are  called  labor  shafts, 
and  those  for  the  passage  of  air  are  known  as  air  shafts. 

In  many  mining  regions  there  is  a  class  of  pits  that  have 
been  abandoned  in  consequence  of  the  coal  beneath  being 
worked  out.  Sometimes  these  pits  are  made  use  of  for  pur- 
poses of  ventilation.  Proper  care  is  not  always  taken  of 
these  abandoned  holes,  and  they  form  dangerous  precipices, 
through  which  a  careless  person  may  easily  fall  and  be  killed. 
Strangers  strolling  in  the  vicinity  of  mines  occasionally  step 
into  these  shafts  and  disappear,  to  be  seen  no  more  alive. 


IY. 

ACCIDENTS    IN    SHAFTS. 


ADVENTURE  OF  THE  AUTHOR  DESCENDING  A  SHAFT.  —  A  MINUTE  OF  PERIL. 
—  LIFTED  THROUGH  A  SHAFT  BY  ONE  LEG.  —  A  COLLISION  IN  MID-AIR.  — 
SENSATIONS  OF  THE  DESCENT.  —  A  MINER'S  VIEWS  OF  DANGER.  —  PICTU- 
RESQUE SCENE  AT  A  DESCENT.  —  OFFERING  PRAYERS.  —  SCENE  AT  A  RUS- 
SIAN MINE.  —  SAFETY  CAGES.  —  THEIR  CONSTRUCTION.  —  A  LUDICROUS 
INCIDENT.  —  HOW  A  MAN  FAILED  TO  KEEP  AN  ENGAGEMENT.  —  DOWN  IN 
THE  SALT  MINES  OF  POLAND.  —  A  PERILOUS  DESCENT.  —  "  PLENTY  MORE 
MEN."— ACCIDENT  NEAR  SCRANTON.  —  "  PUTTERS."  —  HOW  GIRLS  WERE 
USED  IN  SCOTLAND.  —  MAN  ENGINES.  —  THE  LEVELS.  —  AN  ACCIDENT 
CAUSED  BY  RATS  —  THRILLING  AND  FATAL  ADVENTURE  OF  TWO  PENN8YL' 
VANIA  MINERS  —  A  FEARFUL  FALL  OF  ROOF  —  CARRYING  A  DYING  COM- 
RADE TOWARD  THE  LIGHT  OF  DAY  —  EIGHT  HOURS  OF  MORTAL  AGONY. 

MY  first  journey  down  the  shaft  of  a  mine  had  of  course  a 
novelty  about  it,  and  also  partook  of  the  sensational. 

It  was  not  a  coal  mine  into  which  I  descended,  but  a  cop- 
per mine.  We  stepped  into  a  basket  suspended  by  a  hempen 
rope,  and  our  conductor  gave  the  signal  to  start.  The  engi- 
neer slacked  away  the  rope  somehow,  and  we  descended 
rapidly.  It  seemed  to  me  very  much  like  falling  out  of  a 
balloon. 

I  never  have  fallen  out  of  a  balloon,  and  therefore  cannot 
say  positively  whether  the  sensation  was  like  it  or  not.  I 
have  been  up  in  a  balloon,  and  the  sensation  of  going  rapidly 
upward  through  the  air  is  very  much  like  that  of  going 
rapidly  downward  into  the  earth. 

Down,  down,  down  we  went ;  and  though  the  time  was 
short,  it  seemed  to  me  pretty  long.  I  had  heard  that  there 
was  generally  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  of  a  mine  a  pool  of 
water,  which  is  called,  in  technical  language,  a  "  sump." 

I  had  a  suspicion  that  we  might  be  plunged  into  it,  and 
asked  our  conductor  if  there  was  any  danger. 

"  0,  no  danger  at  all ! "  he  replied.   "  All  that  can  happen  to 


66  HOISTED   BY   A   LEG. 

you  is,  that  if  you  get  into  the  sump  you  will  get  drenched; 
and  then,  if  you  do  not  like  it,  you  can  be  drawn  to  the  sur- 
face so  rapidly,  that  every  thread  on  you  will  be  dried  out 
again." 

This  proposed  process  of  wetting  and  drying  did  not  please 
me,  and  I  intimated  an  emphatic  hope  that  the  engineer  knew 
his  business,  and  would  stop  at  the  proper  time. 

The  descent  was  not  quite  eight  hundred  feet,  but  it 
seemed  to  me  at  least  eight  thousand.  Every  little  while  we 
passed  a  hole,  through  which  the  light  glimmered,  and  we 
could  see,  though  only  for  the  instant,  into  the  various  por- 
tions of  the  mine.  In  one  place,  a  miner  was  standing  at  the 
end  of  a  level,  and  standing,  too,  very  carelessly  on  the  edge, 
and  we  narrowly  escaped  brushing  him  off.  Had  we  brushed 
against  him,  and  thrown  him  from  his  perch  to  the  bottom,  he 
would  not  have  been  worth  three  cents  a  pound  after  being 
picked  up. 

When  we  reached  the  bottom,  the  basket  was  in  a  sort  of 
basin,  with  a  flooring  of  plank  just  even  with  its  edge. 
Miners  were  standing  there  with  lanterns  in  their  hands,  or 
with  candles  stuck  into  their  hats,  and  they  assisted  us  to 
scramble  off. 

We  had  sufficient  time  to  get  out  —  or  seemed  to  have  ;  but 
one  of  the  party,  who  had  crouched  to  the  bottom  of  the 
basket,  was  a  long  time  gathering  his  limbs  together,  and 
picking  himself  up.  He  did  not  pick  up  fast  enough.  The 
engineer  waited  what  he  thought  was  a  proper  time  for  us  to 
get  out,  and  then  the  basket  began  to  move  upward  just 
as  the  dilatory  man  was  putting  a  leg  over  its  side.  As  the 
basket  moved  up,  he  was  partly  in  and  partly  outside,  and 
there  was  a  prospect  of  witnessing  a  very  pretty  accident 
on  his  account. 

He  was  a  distinguished  stranger,  and  it  would  never  do  to 
have  a  person  of  his  prominence  killed  there.  Our  conductor 
seized  the  signal-rope  and  gave  it  a  violent  pull,  which  caused 
the  engineer  to  send  the  basket  back  again,  and  wait  until 
everything  was  ready.  The  dilatory  visitor  scrambled  out  of 


IN  THE  SHAFT   OF  A  MINE.  67 

the  basket,  and  gave  a  sigh  of  relief  when  he  stood  upon  the 
planking. 

The  shaft  of  a  mine  is  a  very  good  place  for  accidents. 
Many  of  these  occur  from  the  carelessness  of  the  miner,  or  the 
engineers,  and  sometimes  from  their  iucompetency.  By  the 
old  system,  baskets  or  buckets  were  raised  or  lowered  by  the 
winding  or  unwinding  of  a  rope.  Of  late  years,  a  cage, 
travelling  in  guides,  is  used,  which  is  much  safer  than  the  old 
system.  The  miners  are  careless  in  consequence  of  their 
long  acquaintance  with  the  mines.  Familiarity  breeds  con- 
tempt, with  dangers  as  with  everything  else. 

The  first  descent  into  a  mine  generally  raises  the  pulse, 
and  very  often  seriously  alarms  the  visitor.  The  miners  will 
stand  carelessly  on  the  edge  of  a  bucket ;  but  the  strangers 
generally  seat  themselves  at  the  bottom,  and  it  is  sometimes 
necessary  to  turn  the  bucket  upside  down  on  reaching  the 
floor  of  the  mine  before  they  can  be  induced  to  come  out. 

The  shaft  always  appears  smaller  than  it  really  is  on  account 
of  the  darkness.  It  is  never  well  lighted,  and  very  often  the 
glimmer  of  the  lamps  is  just  sufficient  to  make  darkness  visible. 

Visitors  are  always  subjects  of  merriment  to  the  miners. 
They  show  more  or  less  fear  in  all  their  movements,  especially 
in  ascending  and  descending;  but  the  miners  go  up  and 
down  the  shaft  laughing  and  talking,  just  as  the  soldier  goes 
under  fire  and  faces  the  storms  of  bullets. 

The  sight  of  the  miners  going  down  is  a  curious  one.  The 
men  stand  ready  around  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  and  at  the  sound 
of  the  bell  they  crowd  into  the  tubs  or  cages,  or  go  down  the 
ladders.  Their  voices  can  be  heard  a  moment,  and  then  they 
gradually  become  fainter  and  fainter,  till  lost  in  the  distance. 
In  some  mines  on  the  continent  of  Europe,  prayers  are  offered 
by  the  miners  before  going  down ;  in  most  mines,  however, 
this  is  neglected,  but  many  of  the  men  cross  themselves  on 
leaving  the  upper  air,  and  breathe  a  short  prayer  to  St. 
Barbe,  the  great  patron  saint  of  the  miners. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  sudden  pause  in  the  conversa- 
tion, to  see  the  hands  making  the  sign  of  the  cross,  the  lips  of 


68  INTERESTING  PRATER  SCENES. 

the  hardy  miners  moving,  and  then,  a  moment  after,  to  hear 
them  break  forth  again,  and  talking  as  merrily  as  ever. 

I  remember,  on  one  occasion,  visiting  a  mine  in  Kussia, 
where  the  men  gathered  at  the  mouth  of  the  pit  seemed 
engaged  in  some  sort  of  a  dispute.  Their  voices  were  loud, 
and  many  of  the  -  tones  were  angry.  Suddenly  a  bell  was 
sounded,  and  in  an  instant  every  cap  was  removed,  and  every 
man  went  through  the  Russian  ceremonial  of  crossing  him- 
self. This  ceremony  over,  caps  were  restored  to  the  heads 
of  the  owners,  and  the  conversation  was  resumed  as  loudly 
and  excitedly  as  ever. 

I  have  seen  a  soldier  standing  at  his  post,  as  a  sentry,  when 
the  bell  sounded,  or  the  gun  was  fired,  telling  the  hour  of 
sunset.  As  the  flag  descended  from  the  staff,  the  soldier 
supported  his  musket  with  his  left  arm,  while  with  his  right 
hand  he  performed  the  ceremonial  which  had  been  taught 
him  by  the  church. 

The  shaft  is  frequently  called  the  miners' tomb ;  and  it  is 
said  that  the  Belgians  have  intentionally  named  it  The  Grave 
(La  Fosse). 

In  some  mines,  so  many  accidents  have  occurred  in  the 
shaft,  that  the  men  never  enter  it  without  fear.  Great 
improvements  have  been  made  in  the  mode  of  ascending  or 
descending,  and  at  the  present  day  the  apparatus  is  considered 
nearly  perfect. 

The  first  improvement  for  the  protection  of  men  ascending 
and  descending,  was  to  cover  the  tubs  with  a  roof,  or  bonnet, 
so  that  falling  materials  would  injure  nobody.  Besides  this, 
the  heads  of  the  men  are  shielded  by  hats  made  of  sheet  iron 
or  stout  leather.  An  indicator  is  kept  in  front  of  the  engine 
man,  so  that  he  knows  precisely  the  position  of  the  tub  ;  and  if 
there  are  two  tubs  in  the  shaft,  one  ascending  and  the  other 
descending,  he  may  know  when  they  pass  on  their  way.  In 
some  coal  mines  the  tubs  or  cages  are  double-decked,  and 
some  of  them  have  four  tiers  or  decks. 

The  greatest  improvement  is  in  the  use  of  safety  cages. 
These  consist  literally  of  cages  with  a  strong  top  to  protect 


MINERS    DESCENDING    A    SHAFT. 


SAFETY   CAGES.  71 

the  persons  inside  against  the  stone  or  other  falling  substances, 
and  with  wooden  guides  at  the  side  with  which  the  roller 
wheels  of  the  cages  come  in  contact. 

If  anything  falls,  the  top  of  the  cage  protects  the  men.  If 
the  rope  breaks,  a  spring  above  the  cage'is  set  free,  and  catches 
in  the  guide,  bringing  the  cage  to  a  stand-still  suddenly.  A 
great  many  accidents  have  been  prevented  by  this  contrivance. 

Some  of  the  safety  cages,  instead  of  wooden  guides  at  the 
sides,  are  provided  with  long,  stout  strips  of  cast  or  wrought 
iron.  If  the  rope  breaks,  a  spring  at  the  top  is  suddenly 
thrown  out,  and  catches  in  one  of  these  notches.  Safety  cages 
of  an  improved  pattern  are  in  use  in  many  of  the  principal 
hotels  of  America,  as  well  as  in  mines.  They  have  been  manu- 
factured comparatively  but  a  few  years.  Soon  after  the  Gould 
and  Curry  mine,  in  Nevada,  was  opened,  one  of  these  cages 
was  placed  in  the  principal  shaft.  The  owners  of  the  mine 
were  doubtful  of  its  powers,  and  the  owner  of  the  machine  set 
about  convincing  them.  When  everything  was  ready,  he 
loaded  the  cage  with  a  ton  of  stone,  then  stepped  on  its  top, 
and  standing  there  suspended  several  hundred  feet  above  the 
bottom,  he  deliberately  cut  the  rope.  A  shudder  ran  through 
the  crowd  of  spectators  who  were  standing  around;  but  their 
terror  was  of  short  duration.  The  stout  springs  were  thrown 
out,  and  the  cage  did  not  descend  six  inches,  after  the  sever- 
ance of  the  rope,  before  it  came  to  a  stop. 

Ludicrous  incidents  sometimes  occur  in  these  hoisting  ma- 
chines. In  one  of  the  hotels  in  Xew  York,  not  many  months 
ago,  the  machinery  one  day  became  deranged  while  the  eleva- 
tor was  in  use.  It  was  full  of  passengers,  and  was  between 
two  floors  in  such  a  way  that  nobody  could  get  in  or  out.  It 
required  an  hour  and  a  half  to  arrange  the  machinery,  and  in 
this  hour  and  a  half  a  dozen  persons  were  closely  confined  in 
the  cage.  Such  a  combination  of  growls  was  never  before 
heard  in  so  small  a  space  at  one  time  in  that  hotel. 

It  was  about  half  past  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when 
the  elevator  stopped.  One  man  had  a  note  to  pay  before  three 
o'clock.  He  did  not  pay  it.  One  lady  in  the  elevator  had 


72  "PLENTY  OP  MEN." 

left  a  friend  in  the  parlor,  and  promised  to  be  down  again  in 
five  minutes,  "  as  soon  as  she  could  arrange  her  bonnet."  She 
did  not  keep  her  promise  with  her  friend.  Another  man  was 
very  thirsty,  and  was  on  his  way  to  his  room  to  order  up  a  drink. 
His  thirst  continued.  And  so  through  all  the  dozen  persons  who 
were  detained  in  the  elevator.  Every  one  had  an  important 
engagement,  or  a  special  reason  for  being  in  a  hurry,  when 
hurrying  was  of  no  earthly  use. 

In  some  of  the  mines  of  Europe  there  are  neither  safety 
cages,  tubs,  nor  baskets.  At  the  salt  mines  ofWieliczka,in 
Austrian  Poland,  the  miners  go  down  at  the  end  of  a  long 
rope,  to  which  several  loops  are  fastened.  Each  loop  has  a 
band  across  it  to  support  the  back.  The  miner  seats  himself  in 
one  of  these  loops,  leans  against  the  band  to  support  his  back, 
clings  to  the  rope  with  one  hand,  and  holds  his  candle  in  the 
other.  Half  a  dozen  men  form  a  bunch  in  this  way,  and  some- 
times there  is  another  bunch  above  them.  At  a  little  distance 
the  groups  very  much  resemble  a  living  chandelier.  Not  only 
miners,  but  visitors,  are  lowered  in  this  way,  and  the  descent 
is  very  trying  to  a  nervous  person. 

A  traveller  who  went  into  the  Wieliczka  mines  in  this  way 
says  he  asked  if  men  did  not  sometimes  fall  out  of  the  loops. 
"  0,  yes,"  replied  the  person  addressed  ;  "  but  this  is  of  no  con- 
sequence. Men  are  abundant  about  here,  and  when  one  is 
killed  there  is  always  somebody  ready  to  take  his  place." 

Until  quite  recently,  —  that  is,  until  the  introduction  of  the 
safety  cages,  —  accidents  from  collisions  were  quite  common. 
Sometimes  two  tubs  of  coal  are  fastened  to  a  rope,  not  one 
above  the  other,  but  side  by  side.  One  day,  at  a  Belgian 
mine,  where  they  were  accustomed  to  send  up  the  coal  in  this 
way,  as  two  men  were  going  down  the  shaft  in  a  bucket,  they 
came  in  collision  with  the  ascending  coal.  Both  men  were 
standing,  one  of  them  holding  the  lamp  and  the  other  cling- 
ing to  the  chains.  The  shock  of  the  collision  unhooked 
their  tub,  and  they  were  left,  three  hundred  feet  from  the 
bottom,  holding  on  to  the  rope.  This  shock  caused  the 
ascending  coal  buckets  to  tilt,  and  large  blocks  of  coal  were 


A  SHAFT.  73 


thrown  out  and  fell  down  the  shaft.  They  clung  convulsively 
to  the  rope,  and  by  a  marvellous  piece  of  good  fortune,  neither 
of  them  was  injured.  They  reached  the  termination  of  their 
journey,  and  the  instant  that  they  touched  the  bottom  of  the 
shaft  both  of  them  fainted. 

Just  as  one  of  the  same  men,  at  another  time,  was  get- 
ting ready  to  go  up  the  shaft,  the  engineer  started  the  rope 
too  suddenly.  The  tub  was  partly  overturned,  and  the  man, 
with  one  leg  hanging  in  the  tub  and  with  his  head  down- 
wards, was  hoisted  nearly  a  hundred  feet  up  the  shaft.  By 
this  time  an  alarm  was  raised,  and  they  managed  to  stop  the 
engine  and  bring  the  miner  back  again. 

In  mines  where  there  are  several  shafts,  there  is  generally 
a  postive  rule  against  the  miners  ascending  through  the  pits 
where  the  coal  is  raised.  The  rule,  however,  is  frequently 
disregarded,  and  sometimes  the  disobedience  of  the  men  leads 
to  their  death.  Occasionally,  when  the  miner  is  ascending  in 
this  way,  a  lump  of  coal  falls  upon  and  seriously  injures  or  kills 
him. 

At  one  of  the  mines  near  Scranton,  not  long  ago,  two  miners 
were  ascending  in  this  way,  and  a  block  of  stone  fell  from  the 
wall,  killing  one  of  them,  and  injuring  the  other  so  that  he 
lived  but  a  few  days.  In  some  of  the  English  mines  they 
used  to  have  a  system  of  descent  something  like  the  Polish 
one.  Two  men  were  side  by  side,  each  of  them  passing  a 
leg  through  an  iron  chain,  which  was  fastened  to  a  rope,  and 
formed  a  seat.  Accidents  in  this  mode  of  descent  frequently 
occurred,  sometimes  from  carelessness,  and  sometimes  from 
a  man  coming  in  contact  with  some  unexpected  obstacle. 
This  mode  is  never  used  at  the  present  day,  excepting  in  very 
shallow  pits.  Frequently  the  man  would  be  thrown  to  the 
bottom  of  the  shaft  and  dashed  to  pieces,  full  in  the  sight  of 
his  terrified  companions,  who  could  not  render  the  least  assist- 
ance. 

In  old  times  coal  was  taken  out  of  the  mines,  not  by  means 
of  hoisting  apparatus,  but  by  bearers.  Carrying  a  staff,  and 
with  their  feet  bare,  they  were  obliged  every  day  to  carry  a 


74  GIRLS  IN  SCOTCH  MINES. 

certain  number  of  loads  up  the  inclined  toad  leading  to  the 
surface,  supporting  their  burdens  on  the  staff  while  stopping 
to  rest.  The  roads  were  slippery  and  rough,  and  the  employ- 
ment was  very  dangerous. 

In  some  English  and  Scotch  mines,  and  also  in  some  of  the 
French  mines,  where  the  seams  of  coal  are  thin,  boys,  who  are 
called  "  putters,"  are  employed  to  draw  small  carts  along  a 
railway.  They  fasten  themselves  to  the  cart  with  belts  around 
their  waists,  and  draw  it  along,  going  sometimes  on  their 
hands  and  feet  where  the  road  is  wet  and  rough.  Sometimes 
one  of  them  pulls  the  cart  while  the  other  pushes  it.  In 
some  of  the  Scotch  mines  girls  formerly  performed  this  work; 
but  of  late  the  laws  do  not  allow  women  to  work  under 
ground. 

Girls  used  to  carry  on  their  backs  a  basket  fastened  to  a 
leather  strap  which  passed  around  their  foreheads.  A  lamp 
was  attached  to  the  strap,  and  in  this  way  they  carried  their 
loads  np  the  long  ladders  and  through  the  inclines,  sometimes 
a  distance  of  several  hundred  feet.  If  a  strap  broke,  a  block 
of  coal  fell,  or  a  bearer  missed  her  footing,  those  below  were 
seriously  hurt,  and  many  fatal  accidents  occurred.  This 
primitive  mode  of  raising  coal  was  abolished  by  law.  The 
owners  of  the  mines  had  become  so  careless  in  regard  to  the 
management  of  their  laborers  that  the  government  was  obliged 
to  interfere. 

For  the  past  forty  or  fifty  years  movable  ladders  have  been 
used  in  many  mines  both  in  Europe  and  America,  though  less 
extensively  in  this  country  than  in  the  former.  In  England 
they  are  called  "man-engines,"  and  are  constructed  on  a  prin- 
ciple of  reciprocal  motion  of  two  parallel  rods.  The  rods  are 
placed  about  fifteen  inches  apart,  and  steps  and  handles  are 
so  arranged  as  to  be  at  about  the  ordinary  height  of  a  man. 
By  the  action  of  the  steam  engine  one  of  the  rods  is  raised  to 
a  certain  height,  while  the  other  is  lowered  for  the  same  dis- 
tance. During  the  movement  of  the  crank  over  its  turning 
point,  the  miner  goes  from  the  step  on  which  he  stands  to  the 
opposite  step.  Another  stroke  of  the  engine  is  made,  and  the 


«ECTIONS    OF    AN    ENGLISH    COAL    MINE. 


MOVABLE  LADDER.  77 

rod  moves  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  is  followed  by  a  fresh 
movement  of  the  miner.  Whether  he  goes  up  or  down,  the 
man  rises  or  descends  without  any  fatigue,  and  the  journey  is 
made  in  a  very  short  time. 

Many  of  these  engines  have  been  abandoned  for  the  safety 
cage.  The  rate  at  which  the  men  were  lifted  by  them  was 
seventy-two  feet  a  minute,  or  a  little  less  time  than  would  be 
required  for  ascending  by  the  rope.  Another  machine  in  use 
in  Belgium  and  France  is  a  single  rod,  and  in  place  of  the 
steps  there  are  fixed  platforms  holding  two  men  each.  The 
length  of  stroke  of  the  machine  is  about  nine  feet,  and  it  will 
make  twelve  or  fifteen  strokes  a  minute. 

The  man  travelling  by  it  must  be  very  watchful.  He  must 
pass  from  the  movable  ladder  to  the  landing  stage  or  plat- 
form, and  watch  for  a  new  stroke  or  step  upon  the  ladder. 
To  avoid  accidents  he  must  use  great  caution,  and  no  hesita- 
tion. The  slightest  embarrassment  may  cause  a  very  serious 
accident,  and  the  sudden  return  motion  may  kill  the  traveller 
on  the  spot. 

From  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  of  a  mine  the  men  scatter  in 
various  directions  to  their  work,  or  are  distributed  among  the 
different  levels.  A  shaft  is  perpendicular,  while  the  level  is 
horizontal.  The  dangers  in  the  shaft  have  already  been  de- 
scribed. Strictly  speaking,  no  dangers  of  the  same  sort  are 
liable  to  occur  in  the  levels.  True,  there  may  be  falls  of  rock 
or  coal,  or  whatever  other  substance  forms  the  roof  of  the 
mine ;  but  they  generally  occur  in  consequence  of  the  care- 
lessness of  some  person  on  the  same  level,  and  not  above  or 
below. 

Levels  are  described  by  their  names,  though  they  are  not 
always  in  a  strictly  horizontal  position.  Sometimes  they  dip 
at  considerable  angles,  owing  to  the  formation  of  the  rock,  or 
the  position  of  the  substances  to  be  mined.  They  are  made 
of  various  heights,  though  generally  of  not  more  than  six  feet. 
The  materials  used  for  lining  the  shaft  —  that  is,  brick,  tim- 
ber, or  stone  —  are  likewise  employed  in  the  levels,  and  the 
modes  of  strengthening  in  both  cases  are  very  nearly  the 
5 


78  TIMBERING  LEVELS. 

same.  Where  the  work  is  intended  to  last  more  than  six  or 
eight  years,  it  is  generally  set  up  with  stone,  and  not  tim- 
bered. Where  it  is  intended  to  last  a  long  time,  and  espe- 
cially if  the  rock  through  which  it  runs  is  of  a  yielding  na- 
ture, it  is  strongly  arched  with  masonry. 

Sometimes  it  is  necessary  to  make  an  arch  below  as  well  as 
above,  for  the  reason  that  the  flooring  of  the  mine  is  apt  to 
swell  up  in  consequence  of  the  pressure  from  below.  Mason- 
ry used  in  levels  is  very  much  like  ordinary  masonry,  and  re- 
quires no  especial  description. 

For  timbering  levels  there  are  three  timbers — two  uprights 
and  a  head-piece.  Sometimes  there  is  a  fourth  piece,  placed 
at  the  bottom,  known  as  the  sleeper,  or  sill.  This  is  used, 
however,  only  when  the  flooring  is  soft,  or  consists  of  a  sub- 
stance that  is  apt  to  bulge  up. 

The  pressure  from  above,  as  well  as  the  lateral  pressure, 
frequently  bends  and  breaks  the  timbers.  This  bending  and 
breaking  of  the  timbers,  occasioned  by  the  settling  of  the 
earth,  are  rarely  sudden  in  their  occurrence.  At  first  there 
will  be  observed  a  slight  bending  of  the  timbers  ;  the  next  day 
the  bending  will  be  seen  to  be  greater;  and  sometimes  a 
•month,  or  even  six  months,  may  pass  before  the  timbers  are 
sufficiently  curved  to  break.  Frequently  levels  that  have  been 
made  five  or  six  feet  in  height  will,  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months,  be  reduced  to  a  height  of  not  more  than  three  feet. 
The  timbers  will  be  bent  around  in  all  directions,  and  it  re- 
quires considerable  nerve  to  pass  between  them. 

Where  the  mines  are  moist,  the  timbers  soon  become  cov- 
ered with  fungus,  arid  a  vegetable  peculiar  to  the  interior 
of  the  mine  makes  its  appearance.  Sometimes  it  is  not  un- 
like light  cottony  material ;  occasionally  it  is  snow-white,  and 
again  like  tanned  leather,  or  of  a  bright  yellow  color.  The 
timber,  when  rotting,  has  an  odor  like  that  of  creosote,  and  is 
familiar  to  everybody  who  has  passed  any  time  in  deep  mines. 

Rats  abound  in  mines,  and  are  frequently  very  numerous. 
They  make  themselves  at  home,  and  are  as  comfortable  as  pos- 
sible. While  the  miners  are  at  their  dinners,  they  frequently 


ACCIDENT   CAUSED   BY  RATS.  79 

play  around  them,  and  appear  on  friendly  relations  with  them. 
Occasionally,  they  become  so  hungry  that  whenever  a  candle 
is  placed  in  the  wall,  and  the  miner's  back  is  turned,  the  rats 
will  rush  forward  and  seize  the  prize  at  the  risk  of  being 
burned. 

Sometimes  rats  are  the  cause  of  accidents.  Some  years 
ago  an  explosion  occurred  at  a  mine  in  Wales,  when  several 
men  lost  their  lives.  There  was  one  pit  which  was  known  to 
be  full  of  explosive  gas,  and  the  men  were  warned  to  be  very 
careful  of  their  movements  with  their  lamps.  A  lamp,  in 
which  the  glass  was  surrounded  with  iron  netting,  was  placed 
on  a  shelf  in  the  part  of  the  mine  where  the  men  were  at 
work.  The  miners  were  a  few  yards  away,  when  they  noticed 
half  a  dozen  rats  clambering  about  the  lamp,  and  saw  them 
tip  it  over.  It  fell  from  the  shelf  and  struck  a  lump  of  coal. 
A  hole  was  made  through  the  wire  gauze,  the  lamp  was  broken, 
and  a  terrible  explosion  of  gas  followed. 

To  the  here-related  accidents,  we  feel  obliged  to  add  a  thril- 
ling and  fatal  adventure  of  two  Pennsylvania  miners,  which 
occurred  in  the  vicinity  of  Scranton,  Pa.,  on  the  23d  of  April, 
1877:  — 

In  calculating  the  cost  of  coal,  there  is  one  important  item 
which  is  never  taken  into  consideration  by  capitalist  or  con- 
sumer, and  that  is  the  loss  of  life  and  limb  incurred  in  the 
work  of  digging  " dusky  diamonds"  and  preparing  them  for 
market.  A  glance  at  the  list  of  deaths  and  accidents  published 
monthly  in  the  local  papers,  is  sufficient  to  send  a  thrill  of 
horror  through  the  stoutest  heart;  but  familiarity  soon  makes 
us  partially  indifferent  to  such  matters,  and  it  is  only  when 
some  thrilling  calamity  occurs,  such  as  the  Avondale  or  West 
Pittston  disaster,  that  we  are  fairly  aroused  to  the  perils  inci- 
dent to  the  work  of  mining. 

We  know  but  little  of  these  things,  unless  we  see  an  occa- 
sional account  of  it  in  tlie  newspapers,  and  even  then  we  can 
but  faintly  realize  the  mishaps  that  befal,  from  day  to  day,  in 
the  way  of  fire-damp  explosions,  falling  roofs,  and  the  innum- 
erable other  death-dealing  agencies  that  Vsrk  in  the  depths  of 
the  coal  mine. 


80  FEARFUL  FALL  OF  A   ROOF. 

One  of  the  most  heart-rending  accidents  of  this  character 
which  has  been  recorded  for  some  time,  has  just  occurred  at 
the  Empire  mine,  in  this  vicinity.  Two  men,  named  John 
Mooney  and  Patrick  Quinn,  were  employed  in  No.  4  slope, 
laying  track,  a  distance  of  about  two  miles  from  the  opening, 
and  a  mile  from  the  other  workmen.  When  they  least  dreamed 
of  danger  there  was  a  sudden  convulsion  overhead,  and  an  in- 
stant later  they  were  overwhelmed  by  a  fearful  fall  of  roof. 
The  terrible  accident  put  out  their  lights,  and  they  were  in 
utter  darkness.  Mooney,  after  considerable  difficulty,  succeed- 
ed in  extricating  himself  from  among  the  massive  bowlders 
which  fell  about  him,  in  such  a  way  as  to  form  a  sort  of  cave, 
and,  upon  freeing  himself,  his  first  thought  was  for  his  com- 
panion. He  called  aloud  for  Quinn,  but  received  no  answer, 
only  the  echo  of  his  own  voice,  beaten  back  by  the  rocks.  He 
felt  himself  growing  faint,  and  realized  that  he  was  very  seri- 
ously injured,  but  was  determined  to  ascertain  the  condition  of 
his  fellow  miner.  After  calling  aloud  in  vain  for  some  time, 
he  groped  about  in  the  dismal  place  among  the  rocks,  hoping 
to  find  Quinn,  and  fearing  that  he  was  dead.  At  length  he 
touched  him,  but  the  poor  fellow  was  pinned  fast  by  a  big 
bowlder,  which  lay  upon  one  of  his  mangled  legs.  The  other 
leg  had  been  completely  severed  from  the  body  by  the  fall. 
To  release  him  was  a  hard  task,  but  Mooney,  forgetting  his  own 
injuries,  set  about  the  work  with  a  will,  and  suceeded  in  setting 
Quinn  free. 

How  to  carry  him  to  the  light  of  day  was  the  next  trial,  but 
he  was  determined  to  do  it;  and  taking  him  upon  his  back,  he 
began  groping  his  way  through  the  pitchy  darkness,  in  the 
direction  of  what  he  considered  was  the  foot  of  the  slope. 
For  two  hours  he  wandered  about  that  living  tomb,  with  his 
dying  comrade  on  his  back,  moaning  in  the  most  piteous  man- 
ner. The  situation  was  awful,  and,  after  roaming  thus  for  a 
long  time,  poor  Mooney  was  disheartened  to  find  that  he  had 
come  back  to  the  very  point  from  which  he  had  set  out,  and 
where  the  accident  occurred.  He  summoned  up  his  fast-fading 
strength  and  made  another  effort,  still  taking  Quinn  on  his 


HEROISM   AND  MORTAL   AGONY.  81 

back;  but,  after  proceeding  a  short  distance,  he  grew  faint, 
and  was  unable  to  go  farther  with  his  precious  burden.  Then, 
laying  the  dying  man  down  in  as  comfortable  a  position  as  he 
could,  Mooney  crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees  toward  what  he 
thought  was  the  slope.  At  half-past  six  o'clock  a  party  of 
miners,  while  proceeding  down  No.  5  slope,  were  startled  by 
the  apparition  which  their  lamps  revealed.  It  was  Mooney, 
crawling  slowly  up  the  slope  on  his  hands  and  knees,  his  face 
black  and  bloody,  and  his  whole  body  sore  from  contact  with 
the  jagged  pieces  of  coal  and  rock.  His  eyes  were  at  first  daz- 
zled by  the  light,  he  had  been  in  darkness  so  long,  and  trying 
to  see,  and  he  was  speechless  with  joy  for  some  seconds  to  find 
relief  at  last. 

This  was  eight  hours  after  the  accident  had  happened,  and 
they  were  eight  hours  of  awful  mortal  agony.  As  soon  as 
Mooney  found  words  to  speak,  he  related  the  story  in  brief, 
and  begged  the  party  to  hasten  to  the  assistance  of  Quinn,  who 
might  yet  be  saved. 

They  hurried  to  the  spot  indicated,  and  found  the  unfortu- 
nate fellow  in  the  condition  already  described,  with  one  leg 
severed  from  his  body,  and  the  other  crushed  to  pieces.  He 
was  still  alive,  and  they  took  him  up  in  their  arms  to  carry 
him  to  the  slope,  but  he  never  reached  it  alive.  He  died  in 
the  arms  of  his  comrades.  Mooney,  who  is  severely  wounded, 
is  expected  to  recover.  He  played  the  part  of  a  hero  in  the 
unselfish  manner  in  which  he  risked  his  own  life  trying  to 
save  his  comrade.  But  such  acts  are  not  of  rare  occurrence 
among  the  miners.  They  are  a  most  unselfish,  brave  lot  of 
fellows,  and  will  face  death  in  the  mine  at  any  time  to  save 
one  another.  The  men  who  met  Mooney  crawling  up  the 
slope  were  moved  to  tears,  by  his  haggard,  woe-begone,  and 
saddened  looks,  and  say  they  never  saw  such  a  pitiful  sight 
before. 


V. 

SILVER  MINES  AND  MINING. 

ANTIQUITY  OF  SILVER.  —  REAL  ESTATE  AND  SLAVE  PURCHASES  IN  BIBLICAL 
TIMES.  —  SOLOMON  AND  HIS  SILVER  SPECULATIONS.  —  ABUNDANCE  OF  SILVER 
AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  THE  EARLIEST  MINES.  —  ORIENTAL  EXAGGERA- 
TION. —  SPANISH  MINES  AND  THEIR  HISTORY.  — MEXICAN  MINES.  —  A  NON- 
DESCRIPT ANJMAL.  —  NOVEL  WAY  OF  OBTAINING  A  PIGSKIN.  —  PERU  AND  ITS 
SILVER.  — A  HIGH-TONED  CITY. — ARIZONA.  —  BEAUTIES  OF  ARIZONA  CIVIL- 
IZATION. —  MINES  OF  UTAH  AND  NEVADA.  —  SAD  RESULTS  OF  A  SPECU- 
LATION. 

ONE  of  the  most  important  of  the  precious  metals  is  that 
known  as  silver.  The  ancients  were  familiar  with  it7  and  from 
very  early  periods  it  has  been  a  common  medium  of  exchange, 
and  is  used  as  such  among  all  nations  who  recognize  a 
metallic  currency.  It  is  one  of  the  metals  mentioned  in  the 
Old  Testament,  reference  being  made  to  it  as  constituting, 
among  other  things,  the  riches  of  Abraham.  Abraham  made 
a  real  estate  transaction  by  purchasing  the  field  of  Ephron  for 
four  hundred  shekels  of  silver.  Twenty-nine  pieces  of  silver 
were  paid  for  Joseph  at  the  time  his  brothers  disposed  of  him 
and  gave  a  bill  of  sale ;  and  throughout  the  Scriptures  there 
are  many  other  references  made  to  the  same  metal. 

Those  who  have  given  attention  to  the  subject  think  that 
gold  was  first  known  and  used  as  money,  partly  for  the 
reason  that  it  is  more  frequently  mentioned  in  the  earlier 
histories,  and  also  from  the  fact  that  gold  is  obtained  in  a 
metallic  state,  while  silver  must  generally  be  separated  from 
ores  in  which  the  metal  is  concealed.  The  Egyptians  and 
Hebrews  were  familiar  with  gold  and  silver,  and  employed 
them  both  as  a  circulating  medium,  and  for  the  manufacture 
of  jewels,  vases,  rings,  and  other  articles  for  household  or 


V 


I! 


ORIENTAL   EXAGGERATIONS.  85 

personal  use.  The  oldest  known  coins  are  of  silver,  though 
there  are  gold  coins  of  nearly  as  great  antiquity. 

It  is  a  little  curious  that  the  ancients  possessed  silver  in 
greater  abundance  than  people  of  the  present  day.  It  is 
possible  that  the  old  historians  drew  the  long  bow  a  little  in 
describing  it,  and  due  allowance  may  be  made  for  their 
statement,  In  the  time  of  King  Solomon,  silver  is  said  to 
have  been  so  abundant  as  to  be  considered  of  very  little 
account,  and  the  king  had  made  it  to  be  as  stones  in  Jerusa- 
lem. Polybius  says  that  it  was  largely  employed,  together 
with  gold,  in  the  form  of  plates  for  covering  the  beams  and 
pillars  of  the  temples,  and  the  tiles  upon  the  roofs  were 
of  solid  silver.  Other  historians,  both  sacred  and  profane, 
speak  of  its  great  abundance,  and  some  of  them  are  so  liberal 
in  the  use  of  adjectives,  as  to  lead  to  the  suspicion  that  they 
were  in  no  wise  trammelled  by  existing  facts.  Oriental  ex- 
aggeration has  no  doubt  something  to  do  with  their  stories. 

At  the  present  day,  in  certain  parts  of  the  East,  a  statement 
is  rarely  made  exactly  as  it  should  be,  according  to  Western 
notions.  Thus  a  man,  describing  a  fine  house,  would  not 
convey  a  proper  idea  of  its  character  if  he  described  it 
exactly  as  it  is.  If  he  should  say  that  the  house  covered  a 
square  mile  in  area,  was  half  a  mile  high,  contained  two  thou- 
sand rooms,  each  of  them  so  full  of  furniture  that  nobody 
could  get  inside  the  door,  and  that  the  household  consisted 
of  nine  hundred  servants,  he  would  merely  convey  to  his 
hearers  the  impression  that  the  house  was  somewhat  above 
the  common  order  of  houses,  and  nothing  more. 

Bayard  Taylor,  in  one  of  his  books,  describes  an  interview 
with  a  certain  prince  or  titled  individual  from  one  of  the 
interior  kingdoms  of  Africa.  The  prince,  in  describing  the 
wealth  and  resources  of  the  kingdom  of  Dahomey,  said  that 
the  king  never  walked  out  unless  accompanied  by  at  least 
ten  thousand  attendants,  and  that  when  he  chose  to  ride, 
forty  thousand  horses  were  led  to  the  door  of  his  palace, 
from  which  he  could  make  his  selection.  He  continued  in 
the  same  strain,  and  when  he  had  finished  his  story,  he  asked 


86  ANCIENT   SILVER   MINES. 

a  question  in  regard  to  Mr.  Taylor's  country.  Mr.  Taylor 
replied,  that  the  United  States  were  so  large  that  it  took  two 
3rears  to  travel  from  one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other ;  that 
it  required  six  weeks  of  rapid  riding  to  go  round  the  walls  of 
the  capital ;  and  that  our  Sultan,  who  was  called  the  President, 
had  a  wardrobe  of  sixty  thousand  coats,  from  which  he  made 
his  selection  to  dress  himself  for  breakfast.  In  this  manner 
each  person  conveyed  to  the  other  the  proper  idea  of  the 
country,  and  nothing  more.  The  prince  substantially  informed 
the  American  that  Dahomey  was  a  rich  country,  and  the  king 
powerful ;  while  the  American,  on  the  other  hand,  informed 
the  prince  that  America  was  a  very  large  country,  and  that 
the  president's  wealth  was  personal,  rather  than  national. 

But  we  are  getting  away  from  silver,  a  substance  which  it 
is  not  desirable  at  any  time  to  see  far  from  us. 

The  locality  of  the  ancient  silver  mines  is  buried  in  obscu- 
rity ;  but  it  is  known  that  silver  was  obtained,  together  with 
gold,  from  various  parts  of  Africa,  and  also  from  Asia.  The 
Spanish  silver  mines  were  developed  at  a  very  early  period, 
and  were  the  basis  of  the  extensive  commerce  which  Spain 
conducted  for  a  long  time  with  other  countries.  Hannibal  is 
said  to  have  opened  a  mine  which  furnished  three  hundred 
pounds  of  silver  daily,  and  was  worked  by  horizontal  tunnels 
extending  a  mile  and  a  half  into  a  mountain.  During  the 
middle  ages  the  production  of  silver  fell  off  very  greatly, 
and  until  the  fifteenth  century  comparatively  little  silver 
mining  was  carried  on.  The  production  of  Spanish  mines 
was  greatly  decreased,  and  the  wealth  of  Spain  fell  off  in  a 
proportionate  degree. 

Rich  mines  of  silver  existed  in  the  new  world,  particularly 
in  Mexico  and  Peru.  The  conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortes  in 
1519  was  speedily  followed  by  the  development  of  the  rich 
silver  mines  of  that  country.  From  a  very  early  period  the 
Aztecs  had  been  familiar  with  silver,  and  wrought  it  into 
many  ornamental  and  useful  articles.  The  mines  were  opened 
and  extensively  worked  by  the  Peruvians  in  Guanajuato,  Zac- 
atecas,  and  other  districts,  and  their  production  was  greatly 


GREAT  MINES   OF  MEXICO.  87 

increased  by  the  abundance  of  quicksilver,  and  its  employ- 
ment in  the  reduction  'of  ores.  Quicksilver  is  used  for  this 
purpose  to  a  greater  extent  in  Mexico  and  Peru  than  in  other 
countries. 

At  the  time  of  the  visit  of  Humboldt  in  the  earlv  part  of 
this  century,  it  was  estimated  that  three  thousand  distinct 
mines  were  in  operation.  The  greatest  of  all  the  mines  of 
Mexico  are  those  of  Guanajuato  and  Zacatecas.  They  were 
opened  in  1558,  upon  the  great  vein  known  as  Veta  Madra. 
The  great  vein  is  chiefly  in  clay  slate.  It  is  of  wonderful 
thickness,  sometimes  more  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
across,  and  is  said  to  have  been  traced  for  about  twelve 
miles. 

The  vein  is  made  up  of  half  a  dozen  substances,  the  most  im- 
portant of  which  are  native  silver,  sulphuret  of  silver,  and  red 
silver.  Near  the  surface  they  are  partly  decomposed,  but  in 
their  unchanged  condition,  farther  down,  they  are  known  as 
"black  ores."  The  vein  has  been  penetrated  downward  more 
than  two  thousand  feet,  and  is  found  to  be  very  rich  at  that 
depth.  The  mine  of  Valenciana,  upon  a  rich  portion  of  this 
vein,  has  averaged  at  times  a  product  of  two  million  dollars, 
or  about  one  fifteenth  part  of  the  total  product  of  all  the  mines 
of  Mexico.  At  the  present  time  no  work  is  carried  on  in 
these  mines.  Operations  were  suspended  some  years  ago  by 
floods  of  water,  and  the  unsettled  state  of  the  country,  added 
to  other  disadvantages,  prevented  a  renewal  of  work.  Before 
any  productive  operations  could  be  prosecuted,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  erect  powerful  machinery  ;  and  to  set  it  up  and 
put  it  in  operation  would  cost  enormously  ;  so  great,  in  fact, 
would  be  the  cost,  as  to  deter  any  body  of  men,  or  any  associ- 
ation of  capitalists,  from  entering  upon  the  enterprise. 

Until  the  present  century  the  ores  of  the  silver  mines  of 
Mexico  have  been  worked  by  rude  processes,  very  little  in 
advance  of  those  of  the  native  Indians.  Little  or  no  mining 
machinery  was  used.  The  ores  had  to  be  transported  out  of 
the  mines  upon  the  backs  of  Indians,  climbing  up  a  series  of 
long  steps  over  slippery  rocks,  and  working  in  a  nude  state. 


88  HOW  TO  SECURE  A   PIG   SKIN. 

When  the  mines  were  troubled  with  water,  rude  pumps  were 
set  up,  and  in  many  cases  there  were  no  pumps,  but  the  water 
was  carried  out  on  the  backs  of  men. 

A  traveller  who  visited  one  of  these  mines,  where  opera- 
tions on  a  small  scale  were  going  on,  says  the  sight  of  the  men 
carrying  their  burdens,  some  laden  with  ore,  and  some  with 
water,  formed  a  curious  picture.  The  ore  was  carried  in 
sacks  or  baskets  slung  across  the  shoulders  of  the  men,  while 
the  water  was  carried  in  pig-skins.  These  skins  were  in  the 
natural  shape  of  the  animal,  and  were  supposed  to  have  been 
removed  without  cutting.  When  slung  over  the  shoulders  of 
the  men  in  the  dim  light  of  the  mine,  the  man  and  the  pig 
clinging  to  his  back  appeared  to  form  a  single  animal.  An 
unsophisticated  traveller,  who  accompanied  the  narrator,  was 
curious  to  ascertain  how  the  skins  were  obtained  in  that  con- 
dition, as  the  ordinary  mode  of  skinning  pigs,  oxen,  or  any 
other  beasts  requires  a  liberal  use  of  the  knife.  He  was  in- 
formed that  the  animal  was  starved  for  several  days,  so  that 
his  skin  became  quite  loose.  Then  a  stout  cord  was  tied  to 
his  tail,  and  by  this  mode  he  was  securely  fastened  to  a  tree. 
A  potato  or  an  ear  of  corn  was  then  held  a  few  feet  in  front 
of  his  nose,  and  the  pig  was  finally  coaxed  out  of  his  skin,  and 
induced  to  walk  away  from  it.  The  man  seemed  to  have  his 
doubts  as  to  the  truth  of  the  statement,  but  finally  concluded 
to  accept  it  as  correct. 

In  1821  the  Mexican  government  offered  facilities  for 
foreigners  to  become  interested  with  the  natives  in  the  mines. 
Several  English  companies  were  formed,  and  operations  were 
undertaken  upon  a  new  system,  in  order  to  work  the  mines 
with  powerful  machinery,  and  with  all  the  advantages  of  capi- 
tal and  mining  skill.  In  nearly  every  instance  these  opera- 
tions were  unsuccessful,  partly  owing  to  the  enormous  ex- 
penses attending  the  management  of  a  silver  mine  in  Mexico, 
and  partly  owing  to  the  dishonesty  of  the  natives  in  official 
and  private  capacities.  Whenever  a  mine  yielded  handsomely, 
the  government  surrounded  it  with  absurd  restrictions,  or  old 
titles  were  discovered  to  it,  that  made  the  claims  of  the  new 
occupant  valueless. 


ft: 


ENTRANCE    TO    A    SILVER    MINE   OF    CENTRAL    AMERICA. 


INDIAN    SILVER    MINERS    AT    WORK. 


OF   PROPERTY  IN   MEXICO.  91 

The  English  capitalists  and  gentlemen  who  went  to  Mexico 
were  worried  and  wearied  out  in  a  few  years,  and  returned 
with  unpleasant  recollections. 

At  the  present  day  nearly  every  foreigner  who  visits  Mexico 
to  engage  in  a  business  enterprise  has  very  nearly  the  same 
story  to  tell.  The  instability  of  the  government  naturally 
leads  to  insecurity,  both  to  life  and  property ;  and  where  the 
property  is  that  of  a  foreigner,  it  is  not  very  likely  to  be  re- 
garded  with  great  respect. 

From  the  opening  of  the  Mexican  mines,  in  the  sixteenth 
century,  their  production  of  silver  has  exceeded  that  of  all 
other  countries.  From  the  annual  yield  of  two  or  three  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  it  rose,  in  the  eighteenth  century,  to  twenty 
millions,  and  continued  so  for  about  ten  years  of  the  present 
century,  when  it  was  changed  by  the  war  of  independence. 
It  remained  at  a  low  rate  until  1850,  when  it  again  increased, 
and  in  1856  it  was  not  far  from  forty  millions. 

Latterly,  as  already  stated,  the  product  has  been  greatly 
diminished,  and  accurate  statistics  are  very  difficult  to  be  ob- 
tained in  regard  to  it. 

The  total  product  of  the  Mexican  mines  from  the  time  of 
the  conquest  by  Cortes  up  to  the  expulsion  of  the  Spanish  in 
1827,  is  said,  according  to  official  records,  to  have  been  con- 
siderably more  than  two  thousand  millions  of  dollars.  The 
silver  mines  of  Northern  Mexico,  near  the  boundary  of  the 
United  States,  are  supposed  to  be  very  rich  ;  but  the  disturbed 
state  of  the  country  prevented  their  successful  exploitation. 

Mining  operations  to  some  extent  have  been  carried  on  in 
some  of  these  districts,  and  in  Arizona,  but  under  many  dis- 
advantages. 

Arizona  is  a  delightful  country  in  every  respect,  except  in 
climate,  soil,  production,  and  inhabitants.  The  natives  have 
a  pleasant  way  of  slaughtering  every  stranger  who  attempts 
to  stay  there ;  and  sometimes,  when  they  refrain  from  their 
amusement  for  a  few  months,  the  strangers  fall  to  killing  each 
other. 

Until  very  recently  it  was  said  that  no  white  man  had  ever 


92  THE  HIGHEST   CITY  IN  THE  WORLD. 

died  in  Arizona  with  his  boots  off,  —  meaning  that  he  had 
never  died  in  bed.  The  cemeteries  at  two  or  three  settle- 
ments in  Arizona  are  said  to  contain  no  graves  except  those 
of  persons  who  had  died  violent  deaths  at  the  hands  of  either 
white  men  or  Indians.  The  Indians  make  travelling  very 
insecure ;  and  the  Peons,  or  native  Mexican  laborers,  in  the 
mines  vary  the  monotony  of  their  employment  by  an  occasional 
massacre  of  the  superintendent  and  every  other  white  man 
about  the  place.  I  was  at  one  time  acquainted  with  a  super- 
intendent who  had  twice  escaped  assassination  by  reason  of 
accidental  absence.  He  did  not  take  warning  by  his  luck  on 
these  occasions,  but  continued  on  in  his  usual  way  till  on  the 
occurrence  of  another  conspiracy  he  was  killed. 

Closely  rivalling  the  mines  of  Mexico  are  those  of  Peru. 
They  are  scattered  in  various  parts  of  the v  country,  but  the 
richest  and  most  famous  are  in  Potosi,  formerly  belonging  to 
Peru,  but  now  a  part  of  Bolivia.  The  story  is,  that  these 
mines  were  discovered  in  1545,  by  an  Indian  hunter,  who  acci- 
dentally exposed  lumps  of  the  precious  metal  in  the  roots  of 
a  bush  which  he  pulled  from  the  ground.  His  discovery  led 
to  careful  and  extensive  explorations,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
city  of  Potosi  sprung  up  in  a  barren  and  almost  inaccessible 
district. 

Potosi  is  among  mountains  generally  of  volcanic  formation, 
and  more  than  five  thousand  mines  have  been  opened  in  its 
vicinity.  The  country  is  barren,  and  much  of  it  is  more  than 
ten  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 

The  city  of  Potosi  is  more  than  two  miles  up  in  the  air ;  that 
is  to  say,  more  than  two  miles  above  the  sea  level.  It  has  a 
population  at  the  present  day  of  less  than  fifty  thousand, 
though  it  contained  at  one  period  more  than  three  times  that 
number.  It  has  been  repeatedly-  shaken  by  earthquakes,  and 
in  some  of  these  earthquakes  a  great  many  people  have  lost 
their  lives.  All  supplies  must  be  brought  from  a  distance,  as 
the  country  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  produces  abso- 
lutely nothing. 

It  is  not  a  beautiful  place  of  residence,  and  thase  who 


PROCESS   OF  AMALGAMATION.  93 

dwell  there  are  almost  entirely  devoted  to  the  production  and 
preparation  of  silver. 

An  idea  of  the  richness  of  the  mines  may  be  formed,  when 
it  is  known  that  between  1556  and  1800  the  mines  of  Potosi 
alone  yielded  nine  hundred  and  twenty-five  million  dollars' 
worth  of  silver. 

Silver  mines  are  pretty  much  alike  in  all  parts  of  the  world. 
They  are  also  not  much  unlike  mines  of  other  metals.  They 
are  opened  by  shafts,  tunnels,  and  the  like,  the  same  as  other 
mines,  though  each  locality  has  some  processes  of  operations 
peculiar  to  itself.  The  ordinary  methods  of  separating  silver 
from  its  ores  are  based  either  upon  forming  an  amalgam  of 
the  metal  with  the  mercury,  or  in  bringing  it  into  combination 
with  lead,  and  afterwards  separating  it.  The  ores  of  Mexico 
and  Peru  are  treated  by  both  processes.  Some  of  the  richest 
ores  are  picked  out  and  thrown  into  the  furnace.  The  amal- 
gamating process,  which  was  long  used  in  the  silver  mines  of 
Mexico  and  Peru,  and  is  still  generally  practised  there,  was 
invented  more  than  three  hundred  years  ago.  The  ores  are 
crushed  by  stamping  machines,  and  then  ground  with  water, 
in  machines  called  arastras,  a  sort  of  circular  mill,  run  by 
mule  power.  It  is  ground  to  as  fine  a  condition  as  possible, 
and,  after  being  allowed  several  days  to  dry,  is  spread  out  in 
circular  heaps,  about  fifty  feet  in  diameter  and  a  foot  in  depth. 
To  every  ton  of  this  substance  three  bushels  of  salt  are  added, 
and  the  whole  is  then  carefully  mixed.  A  chemical  substance, 
of  a  coppery  character,  is  then  added,  and  a  sort  of  fermenta- 
tion takes  place,  in  which  great  heat  is  thrown  out.  Quick- 
silver is  then  added,  in  small  quantities  at  a  time,  and  crudely 
mixed  in,  until  the  whole  mass  forms  an  amalgam.  The  whole 
process  occupies  from  four  to  six  weeks.  The  amalgam  is 
then  separated  from  the  mass  of  ore  by  a  system  of  washing 
similar  to  that  practised  in  collecting  gold.  The  mercury  is 
then  separated  from  the  amalgam  by  the  ordinary  process  of 
evaporation,  and  in  the  same  manner  as  if  removing  it  from 
gold. 

Sometimes  silver  is  found  in  masses  which  are  nearly  pure; 


94  SILVER  MINES   OF  NEVADA. 

but  this  is  very  rarely  the  case.  The  largest  quantities  have 
been  discovered  in  the  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior,  and  in 
some  of  the  mines  of  Norway  and  Saxony.  Some  of  these 
masses  exceed  five  hundred  pounds  in  weight,  but  ordinarily 
they  weigh  but  a  few  ounces  or  pounds. 

Specimens  of  native  silver  are  frequently  found  in  the  beds 
of  rivers,  very  far  from  any  other  deposits  of  this  metal.  The 
richest  mines  of  this  metal,  at  the  present  day,  are  in  the 
United  States,  particularly  in  Nevada  and  Utah.  The  great 
Comstock  lode  has  already  been  referred  to.  In  November, 
1859,  the  discovery  of  silver  mines  at  Lake  Washoe  became 
known,  and  in  the  following  year  the  products  of  the  mines 
were  sent  out  in  such  large  quantities  as  to  lead  many  people 
to  suppose  that  the  commercial  value  of  silver  would  be 
greatly  cheapened. 

Mines  have  been  opened  in  various  localities  throughout 
Nevada,  but  the  richest  of  them,  and,  in  fact,  almost  the  only 
ones,  of  any  great  value,  are  on  the  Comstock  lode.  Its  ores 
are  very  rich.  The  vein  is  of  unusual  width,  and  it  has 
made  fortunes  for  a  great  many  men,  and,  on  the  other  hand, 
has  taken  fortunes  from  a  great  many  others.  Some  of  the 
most  extensive  mining  speculations  ever  known  in  California 
have  been  in  these  mines.  Their  value  has  greatly  fluctu- 
ated ;  in  some  years  the  product  has  exceeded  twenty  millions 
of  dollars,  and  the  price  of  shares  in  the  mines  increased 
accordingly;  then  the  product  would  suddenly  fall  off,  and 
down  would  go  the  stock.  Sometimes  dividends  would  be 
made  every  month,  and  suddenly  they  would  be  followed  by 
left-handed  dividends,  or  assessments.  In  San  Francisco  a 
single  day  has  witnessed  the  reduction  to  beggary  of  men 
who  at  sunrise  could  boast  of  considerable  wealth  ;  the  fol- 
lowing day  might  witness  their  return  to  wealth,  or  the 
return  of  others  to  poverty.  Nearly  all  the  men  who  made 
money  in  Nevada  a  few  years  ago,  and  did  not  kill  themselves 
by  riotous  living,  are  now  poor,  and  have  a  brilliant  prospect 
of  remaining  so. 


ONK    METHOD    OF    WASHING    FOR    SILVKR. 


ANOTHER    METHOD    OF    WASHING    FOR    SILVER. 


YL 

SILVER  MINING  IN  NEVADA. 

HOW  GOLD  WAS  DISCOVERED  IN  NEVADA — A  PECULIAR  "BLACK  SAND,"  AND 
WHAT  CAME  OF  IT — SILVER  CURSED  AND  THROWN  AWAY — ACCIDENTAL 
DISCOVERY  OF  THE  VALUE  OF  THE  ORE — H.  T.  P.  COMSTOCK — THE  COM- 
8TOCK  LODE — HOW  MINING  RECORDS  WERE  KEPT — YIELD  OF  THE  NEVADA 
MINES — BONANZA  AND  BORRA8CA — THE  BIG  BONANZA — THE  GRAVE  OF  THE 
FORESTS — "  WASHOE  ZEPHYRS  " — PAY-KOLLS  OF  THE  MINING  COMPANIES — 
INTERESTING  DETAILS. 

Probably  the  most  remarkable  silver  mines  of  the  world  are 
those  of  Nevada.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate,  with  absolute 
accuracy,  the  amount  which  has  been  taken  from  them.  They 
were  only  recently  discovered,  and  the  story  of  their  discovery 
is  quite  romantic. 

Yery  naturally,  the  gold  miners  of  California  drifted  over 
the  Sierra  Nevadas,  into  the  great  Utah  basin,  in  search  of 
gold.  During  1850,  and  the  following  years,  gold  discoveries 
were  made  on  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Sierras.  The  first 
discovery  was  made  by  some  Mormon  emigrants,  who  were  on 
their  way  to  California ;  the  snows  had  not  melted  upon  the 
mountains,  and  they  were  compelled  to  camp,  for  some  time, 
on  the  Carson  River.  They  had  no  expectation  of  gold,  but 
simply  went  to  prospecting  by  way  of  killing  time.  They  did 
not  work  very  long  at  the  business,  but  continued  their  jour- 
ney to  California  as  soon  as  the  season  permitted.  Other 
emigrants  coming  along  from  time  to  time,  continued  the 
work,  and  by  1852  there  was  quite  a  mining  population  along 
the  Carson  River  and  its  tributaries.  None  of  them  made 
large  fortunes,  but  most  of  them  did  well. 

None  of  them  had  any  thought  of  silver,  and  they  knew  so 
little  about  silver  ore  that  when  they  found  it,  they  were  igno- 


98  THE  FAMOUS  COMSTOCK  LODE. 

rant  of  its  character,  and  cursed  it  as  a  nuisance.  Tkey  found 
a  heavy,  worthless  sand,  looking  like  pulverized  iron,  that 
settled  upon  the  quicksilver  in  their  rockers,  and  prevented 
the  amalgamation  of  the  gold.  The  gold  was  not  of  a  fine 
quality,  as  it  was  mixed  with  a  considerable  quantity  of  silver. 
For  a  considerable  time,  the  miners  worked  on,  and  it  is  said 
that  some  of  them  had  regular  hours,  which  were  devoted  to 
swearing  at  this  black  sand,  which  was  continually  in  their 
way.  The  gold  in  the  placer  mines  of  California  was  worth 
from  sixteen  to  nineteen  dollars  an  ounce,  while  the  gold  taken 
along  the  Carson  River  was  worth  not  more  than  eleven  or 
twelve  dollars. 

In  the  spring  of  1859,  quite  a  party  of  miners  was  at 
work  in  what  was  known  as  Six  Mile  Canon.  They  lived  at 
Gold  Hill,  where  a  small  village  had  grown  up,  not  far  from 
their  working  place.  There  was  a  scant  supply  of  water,  and 
they  concluded  to  made  a  sort  of  reservoir  by  digging  a  hole, 
and  turning  the  small  stream  into  it.  They  located  this  res- 
ervoir a  little  way  above  the  place  where  they  were  working, 
and  after  digging  about  four  feet,  they  found  what  afterward 
proved  to  be  the  decomposed  silver  ore  of  the  now  famous 
Comstock  lode.  They  did  not  find  .silver,  at  least,  they  did 
not  know  that  what  they  found  was  a  deposit  of  black  sul- 
phuret  of  silver,  which  was  nothing  more  than  the  pure  metal 
in  a  decomposed  state. 

They  concluded  to  try  some  of  this  curious  looking  dirt  in 
their  rockers.  It  yielded  well.  They  found  that  they  were 
digging  out  gold  very  rapidly,  but  they  were  puzzled  as  to  the 
character  of  the  dirt  containing  it.  They  pushed  on  further 
and  further  into  the  vein,  and  taking  the  lumps  that  were  left 
on  the  screens  of  the  rockers,  pounded  them  up  with  hammers 
and  in  mortars.  So  rich  was  this  substance,  that  one  man 
was  able  to  take  out  one  hundred  dollars  a  day. 

The  party  consisted  of  four  men,  one  of  whom  was  H.  T.  P. 
Comstock,  an  adventurer  who  had  wandered  about  the  Pacific 
coast  for  years,  and  had  never  accomplished  anything  of 
importance.  There  was  some  dispute  as  to  the  title  to  the 


SILVER   AS   A   NUISANCE.  99 

location,  but  it  was  finally  agreed  that  there  should  be  an 
equal  division  of  the  land  in  the  lode.  Very  soon  it  became 
noised  about  that  the  miners  had  "  struck  it  rich,"  and  there 
was  great  excitement  in  regard  to  the  new  digging.  A  notice 
was  recorded,  claiming  the  ground  on  the  lode,  and  the  land 
around  it. 

The  names  which  were  recorded  in  this  notice  were  Peter 
O'Reilly,  H.  T.  P.  Comstock,  Patrick  McLaughlin,  J.  H. 
Osbornc,  and  E.  Penrod.  This  location  was  the  famous  Com- 
stock lode,  which  has  since  yielded  so  many  millions. 

Gold  mining  was  carried  on  there  for  some  weeks  after  the 
location  of  this  claim.  A  gentleman  familiar  with  the  history 
of  the  discovery,  says  that  as  soon  as  Comstock  obtained  a 
position  in  the  party,  he  elected  himself  superintendent,  and 
did  all  the  heavy  talking.  He  was  conspicuous  on  all  occasions, 
and  very  soon  was  considered  not  only  the  discoverer,  but  the 
originator  of  the  lode.  Work  was  diligently  pushed,  and  for 
weeks  the  miners  dug  the  rich  decomposed  silver  ore,  washed 
the  gold  out  of  it,  and  let  it  go  to  waste,  throwing  it  anywhere 
to  get  it  out  of  the  way.  It  was  an  intolerable  nuisance,  and 
it  is  safe  to  say  that  those  miners  swore  about  it  to  an  extent 
greater  than  is  recorded  of  "  our  army  in  Flanders."  It  gave 
a  certain  unpopularity  to  the  diggings,  on  account  of  the  incon- 
venience it  caused.  It  was  worse  than  the  black  sand  that 
everywhere  abounds  in  gold  mines,  because  that  does  not  inter- 
fere with  the  amalgamation. 

Comstock  was  a  free-handed,  generous  fellow,  having  very 
little  regard  for  his  own  money,  or  that  of  anybody  else.  It 
was  the  custom,  in  those  days,  when  a  lady  visited  the  mines, 
to  offer  her  a  pan  of  dust,  and  to  take  it  from  the  richest  part 
of  the  lode.  On  one  occasion,  several  ladies  visited  the  mine, 
and  the  usual  courtesy  was  offered.  It  was  so  arranged  that 
they  obtained  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  or  more  for  each 
pan.  The  last  of  the  ladies  was  young  and  pretty;  Comstock 
wished  to  be  polite,  and  so,  while  her  pan  was  being  passed 
out,  he  slyly  dropped  a  handful  of  gold  in  it.  The  result  was 
that  her  prize  amounted  to  more  than  five  hundred  dollars. 
6 


300  EXCITEMENT  IN  WASHOE. 

Many  tons  of  the  black  sulphuret  of  silver  were  washed 
away,  until,  in  the  month  of  July,  1859,  a  man  named  Harri- 
son visited  the  new  diggings,  and  took  a  piece  of  the  ore  away 
with  him,  as  a  curiosity.  Being  in  California,  shortly  after- 
wards, he  gave  this  curiosity  to  a  gentleman  in  Grass  Valley, 
Nevada  County.  This  gentleman  carried  it  to  be  assayed,  and 
it  was  found  to  yield  at  the  rate  of  several  thousand  dollars 
per  ton. 

Harrison  said  that  there  were  tons  and  tons  of  the  stuff 
lying  around  in  the  mine  where  this  was  taken  out,  and  so  it 
was  determined  to  keep  the  matter  a  secret,  to  go  as  speedily 
as  possible  and  obtain  possession  of  the  place.  Everybody 
was  sworn  to  secrecy,  and  of  course  everybody  told  his  intimate 
friend.  The  result  of  the  assay  was  known  late  one  night, 
and  by  the  next  morning,  everybody  in  Grass  Valley  knew  all 
about  it.  Two  of  the  men  were  off  before  daylight,  and  in  a 
few  days  hundreds  of  people  were  en  route  for  Washoe. 

The  discovery  created  great  excitement.  The  news  spread 
rapidly  throughout  California,  and  all  sorts  of  people,  who 
could  get  away,  and  many  who  could  not,  proceeded  imme- 
diately to  Washoe.  Washoe  was  the  sensation  of  the  day. 
The  population  increased  with  magical  rapidity.  The  whole 
country  around  was  visited  ,by  prospecters,  who  laid  out  claim 
after  claim,  staking  out  the  whole  region,  and  the  most  extrav- 
agant stories  were  told  concerning  its  wealth.  The  mining 
recorder  had  a  busy  time  of  it,  and  took  in  a  great  many  fees 
for  his  work.  The  book  of  records  was  kept  at  a  drinking 
saloon,  and  lay  upon  the  shelf  behind  the  bar.  Anybody  could 
consult  it  who  wished  to,  and  if  a  man  made  a  location,  and 
was  not  satisfied  with  it,  he  would  proceed  to  alter  the  record 
to  suit  himself.  The  result  was  that  dates  and  places  in  the 
book  were  very  much  altered,  and  it  is  difficult  to  understand 
many  of  the  claims. 

Curious  stories  are  told  of  the  sharp  practices  of  the  miners 
and  the  lawyers  they  engaged.  It  is  said  that  during  a  min- 
ing suit  in  those  times,  there  was  a  controversy  about  a  stump 
which  was  understood  to  mark  the  boundary  of  a  certain  claim. 


SCARCITY  OF   FOOD.  101 

The  lawyer  on  one  side  one  afternoon  produced  .several  witr . 
nesses,  who  said  they  could  swear  to  the  stunrpaad  its  location. 
Next  morning,  the  jury  proceeded  to  the  spot/.  Ji  was  found 
that  the  stump  had  been  removed  during  the  -night,1  and  the 
whole  ground  around  was  so  carefully  leveled  and  covered 
with  loose  rock,  that  its  former  position  could  not  be  ascer- 
tained. 

Gold  mining  was  carried  on  as  before,  after  the  value  of  this 
blue  stuff  had  become  known.  It  was  no  longer  thrown  away, 
but  was  carefully  gathered  up  and  put  in  sacks  and  barrels  for 
transport  to  San  Francisco.  Comstock  never  made  a  fortune 
out  of  the  discovery.  He  sold  out  his  interest  for  ten  thousand 
dollars,  most  of  which  he  never  received,  and  wandered  off  in 
another  direction.  He  had  numerous  infelicities  of  varied 
character,  and  finally  died,  in  1870,  in  Montana. 

Prices  were  high,  for  some  time,  at  Washoe,  owing  to  the 
immense  immigration,  and  scanty  supply  of  provisions.  It  is 
said  that  in  the  early  part  of  1860,  hay  was  worth  fifty  cents  a 
pound,  and  barley  forty  cents.  As  it  was  too  expensive  to 
keep  horses,  many  of  the  miners  shot  them,  or  let  them 
wander  off  in  the  hills  and  die  of  their  own  accord.  Flour 
was  worth  seventy-five  cents  a  pound,  coffee  fifty  cents,  and 
bacon  forty  cents.  Lumber  was  worth  two  hundred  dollars  a 
thousand,  and  other  things  were  held  at  proportionate  prices. 

The  community  was  not  the  most  orderly  in  the  world,  and 
fights  were  of  frequent  occurrence,  so  frequent  that  they 
became  monotonous.  The  weather  was  not  altogether  trop- 
ical in  its  character.  There  were  frequent  sand  and  rain 
storms,  in  the  spring,  and  settlers  became  acquainted  with 
what  is  known  as  the  Washoe  "  Zephyr." 

This  "  Zephyr  "  is  a  wind  that  blows  down  from  the  moun- 
tains, at  irregular  and  unexpected  intervals,  and,  as  one  of 
the  residents  expressed  it,  "  has  no  nonsense  about  it."  A 
man  from  that  region  once  described  it  to  me  as  follows :  "  You 
may  think  you  have  seen  wind  some  times,  but  you  have  n't  until 
you  go  to  Washoe.  It  takes  the  roof  off  of  houses;  it  will 
blow  a  donkey  five  miles  over  a  mountain ;  and  it  will  shave 


102  FIRST  MINE  UPON  THE   COMSTOCK   LODE. 

the  hair  off  the  backc  of  a  bull-dog,  if  it  happens  to  take  him 
.,  "Hmt^icpliyr'  is  the  reason  so  many  men  in  Nevada 
;  l©Bt"tlieii>  ham  *A  bald  man  has  a  good  chance  with  it. 
i  •fellow  *witli  'a^good  thick  crop  has  no  show  at  all.  When 
the  4  zephyr '  comes,  the  air  is  full  of  sand,  tin  roofs,  cats,  old 
boxes,  furniture,  wagons,  anything  and  everything.  It  makes 
no  difference.  The  only  way  to  save  yourself  from  being  blown 
off  is  to  lie  down  on  the  ground  and  take  hold  of  something, 
and  hold  on  there  until  the  '  zephyr '  is  gone." 

The  first  mine  upon  the  Comstock  lode  was  known  as  the 
Ophir.  The  first  shafts  that  were  sunk  were  merely  round 
holes  of  no  great  depth,  and  not  constructed  upon  scientific 
principles ;  but  as  the  value  of  the  mine  became  known,  shafts 
were  built  in  a  scientific  manner,  and  lined  with  timber.  The 
first  hoisting  apparatus  was  the  common  hand  windlass.  That 
gave  place  to  the  horse-whim,  and  that,  again,  to  steam  ma- 
chinery. The  first  of  the  latter  which  was  put  in  was  during 
the  year  1860,  and  was  a  common  fifteen  horse-power  engine. 
By  the  end  of  1860,  the  mine  had  reached  a  depth  of  nearly 
two  hundred  feet.  The  vein  of  rich  ore  was  found  to  be  forty- 
five  feet  wide.  Nobody  had  ever  seen  such  a  width  before,  and 
the  miners  were  at  a  loss  for  means  to  support  the  roof  above. 
They  sent  to  California  for  an  experienced  engineer,  and  after 
his  arrival,  it  took  him  several  weeks  to  arrange  a  suitable 
plan. 

He  arranged  a  system  of  "  timbering  in  square  sets,"  which 
is  still  used  in  all  the  mines  of  that  region.  Timbers  were 
framed  and  kept  together  in  the  shape  of  cribs,  which  can  be 
carried  up  to  any  desired  height.  If  the  vein  is  wide,  the 
cribs  are  filled  with  waste  rock,  which  forms  pillars  of  stone, 
and  thus  supports  the  mines.  In  1861,  an  engine  of  forty-five 
horse-power  was  put  in,  with  an  eight  inch  pump  and  some 
improved  machinery  for  hoisting  purposes.  This  was  thought 
to  be  frightfully  extravagant  at  the  time,  but,  compared  with 
the  present  machinery,  it  is  a  most  insignificant  affair. 

It  may  be  well  to  explain,  here,  the  meaning  of  the  word 
which  has  now  become  incorporated  into  our  language,  "  bo- 


EXTENT  OF  THE  MINES.  103 

nanza."  It  is  a  Spanish  word,  meaning,  practically, "  in  good 
luck,"  or  rich  bodies  of  ore.  Opposed  to  it  is  the  term  "  Bor- 
rasca,"  meaning  "  in  bad  luck,"  or  in  barren  rock.  There  are 
always,  in  the  Nevada  mines,  some  companies  which  are  work- 
ing in  Borrasca,  while  others  are  working  in  Bonanza,  and  the 
great  advance  and  decline  in  the  values  of  the  mining  stock  is 
due  to  this  fact.  When  a  company  is  in  Borrasca,  its  stock  is 
low;  in  Bonanza,  there  is  a  very  rapid  advance.  In  the  latter 
part  of  1870,  an  immense  bonanza  was  found  in  one  of  the 
mines.  A  few  months  before  this  discovery,  the  stock  of  the 
mine  sold  at  three  dollars  per  share.  A  few  months  after- 
ward, it  sold  for  $1,825  per  share.  Another  mine,  whose  stock 
had  sold,  previous  to  the  discovery  of  the  bonanza,  at  a  dollar 
and  a  half  a  share,  rose  to  $1,525.  During  the  excitement 
growing  out  of  the  discovery  of  this  "  big  bonanza,"  the  in- 
crease in  the  mining  stock  on  the  Comstock  lode  was  nearly 
fifty  millions  of  dollars. 

The  mines  on  the  Comstock  lode  have  swallowed  millions 
of  feet  of  lumber.  It  is  estimated  that  not  less  than  eighty 
million  feet  are  annually  lowered  in  the  mines,  never  to  be 
returned  to  the  open  air.  In  a  single  mine,  six  million  feet 
are  consumed  annually,  and  at  the  same  time,  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  cords  of  wood.  For  miles  around, 
the  mountains  have  been  stripped  of  their  forests,  and  the 
country  presents  a  wild  and  barren  appearance.  Nearly  all 
the  mountains  within  fifty  miles  of  Yirginia  City  have  been 
thus  denuded.  Fuel  lias  become  so  scarce  and  dear  that 
search  has  been  made  for  coal,  and  it  is  now  extensively  used 
as  fuel,  though,  at  present,  it  costs  nearly  as  much  as  wood. 

An  idea  of  the  extent  of  the  mines  may  be  formed  by  a 
glance  at  the  pay  rolls.  On  the  first  of  every  month,  over 
half  a  million  dollars  are  paid  out  to  the  employds.  Of  the 
principal  companies,  the  Consolidated  Yirginia  pays  $90,000, 
Crown  Point  $90,000,  Belcher  $65,000.  There  are  several 
whose  pay  rolls  average  from  $20,000  to  $30,000  per  month, 
and  many  companies  whose  figures  exceed  $10,000.  Then,  in 
addition  to  this,  are  the  wages  of  the  men  employed  in  the 


104  YIELD  OF  THE  COMSTOCK  VEIN. 

mountains,  cutting  timber,  and  bringing  it  to  the  mine,  and 
for  other  kinds  of  work. 

The  yield  of  the  Comstock  vein,  in  ten  years,  is  estimated 
at  two  hundred  and  twenty  millions  of  dollars,  or  an  average 
yield,  annually,  of  thirteen  millions,  seven  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  In  1874,  the  yield  exceeded  twenty-two 
millions,  and  in  subsequent  years  it  was  larger. 

The  mines  have  been  subject  to  the  usual  accidents  of  sim- 
ilar works  in  all  parts  of  the  world.  Many  men  have  lost 
their  lives  there,  from  falls  through  the  shafts,  from  the  break- 
ing of  cables,  from  falls  of  rock,  and  various  other  causes. 
The  mines  have  been  on  fire  several  times,  the  gases  generated 
from  the  earth  assisting  the  burning  of  the  immense  masses 
of  timber.  The  heat  in  the  mines  is,  at  all  times,  very  great, 
and  consequently  the  wood  becomes  exceedingly  dry,  and 
liable  to  ignite  at  the  slightest  opportunity.  Some  of  the  fires 
are  attributed  to  spontaneous  combustion,  but  it  seems  more 
probable  that  they  are  the  result  of  carelessness.  Virginia 
City,  which  stands  above  the  mines,  has  also  suffered  very 
greatly  from  the  same  cause,  and  on  one  occasion,  almost  the 
entire  settlement  was  swept  away,  involving  a  loss  of  millions 
of  dollars. 

But  in  spite  of  accidents,  calamities,  the  rise  and  fall  of 
stocks,  Washoe  "  zephyrs,"  and  other  things,  the  work  goes 
steadily  on,  and  the  mines  of  Nevada,  year  after  year,  continue 
to  hold  their  place  as  the  greatest  and  most  remarkable  silver 
mines  in  the  world. 

During  the  month  of  April,  1877,  the  shipments  of  the 
California  mine  have  been  $  1,600,000.  If  we  read  the  brief 
announcement,  every  month,  on  a  certain  day,  that  a  certain 
mine  has  paid  a  dividend  of  $1,080,000,  we  have  not  the 
slightest  idea  of  what  is  necessary  to  be  done  in  order  to 
make  such  an  announcement  possible.  Every  one  who  ever 
owed  a  note  in  a  bank,  knows  that  thirty  days  is  a  very  brief 
period  of  time.  To  cause  a  mine  to  produce  $60,000  in  a 
single  day,  is  a  tremendous  feat;  to  continue  this  product 
daily,  through  weeks  and  months,  almost  without  variation,  is 


WORKING    A   MINE.  105 

a  marvel.  It  takes  forethought,  endurance,  judgment,  and 
nice  calculation,  such  as  very  few  men  possess  in  this  world. 
The  ore  from  which  this  mighty  yield  is  extracted,  lies  hid 
away  almost  a  third  of  a  mile  below  the  earth's  surface.  It 
lies  where  consuming  heat  and  baffling  waters  join  their 
forces  to  try  and  drive  away  the  invading  miner.  While  the 
ore  is  being  hoisted,  every  month,  1,250,000  feet  of  lumber 
has  to  be  lowered  and  put  in  position,  to  keep  safe  the  weak- 
ening caused  by  the  mighty  excavations.  While  one  level  is 
being  worked,  another  has  to  be  explored,  for  a  drain  of  500 
tons  of  ore  per  day  would  soon  level  a  mountain  down.  Then 
the  Comstock  is  an  uneasy  fissure.  In  a  single  week,  some- 
times the  swell  of  the  ground  shivers  into  splinters  fourteen- 
inch  square  timbers.  Shafts  and  drifts  and  inclines  and  tracks 
have  to  be  watched  incessantly,  for  a  mine,  like  a  glacier, 
seems  ever  to  be  working.  This  is  all  below  ground.  Above 
the  surface  is  a  world  of  machinery,  always  to  be  kept  in 
order — steam  engines,  air  engines,  cables,  cages,  air  pipes, 
pumps,  and  all  the  multiplied  devices  intended  to  expedite  the 
work  and  lessen  the  dangers  of  mining.  Five  hundred  men 
have  to  be  lowered  into  and  hoisted  from  the  depths  daily. 
Three  hundred  cords  of  wood  have  to  be  provided  daily  for 
fuel.  And  there  must  be  no  delays,  no  serious  accidents. 
The  needed  repairs  must  be  anticipated  and  provided  for ;  the 
accidents  must  be  anticipated  and  guarded  against;  the  explo- 
rations must  be  carried  on  months  in  advance;  the  supplies 
must  never  fail.  A  vast  space  of  forest  land,  thirty  miles 
away,  has  to  be  denuded  of  its  timber,  yearly,  to  fill  the  insa- 
tiate maw  of  this  one  mine.  It  requires  15,000,000  feet  of 
timber,  and  100,000  cords  of  wood,  annually,  to  supply  the 
mine,  and  to  furnish  fuel  to  hoist  and  reduce  the  ores.  How 
many  can  appreciate  the  ability  necessary  to  carry  on  this 
work  without  any  mistakes  ?  Many  a  man  of  mind  sufficient 
to  accomplish  the  feat,  would  fail  through  sheer  lack  of  phys- 
ical strength.  The  work  means  being  up  at  five  o'clock  in  the 
morning ;  means  two  or  three  daily  journeys  into  the  depths, 
and  when  anything  unusual  happens,  it  means  standing  guard 


106  LIST   OF  BONANZAS. 

day  and  niglit,  like  a  ship's  captain  in  a  storm,  until  the 
trouble  is  over.  It  means  a  mind  large  enough  to  take  in  the 
immense  work  going  on  at  a  glance,  yet  careful  enough  to 
include  its  smallest  details,  and  exact  enough  to  anticipate  the 
wants  of  the  enterprise  months  in  advance.  For  ten  months, 
the  California  mine  has  monthly  given  up  this  tremendous 
yield. 

The  following  list  of  the  bonanzas  of  the  Comstock  will  be 
interesting  to  all  who  are  watching  the  marvelous  history  of 
that  mammoth  vein: 

1.  Ophir  and  Mexican. — Discovered  on  the  surface,  and  extended 
500  feet  in  depth.     Average  width  of  ore,  15   feet;  cubical  con- 
tents, 112,000  tons;  approximate  value  of  ore,  $22,000,000. 

2.  Gould  &  Curry. — Extended  from  the  surface  to  the  depth  of 
500  feet.     Average  width  of  ore,  15  feet;  length  along  the  vein, 
500  feet;  cubical  contents,  190,000  tons;  value  of  ore,  $37,500,000. 

3.  Savage. — This  was  a  continuation  of  the  Curry  bonanza,  but 
not  so  rich.     The  ore  continued  down  in  the  Savage  claim  to  the 
very  bottom  of  that  mine,  which  is  now  2,300  feet  below  the  out- 
croppings. 

4.  Hale  &  Norcross  bonanza. — This  body  was  struck  at  a  depth 
of  450  feet.     It  averaged  10  feet  in  width,  was  about  200  feet  long, 
and  stretched   down  to  the   1,200  foot   level.     Cubical  contents, 
75,000  tons;  value,  $5,500,000. 

5.  Chollar  Potosi  bonanza — struck  at  a  depth  of  500  feet;  width 
of  the  vein  worked,  100  feet;  has  extended  with  but  few  interrup- 
tions down  to  the  present  bottom  of  the  mine,  which  is  over  1,700 
feet.     Cubical  contents,  1,500,000  tons;  value,  $24,000,000. 

6.  Gold  Hill  bonanza. — This  body  extended  from  the  surface  to 
a  depth  of  500   feet,  and  for  300  feet  on  the  vein.      Contents, 
300,000  tons;  value,  $10,000,000. 

7.  Yellow   Jacket   bonanza. — Discovered    on    the   surface,    and 
extended  downward  for  over  700  feet.     The  ore  on  this  body  was 
quite  poor,  and  never  yielded  much  profit.     Its  total  production 
was  about  $5,000,000. 

8.  Kentuck  bonanza — 300  feet  long,  20  feet  wide,  and  400  feet 
deep.     This   ore  was  very  rich.     Contents,    100,000   tons;  value, 
$10,000,000. 


LIST   OP  BONANZAS.  107 

9.  Crown  Point  and  Belcher  bonanza. — Discovered  on  the  1,400 
foot  level,  and  extended  downward  for  600  feet.     Is  still  producing 
in  the  Belcher.     Contents,  1,500,000  tons;  value,  $50,000,000. 

10.  Consolidated   Virginia   and    California   bonanza. — This   last 
and  greatest  ore  body  which  the  lode  has  yet  developed,  was  found 
by  drifting  eastward  from  the  1,500  foot  level  into  what  was  sup- 
posed to  be  the  last  country  rock.     The  bonanza  lies  above  and 
below  this,  and  is  believed  to  contain  $140,000,000.     It  extends 
for  about  700  feet  along  the  vein,  is  600  feet  in  height,  and  nearly 
100  feet  in  width.     Up  to  the  present  date,  it  has  yielded  over 
$30,000,000,  though  discovered  less  than  two  years  ago,  and  is 
now  producing  at  the  rate  of  $120,000  per  day. 

The  Comstock  now  furnishes  employment  for  over  2,(X)0 
miners.  Its  daily  output  of  ore  is  nearly  2,000  tons,  and  its 
yield,  for  the  year  1877,  will  approach  $50,000,000.  One-half 
of  this  (or,  more  correctly,  about  forty-two  per  cent.)  is  gold, 
and  the  balance  silver.  When  the  amount  of  ore  now  in  sight 
is  taken  out,  the  lode  will  have  produced  in  all  something  over 
$300,000,000  in  precious  metals. 


VII. 

SPECULATIONS   IN    NEVADA    MINES. 

MINING  SPECULATIONS.  —  SWINDLERS  IN  NEW  YORK  AND  BOSTON.  —  THE  ATT- 
THOR'S  EXPERIENCE.  —  HOW  HE  WAS  CAUGHT.  —  THE  HOOK  AND  THE  WAY 
TO  BAIT  IT.  —  LIMITED  INVESTMENT.  —  THE  ADVENTURER'S  STORY.  —  FACTS 
AND  FIGURES.  —  THE  ROMANCE,  AND  THE  SUBSEQUENT  REALITY.  —  ONE 
HUNDRED  PER  CENT.  A  MONTH.  —  IRISH  DIVIDENDS.  —  EXPLOSION  OF  THE 
BUBBLE.  —  THE  VICTIMS  AND  THEIR  FATE.  —  NANKEEN  TROUSERS  IN  WINTER. 

—  AN  ADVENTURER'S  EXPERIENCE  IN  LONDON.  —  HOW  HE  CAUGHT  A  CAPI- 
TALIST. —  HELD  BY  THE  GLITTERING  EYE. 

AMONG  the  various  mining  operations,  there  are  many  in 
which  there  are  tunnels,  and  levels,  and  shafts  of  a  metaphoric 
as  well  as  of  a  literal  character.  This  is  peculiarly  the  casu 
in  our  great  cities :  copper  mines  on  Lake  Superior,  gold 
mines  in  Colorado  and  California,  silver  mines  in  Nevada  and 
Utah,  iron  mines  in  Pennsylvania  and  elsewhere,  have  been 
exploited,  in  many  instances,  much  more  successfully  in  New 
York  and  Boston  than  at  the  places  where  they  are  located, 
or  supposed  to  be  located.  In  many  instances,  the  mines 
which  are  sold  have  no  existence  whatever ;  millions  of  dol- 
lars have  been  paid  in  New  York,  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and 
other  cities,  for  mines  which  had  no  existence,  or  next  to 
none. 

Some  years  ago,  it  was  my  fortune  to  become  infected  with 
the  silver  mining  fever.  It  was  at  a  time  when  speculators 
frem  the  far  West  and  the  Pacific  coast  were  abundant,  and 
their  operations  upon  the  credulous  and  unsophisticated  na- 
tives of  Manhattan  Island  were  wonderful  to  behold,  and 
became  disagreeable  to  remember.  What  poor  innocents  we 
were  !  I  had  had  some  experience  with  gold  mines,  and  other 
mines,  and  I  knew,  or  ought  to  have  known,  that  honesty  did 
not  abound  among  their  manipulators  to  any  alarming  extent. 


SPECULATORS    AT    TUK    MINES.     .     ,    . 


DIMOX8TRATING    THE    VALUE    OF    A    SILVKR 
MINES  AND  MINING  ON  PAPER.     FAMILIAR  SCENES. 


SELLING  A   SILVER  MINE.  Ill 

Most  of  those  who  came  to  New  York  with  mines  for  sale 
were  men  of  pleasing,  though  rough  exterior,  and  their 
tongues  were  as  flexible  as  the  hair-spring  of  a  watch.  They 
could  talk  the  ears  from  a  donkey  without  moving  a  muscle  ; 
and  the  strangest  part  of  it  was,  that  the  donkey  would,  gen- 
erally, lose  his  aural  appendages  without  knowing  it:  he 
would  listen,  and  would  deliberate,  and,  like  the  woman  who 
deliberates,  he  would  be  lost.  His  hand  (on  the  supposition 
that  a  donkey  possesses  hands)  would  go  down  to  his  pockets, 
and  he  would  place  the  money  —  whether  honestly  or  dishon- 
estly acquired  nobody  knew  —  into  the  hands  of  the  beguil- 
ing speculator ;  and  the  speculator  thereupon  would  retire 
to  the  fastnesses  of  his  hotel,  and  waste  the  substance  of  the 
verdant  New  Yorker  in  riotous  living. 

I  was  introduced  to  one  of  these  adventurers,  who  owned 
a  silver  mine  of  wonderful  richness.  Figures  were  exhibited, 
and  a  plan  of  the  mine  was  spread  before  us :  it  was  a  gor- 
geous parchment.  The  mine,  with  its  dips,  and  spurs,  and  an- 
gles, was  carefully  delineated. 

There  was  a  picture  of  a  crushing  mill  in  full  operation, 
and  there  was  all  the  machinery  portrayed  on  that  parchment 
for  running  a  first-class  mine.  A  dozen  of  us  were  invited  to 
meet  the  speculator  the  next  day  in  a  cosy  little  office  where 
we  could  see  specimens  from  the  mines. 

The  speculator  was  there  at  the  appointed  hour.  We  came, 
we  saw,  and  Tie  conquered  :  there  was  a  fortune  before  us. 

"  Gentlemen,"  said  the  speculator,  "  this  is  the  finest  mine 
within  forty  miles  of  Frogtown."  Frogtown  was  the  name 
of  the  city  nearest  to  the  great  mine  ;  I  believe  he  called  it 
the  Revenue  mine  —  good  name,  that,  to  enterprising  men 
who  wanted  to  increase  their  revenue. 

"  Gentlemen,"  he  continued,  "  before  this  mine  was  discov- 
ered a  good  many  people  around  Frogtown  talked  of  moving 
away,  but  as  sobn  as  it  was  opened  nobody  wanted  to  leave. 
The  population  has  increased  a  thousand  per  cent,  in  three 
months,  and  it  will  continue  to  increase  quite  as  fast ;  in  a 
year  from  now  we  will  have  a  population  of  fifty  thousand, 


112  A  GLITTERING  BAIT. 

and  we  can  employ  three  thousand  men  at  least  in  and  around 
the  Eevenue.  I  won't  sell  the  whole  of  it,  gentlemen ;  you 
have  not  money  enough  in  New  York  to  buy  the  whole  of  this 
mine  ;  but  what  I  want  is  to  raise  money  to  develop  it. 
There  is  a  mine  there  worth  a  hundred  millions  of  dollars,  at 
the  very  least ;  but  you  see  it  may  be  worth  millions  of  dol- 
lars, and  at  the  same  time  it  will  want  money  to  develop  it." 

u  I  don't  exactly  understand,"  said  I,  "  why  you  came  all 
the  way  to  New  York  to  get  money  if  the  mine  is  so  rich." 

"  Why,  the  thing  is  very  plain,"  said  he  ;  "  the  people  that 
came  there  have  a  use  for  all  their  money.  Money  is  readily 
worth  twenty-five  per  cent,  a  month  at  Frogtown,  and  it  is 
hard  to  get  it  at  that ;  men  can  do  so  much  better  there. 

"  I  have  in  mind,  now,  a  man  who  came  there  over  six  months 
ago  with  two  thousand  dollars ;  he  has  invested  it  in  such  a 
way  that  it  is  returning  him  four  thousand  dollars  a  month. 
Any  man  who  knows  anything  about  the  business  there,  will 
readily  put  in  his  money  where  it  will  make  him  a  fortune  : 
it  is  the  best  place  in  the  world  for  investing  money." 

"  That  does  not  answer  the  question,"  said  another :  "  why 
can't  you  get  the  money  in  some  place  near  Frogtown,  from 
people  who  know  about  your  mine,  and  know  how  rich  it  is  ? 
and,  any  way,  if  you  have  so  valuable  a  mine,  why  do  you 
want  to  raise  money  ?  " 

The  Frogtown  adventurer  smiled  a  sarcastic  smile,  as  if 
amused  at  the  ignorance  of  the  questioner.  The  smile  was 
brief,  but  convincing,  and  gave  full  weight  to  the  statement 
which  followed  it. 

"Suppose  now,"  said  he,  "that  you  are  in  a  house  where 
you  had  a  clear  title  to  anything  you  discover.  Going  through 
the  cellar  of  the  house,  you  find  an  iron  chest :  you  strike  that 
chest,  and  you  are  sure  you  hear  money  rattle  inside  of  it. 
You  attempt  to  lift  it,  but  find  it  too  heavy :  now  what  do 
you  want  to  do  ?  Plainly  you  want  to  open  the  chest ;  but  it 
is  firmly  locked  and  is  very  solid.  You  look  around  for  some 
implement  with  which  you  can  break  it  open,  but  nothing  of  the 
sort  can  be  found.  There  may  be  other  men  standing  around, 


PLAUSIBILITY  OF   A  SWINDLER.  113 

but  nobody  among  them  has  any  tools  that  will  help  you. 
You  look  all  through  the  house,  but  not  a  tool  can  be  dis- 
covered :  plainly  you  must  go  out  of  that  house  to  find  some- 
thing that  will  help  you  to  get  at  your  money. 

"  Now,  that  is  exactly  the  fix  that  we  are  in :  our  mine  is 
the  money  chest,  Frogtown  is  the  cellar,  and  Nevada  is  the 
house.  To  open  that  mine,  to  make  the  shafts  and  to  get  the 
machinery,  we  must  have  money.  The  silver  is»  there,  plenty 
of  it ;  but  before  we  can  put  it  into  the  market  we  must  dig  it 
out  and  refine  it,  and  that  is  exactly  the  position.  Your 
money  chest  will  be  of  no  use  to  you  until  it  is  opened,  neither 
is  the  mine  of  any  use  until  it  is  at  work.  You  might  have  a 
property  worth  a  million  of  dollars  and  not  have  a  shilling 
to  buy  your  breakfast  with." 

He  repeated  that  winning  smile,  and  we  were  convinced. 

He  continued,  "  I  will  not  sell  the  whole  mine  for  all  the 
money  in  New  York,  but  I  am  ready  to  put  it  into  a  stock 
company,  and  sell  half  of  it  for  sixty  thousand  dollars ;  and  as 
soon  as  the  money  is  paid  in,  we  can  go  to  work  and  develop 
the  mine.  It  will  return  you,  gentlemen,  a  hundred  per  cent, 
a  month  on  your  investment,  and  it  will  begin  to  pay  divi- 
dends within  three  months,  and  the  dividends,  gentlemen,  will 
be  paid  in  coin,  dollar  for  dollar." 

This  was  better  still ;  gold  was  then  at  a  high  premium,  or, 
what  amounted  to  the  same  thing,  greenbacks  were  at  a  heavy 
discount.  Twelve  hundred  per  cent,  a  year  in  coin  was  some- 
thing not  to  be  despised.  We  thought  we  ought  to  get  moro 
for  our  investment,  but  were  willing  to  begin  at  that  rate. 

We  made  up  the  company,  and  were  only  allowed  to  put  in 
one  thousand  dollars  each.  The  speculator  was  a  philanthro- 
pist :  he  wished  to  benefit  as  many  as  possible  of  his  fellow- 
men  ;  he  would  not  consent  that  so  great  a  blessing  should  be 
enjoyed  by  a  few.  "  I  want,"  said  he,  "  as  many  men  as  pos- 
sible to  have  an  interest  is  this  matter.  I  want  to  show  every- 
body that  I  am  dealing  fairly  and  honorably  j  and  to  satisfy 
you  that  everything  is  correct,  I  have  plenty  of  references." 

He  mentioned  several  gentlemen  more  or  less  well  known. 


114  IN  ON  THE  GROUND  FLOOR. 

Among  them  was  one  who,  by  a  lucky  circumstance,  was  in 
the  very  building  where  we  were  assembled.  He  was  sent  for, 
and  came  to  our  meeting. 

He  confirmed  all  that  had  been  said  by  the  rosy-lipped 
speculator ;  in  fact,  he  confirmed  a  great  deal  more  than  had 
been  said  by  the  latter.  Our  thoughts,  as  we  listened  to  him, 
were  like  those  of  the  Queen  of  Sheba  when  she  looked  at  the 
bank  account  of  King  Solomon. 

We  hastened  to  pay  our  money  and  secure  our  shares  of 
the  greatest  silver  mine  of  this  or  any  other  age.  In  a  few 
days  we  obtained  the  certificates  of  our  stock.  They  were 
beautiful  specimens  of  the  lithographer's  art,  and  nearly  as  large 
as  a  first-class  morning  newspaper.  Of  course  there  could  be 
no  doubt  of  the  genuineness  of  an  undertaking  that  was  set 
forth  on  certificates  like  these. 

Time  passed  on ;  that  is  to  say,  a  few  weeks  passed  on. 
We  visited  the  office  of  the  company  every  day  or  two,  and 
heard  nothing  but  the  most  glowing  accounts.  We  heard 
daily  of  unfortunate  and  grief-stricken  individuals  who  had 
been  left  out  in  the  cold,  who  were  seeking  frantically  to 
obtain  some  of  the  Revenue  stock,  but  found,  to  their  sorrow, 
that  none  was  to  be  had.  Each  of  us  had  invested  his  one 
thousand  dollars,  and  was  not  allowed  to  invest  more.  Those 
miserable  beings  who  had  not  been  in  on  the  ground  floor, 
and  were  anxious  to  buy,  were  offering,  —  so  we  were  told,  —  a 
hundred  per  cent,  advance  for  shares,  but  none  of  us  would 
sell.  We  scorned  to  double  our  money  when  we  should  soon 
begin  to  receive  every  month  an  amount  equal  to  our  invest- 
ment. Never  did  a  bull-dog  cling  with  more  tenacity  to  the 
under  jaw  of  another  bull-dog  than  we  clung  to  the  stock  of 
the  Revenue. 

But  soon  our  picture  of  coming  wealth  began  to  lose  its 
brightness.  Our  first  dividend  was  an  Irish  one.  As  soon  as 
the  sixty  thousand  dollars  were  paid  in,  we  were  told  that  the 
sixty  thousand  dollars  had  gone  for  the  purchase  of  the  mine ; 
that  is  to  say,  our  half  interest  in  it.  Thirty  thousand  dollars 
were  now  needed  for  the  purchase  of  a  mill.  Of  what 
would  be  a  mine  without  a  mill  ? 


MORE  MONEY.  115 

We  admitted  the  force  of  this  reasoning,  and,  not  without 
much  grumbling,  we  raised  the  money  to  purchase  the  mill. 
With  the  innocence  of  toothless  and  milk-imbibing  infants  we 
supposed  that  the  purchase  of  a  mill  would  put  our  mine  in  a 
paying  condition. 

The  mill  was  bought,  and  then  we  were  told  that  money 
was  required  for  transporting  it  from  San  Francisco  to  Frog- 
town.  About  that  time  I  began  to  see  a  hole  through  the 
ladder,  and  concluded  there  was  a  large-sized  cat  in  that 
beautiful  meal  tub.  I  determined  to  send  no  more  good  money 
after  bad  money,  and  refused  to  pay  any  more  assessments. 

Some  of  my  friends,  however,  who  had  gone  into  the  enter- 
prise, determined  to  stick  to  it.  They  paid  the  money  on  their 
share,  or  as  much  as  was  required  for  the  transportation  of  the 
mill.  When  this  was  done,  there  was  a  call  for  more  money 
to  purchase  a  steam  engine.  Then  the  confounded  engine 
had  to  be  transported  from  San  Francisco  to  Frogtown.  More 
money.  Then  a  mill  site  had  to  be  purchased.  More  money. 
Then  the  mill  site  must  be  prepared  for  setting  up  the  mill 
and  machinery.  More  money.  Next,  the  mill  must  be  set 
up.  More  money.  Next,  a  wood  ranche  must  be  bought; 
you  could  not  run  a  mill  without  fuel.  More  money.  Next, 
a  shaft  must  be  opened.  More  money.  Next,  a  road  must  be 
built  from  the  mine  to  the  mill.  More  money.  Next,  chem- 
icals must  be  bought  for  extracting  the  silver  from  the  crushed 
ore.  More  money.  And  so  it  went  on. 

One  after  another  my  friends  dropped  out  of  the  enter- 
prise, and  if  they  had  not  dropped  out,  I  believe  that  every 
month  would  have  brought  forth  some  new  device  for  tapping 
their  pockets.  Every  one  of  them  who  stuck  to  the  specula- 
tion longer  than  I  did,  became  as  financially  dry  as  the  middle 
of  the  Desert  of  Sahara. 

"  I  tell  you  what  it  is,"  said  one  of  them ;  "  I  have  speculated 
in  this  silver  mine  all  summer,  and  now  I  must  wear  nankeen 
pants  and  gaiter  shoes  all  winter.  A  sitting  of  draw  poker 
with  one  of  those  Mississippi  fellows,  who  '  does  not  know  any- 
thing about  the  game/  but  somehow  cleans  you  out  before 


116  COLLAPSE  OF  THE  EEVENUE. 

you  leave  the  table,  is  nothing  compared  to  speculating  in  a 
silver  mine." 

I  fancy  that  a  great  many  men  could  tell  a  story  very  much 
like  this.  The  game  was  cautiously  and  carefully  played. 
We  were  baited  with  that  very  gaudy  fly  which  only  allowed 
us  to  put  in  a  thousand  dollars  each.  We  did  not  see  the 
point  at  first,  but  we  saw  it  afterwards. 

When  a  man  has  invested  a  small  sum  of  money  he  is  more 
likely  to  let  the  swindler  go  unprosecuted  that  if  his  invest- 
ment is  a  large  one.  Had  we  invested  five,  ten,  or  twenty 
thousand  each  in  the  enterprise,  according  to  our  financial  con- 
dition, we  should  have  devoted  time,  and  trouble,  and  money 
to  the  prosecution  of  the  speculator  and  his  fellow-conspira- 
tors; but  as  our  investment  was  comparatively  small,  we 
allowed  the  matter  to  drop.  And  then  we  were  more  readily 
deluded  than  if  a  larger  sum  had  been  demanded. 

Swindling  in  mining  speculations  has  become  an  exact  sci- 
ence, and  to  carry  on  a  swindle  successfully  requires  a  good 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  and  of  the  expense  of  lawsuits. 

The  Revenue  silver  mine  never  paid  a  dollar  to  anybody, 
except  to  the  man  who  sold  it.  A  small  quantity  of  machinery, 
and  a  steam  engine,  of  about  four  dog  power,  were  trans- 
ported to  Frogtown  and  set  up ;  but  they  were  seized  after- 
wards, and  held  for  a  claim  of  the  San  Francisco  iron  merchant. 

A  shaft  was  sunk  —  that  is,  a  hole  was  dug  —  about  six  feet 
deep,  where  there  was  no  more  prospect  of  finding  silver 
than  in  the  back  yard  of  a  Fourth  Ward  boarding-house.  The 
deepest  and  most  profitable  shaft  of  the  Revenue  silver  mine 
was  sunk  in  the  pockets  of  those  who  bought  it. 

As  for  the  speculator,  I  believe  he  subsequently  died  in 
Nevada.  As  John  Phoenix  would  say,  "  He  was  one  day  ad- 
dressing a  large  audience,  and  when  his  speech  was  concluded, 
he  dropped  from  the  end  of  the  wagon  where  he  was  standing, 
and  the  rope  which  fastened  him  to  the  tree  being  too  short, 
he  fell,  and  broke  his  neck."  At  any  rate,  I  saw  his  name  one 
day  in  a  paragraph  from  a  territorial  newspaper,  which  read 
about  as  follows  :  — 


A   NECK-TIE  SOCIABLE.  11T 

"John  Smith,  equine  abductor,  was  treated  to  a  neck-tie 
sociable  yesterday  morning  at  sunrise,  under  the  largest  tree 
that  could  be  found  in  the  vicinity.  The  boys  got  up  a  nice 
surprise  party  for  him." 

The  day  of  mining  speculation  of  this  sort  has  not  passed 
away,  but  the  capitalists  of  New  York  and  other  eastern  cities 
have  had  their  eyes  opened,  and  are  not  so  easily  taken  in 
as  they  were  of  old. 

Some  of  the  enterprising  speculators  have  transferred  the 
scene  of  their  operations  to  Europe,  and  are  making  very 
profitable  shafts  and  tunnels  in  the  money  bags  of  the  capital- 
ists of  the  old  world.  I  know  some  of  them  who  have  gone 
there  with  mining  claims,  which  they  have  represented  to  be 
worth  millions  of  dollars,  though  not  really  worth  ten  cents, 
and  they  have  returned  to  America  with  a  goodly  amount  of 
capital. 

I  once  heard  one  of  these  gentlemen  tell  his  experience 
with  a  heavy  capitalist  in  London.  "  The  old  fellow,"  said 
he,  "  was  very  cautious.  I  had  a  talk  with  him  two  or  three 
times,  and  finally  brought  him  some  magnificent  specimens. 
He  looked, at  them  very  quietly,  and  then  asked, — 

il '  How  much  of  this  stuff  is  there  ? ' 

"  '  0,'  said  I,  carelessly,  "  any  quantity  of  it.  There  are  five 
or  six  thousand  tons  of  it  in  sight — right  on  the  surface  of 
the  ground.  The  vein  is  ten  feet  wide.  We  have  a  claim 
five  hundred  yards  long,  and  we  think  it  is  at  least  two  thou- 
sand feet  deep,  and  the  farther  down  you  go,  the  richer  it 
gets.' 

"  The  old  fellow  took  the  specimens  once  more,  and  I  saw 
his  eyes  glisten.  I  knew  then  that  I  bad  him.  The  next  day 
I  sold  him  the  mine,  and  got  the  money.  Once  I  had  got  it, 
you  bet  I  took  a  train  for  Paris;  and  I  have  not  been  in 
London  since." 


YIIL 

MINES  AND  MINING  ENTERPRISES  OF  NORTH  AFRICA. 

MINING  AMONG  THE  MOORS,  BERBERS,  AND  ARABS — THE  FRENCH  CONQUEST — 
GEOLOGICAL  SURVEYS — MINERAL  WEALTH  OF  ALGERIA — A  WONDERFUL 
IRON  MINE — XOKTU-EL-HADID— HOW  THE  MINE  IS  WORKED — VISIT  TO  A 

MOUNTAIN     OF     SALT A     REMARKABLE     FORMATION — ARTESIAN     WELLS     IN 

THE    DESERT SCENE    AT    THE    OPENING    OF    ONE — EFFECTS    ON    THE    PALM 

TREE — A    PROPOSED    INLAND    SEA — THE    SUEZ     CANAL    AND    ITS    HISTORY — 
HOW    IT   WAS  THADE — ADVANTAGES    TO    THE   WORLD'S   COMMERCE. 

Northern  Africa  is  a  country  of  great  mineral  wealth,  but  it 
has  been  only  slightly  developed.  The  Moors,  Berbers,  Arabs, 
and  other  inhabitants  of  that  region  have  never  been  famous 
for  their  mining  industry.  They  have  very  little  knowledge 
of  geology,  arid  understand  the  working  of  only  a  few  metals. 
Most  of  the  gold  and  silver  which  they  make  into  filigree  and 
other  jewelry  comes  from  Europe ;  in  fact,  they  have  no  mines 
of  these  metals  that  are  worth  mentioning,  and  when  their 
supply  from  Europe  has  been  cut  off  by  war  or  for  other  rea- 
sons, they  were  obliged  to  bring  it  by  a  long  journey  from 
Timbuctoo  and  other  points  to  the  South.'  The  Moors  that 
occupied  Spain  took  back  with  them,  at  the  time  of  their 
expulsion,  a  knowledge  of  mining,  but  they  seem  to  have  lost 
it  almost  completely  in  the  course  of  two  or  three  generations. 

Among  the  native  people  of  Northern  Africa,  the  Kabyles, 
in  Algeria,  seem  to  possess  more  mining  knowledge  than  any 
other  tribe.  They  have  been  quite  industrious  in  working- the 
iron  mines  which  abound  in  their  country,  and  many  of  their 
processes  display  considerable  ingenuity.  They  are  excellent 
workers  in  iron  and  steel,  and  some  of  their  knives,  sword- 
blades,  and  other  tools  and  weapons,  are  of  a  fine  quality,  and 
admit  of  a  high  polish  and  finish.  Their  gun-barrels  nave 
long  been  famous  throughout  Africa,  and  the  terrible  execu* io» 


FRENCH   ARMIES   INVADE  EGYPT.  119 

of  which  they  are  capable  has  been  practically  demonstrated 
on  many  battle-fields. 

Down  to  1830,  with  the  exception  of  an  occasional  brief 
period,  no  part  of  Northern  Africa  had  been  occupied  by  any 
European  power.  Spain  had  several  times  occupied  small 
portions  of  Morocco  and  Algeria,  and  the  English  and  French 
had  shown  their  force  by  descents  upon  the  coast,  but  none  of 
these  changes  had  more  than  a  few  years'  duration.  But  in 
1830,  a  new  state  of  affairs  began. 

France  was  exasperated  by  the  depredations  of  Algerine 
pirates  and  the  perfidy  of  the  Bey  of  Algiers.  She  sent  an 
expedition,  which  landed  a  few  miles  from  Algiers,  and  in  less 
than  a  fortnight  the  Bey  was  a  prisoner  on  his  way  into  exile, 
and  his  city,  with  en  immense  accumulation  of  treasure,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  invaders. 

The  French  went  to  Algeria  to  stay,  and  they  have  carried 
out  their  intention.  They  sent  their  armies  to  overrun  and 
occupy  the  country,  and  for  years  kept  up  an  energetic  warfare, 
until  the  Arabs  were  conquered.  There  have  been  occasional 
insurrections,  some  of  them  of  considerable  magnitude,  but  all 
have  been  unsuccessful,  and  there  is  at  present  no  power  in 
Algeria  which  can  drive  out  the  French.  They  have  created 
harbors,  have  opened  railways,  have  made  hundreds  of  miles 
of  wagon-roads,  have  introduced  new  modes  of  agriculture, 
planted  forests,  and  taken  many  other  means  necessary  to  a 
permanent  occupation.  The  country  is  progressing  rapidly, 
and  at  present  few  of  the  wealthy  and  prosperous  Arabs  would 
be  willing  to  exchange  the  new  state  of  affairs  for  the  old. 
There  are  many  natives  who  would  like  to  see  the  French 
expelled,  but  they  are  not  among  the  most  influential  classes. 

One  of  the  first  things  which  attracted  the  attention  of  the 
French,  was  the  question  of  mining.  In  the  very  first  year  of 
their  occupation,  a  geological  survey  of  the  country  was  or- 
dered, and  a  corps  of  engineers  was  sent  from  France  for  that 
purpose. 

Their  report  was  of  the  most  favorable  character.  They 
found  copper,  lead,  silver,  zinc,  mercury — bath  cinnabar,  and 


120  EXPLORATIONS  OF   THE  IRON  MINES. 

sulphide — and  in  several  places  they  discovered  gold,  but  not 
in  paying  quantities.  Many  concessions  for  working  these 
mines  have  been  granted;  some  of  them  have  been  profitable, 
while  others  have  been  the  reverse,  owing  chiefly  to  the  lack  of 
means  of  transportation.  The  steady  increase  in  the  number 
of  railways  and  wagon-roads  is  doing  much  toward  the  devel- 
opment of  these  mines,  and  rendering  profitable  the  working 
of  those  which  have  thus  far  been  managed  at  a  loss. 

But  the  greatest  mineral  wealth  of  Algeria  is  in  its  iron 
mines,  which  abound  all  along  the  coast,  and  so  near  to  it  that 
the  matter  of  transportation  is  of  no  great  consequence.  The 
ore  is  of  a  remarkably  good  quality,  as  it  contains  very  little 
sulphur,  arsenic,  and  phosphorus,  which  frequently  render 
otherwise  valuable  material  almost  worthless.  Much  of  it 
contains  a  great  deal  of  manganese,  which  is  very  useful  in 
smelting  and  reducing  the  metal,  and  renders  it  unnecessary 
to  supply  that  article  in  making  the  flux.  The  ore  is  so  rich 
that  it  pays  to  transport  it  to  England,  even  though  it  comes 
in  competition  with  the  iron  ores  of  that  country. 

The  principal  use  of  this  Algerian  iron  is  for  manufacture 
into  Bessemer  steel,  and  it  is  said  to  be  vastly  superior  to  all 
other  iron  for  this  purpose.  The  advance  in  iron  and  steel  in 
the  past  few  years  has  been  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  the 
iron  miners  in  Algeria,  and  the  most  of  them  are  making  their 
fortunes  with  great  rapidity. 

One  of  the  richest  mines  in  the  country  is  near  Bone,  in  the 
Province  of  Constantine.  During  a  journey  through  Algeria, 
I  paid  a  visit  to  that  place,  and  embraced  the  opportunity  to 
investigate  the  iron  question. 

The  mine  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  a  mountain  of  iron. 
It  is  known  in  Arabic  as  Moktu-el-Hadid,  and  was  worked  very 
slightly  by  the  Kabyles,  previous  to  the  French  occupation. 
The  place  is  nineteen  miles  from  Bone,  and  a  railway  connects 
the  mine  with  the  harbor.  It  is  so  arranged  that  the,  ore, 
which  is  piled  into  the  cars  at  the  mine,  can  be  dumped  into 
the  holds  of  the  ships  in  the  harbor. 

At  first  glance,  you  would  not  suppose  this  mountain  to  be  of 


DESCRIPTION   OP  THE  VALUE   OF  THE  MINES.  121 

any  special  value.  It  looks  not  unlike  the  famous  Iron  Moun- 
tain of  Missouri,  but  is  more  irregular,  and  is  not  covered  in 
the  same  way  with  trees  and  bushes.  But  as  you  examine 
closer,  you  see  that  the  mountain  is  no  common  affair. 

In  some  places,  the  mineral  crops  up  above  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  all  that  is  necessary  is  to  blast  it  away  and 
cart  it  off.  In  other  places,  ifc  appears  in  veins  which  are 
always  very  thick,  and  in  a  slanting  position;  they  rest  upon 
beds  of  mica-schist,  and  are  covered  with  a  layer  of  indurated 
clay,  mingled  with  nodules  of  iron  ore.  The  ore  contains 
sixty-four  per  cent,  of  pure  iron;  the  annual  exportation  is 
about  half  a  million  tons,  and  sometimes  exceeds  that  amount. 
The  profit,  clear  and  clean  after  deducting  every  thing,  is  about 
half  a  million  dollars,  or  one  dollar  on  each  ton  of  ore  taken 
out.  The  owners  of  the  mine  have  a  valuable  property,  and 
are  not  inclined  to  sell  it,  or  to  take  in  partners. 

There  are  other  iron  mines  in  Algeria,  but  none  of  them  are 
so  large  or  so  profitable  as  the  one  I  have  just  described.  The 
labor  is  performed  partly  by  Arab  workmen,  and  partly  by 
Frenchmen.  The  Arabs  are  very  largely  employed,  and  are 
quite  industrious  and  reliable.  The  Kabyles  are  considered 
the  best  and  can  generally  command  a  trifle  more  wages  than 
the  men  of  the  other  tribes  for  the  same  work.  They  come  to 
the  cities  in  search  of  employment,  and  after  accumulating  a 
certain  sum  of  money,  return  home  contented.  Their  wants 
are  few,  and  they  live  very  cheaply. 

While  I  was  in  Algeria,  I  made  a  journey  south  to  the  Desert 
of  Sahara.  In  the  desert  proper  no  mines  of  iron,  gold,  or 
silver  are  to  be  found,  but  there  are  some  curious  mines  of  salt, 
which  have  been  known  to  the  Arabs  for  thousands  of  years. 

One  day  the  guide  called  the  attention  of  my  companion  and 
myself  to  a  mountain  of  a  peculiar  bluish  appearance,  unlike 
those  that  surrounded  it.  Like  all  the  other  mountains  in  the 
desert,  it  had  not  a  particle  of  vegetation  upon  it,  and  we 
could  see  no  difference  between  that  and  the  rest,  except  in  its 
color.  I  asked  what  it  was. 

"  It  is  the  famous  mountain  of  salt,"  said  the  guide. 


122  HOW   THE   ARABS    OBTAIN   THEIR   SALT. 

This  information  caused  us  to  look  again,  and  more  intently. 
Herodotus,  the  Greek  historian,  who  flourished  more  than  two 
thousand  years  ago,  traveled  through  this  country,  and  de- 
scribes five  mountains  of  salt.  This  which  was  before  us  was 
one  of  the  five. 

As  we  came  nearer,  we  could  see  that  it  presented  a  rough 
and  broken  surface,  and  had  evidently  been  thrown  up  by  some 
violent  convulsion  of  the  earth.  That  it  is  the  result  of  an 
upheaval,  is  shown  by  the  presence,  at  the  top,  of  certain 
layers  of  sand  and  marine  shells  which  are  found  lower  down 
in  the  plain. 

The  salt  stands  in  pillars  and  columns,  and  in  great  masses 
many  tons  in  weight.  Salt  enough  to  pickle  all  the  beef  in 
the  world  could  be  obtained  from  this  mountain,  and  then 
there  would  be  enough  left  for  the  preservation  of  the  mutton, 
pork,  and  other  meats  that  need  the  aid  of  strong  brine  to 
keep  them  properly,  and  even  then  there  would  be  a  great  deal 
of  salt  to  spare. 

During  the  winter,  the  rain  loosens  the  blocks  and  causes 
crevices  to  form  in  the  mass  of  salt  rock.  The  Arabs  go  there 
in  the  spring  and  break  away  these  blocks  by  the  aid  of  iron 
bars;  then  they  knock  them  to  pieces  with  large  hammers, 
and  thus  get  them  into  proper  shape  for  transportation.  For 
thousands  of  years,  they  have  thus  been  at  work  on  this  moun- 
tain, taking  all  they  want,  but  the  supply  is  not  by  any  means 
exhausted.  The  quarries  are  not  constantly  worked,  as  the 
demand  for  the  salt  is  not  very  great.  The  mountain  is  so 
far  from  the  coast  that  it  does  not  pay  to  carry  the  salt  there, 
and  consequently  the  demand  is  purely  local. 

There  is  a  similar  mountain,  though  much  smaller,  some 
distance  away  to  the  west.  It  is  more  curious  in  some 
respects,  there  being  a  stream  of  water  which  passes  it,  and 
has  worn  a  great  many  pits,  caverns,  and  cavities  in  the  mass 
of  salt.  Before  reaching  the  rock,  the  stream  is  perfectly 
fresh,  but  very  soon  it  becomes  impregnated  with  salt.  The 
stalactites  and  pillars  are  very  curious  in  their  formation,  and 
when  the  sun  shines  upon  them  they  sparkle  like  great  masses 


THE   FRENCH   SUPPLY   THE   DESERT   WITH  WATER.  123 

of  diamonds.  In  some  places,  the  crystals  of  salt  jut  over 
the  edge  of  the  little  stream,  and  occasionally  they  fall  just  a 
little  short  of  forming  an  arch. 

In  the  desert  proper,  the  French  have  done  something  to 
advance  growth  by  boring  Artesian  wells.  The  great  need  of 
the  desert  is  water,  and  many  thousands  of  square  miles  of 
land,  on  which  there  is  not  a  blade  of  grass  or  plant,  might  be 
rendered  fertile  if  any  means  could  be  devised  to  supply  them 
witli  water.  The  French  have  given  a  great  deal  of  study  to 
this  subject,  but  as  none  of  them  are  possessed  of  the  power 
of  Moses  to  bring  water  from  a  rock  where  apprently  none 
existed,  they  have  not  yet  covered  the  desert  with  palm  trees 
and  wheat  fields. 

The  palm  tree  must  have  water  to  keep  it  alive.  The  Arabs 
say  it  lives  with  its  head  in  the  fire  and  its  foot  in  the  water ; 
it  seems  to  be  happy  with  the  burning  sun  of  the  desert,  and 
not  even  the  hottest  rays  which  the  heavens  can  pour  down 
can  disturb  it  in  the  least  so  long  as  its  foot  is  properly  bathed. 
Take  away  its  supply  of  water,  and  it  dies  in  a  short  time. 
It  must  be  watered  twice  a  week ;  there  is  generally  a  ditch 
around  the  foot  of  the  tree,  and  this  ditch  is  filled  either  from 
a  canal  or  with  water  carried  in  buckets  or  skins.  About  a 
barrel  full  of  the  liquid  is  needed  for  each  tree. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  limit  of  a  palm  oasis  in  the 
desert  may  be  sometimes  determined  by  the  water  supply.  I 
have  seen  thousands  of  acres  of  desert  land,  possessing  no 
value  whatever,  which  would  have  been  far  different  had  there 
been  a  running  and  reliable  stream  or  spring  in  their  vicinity. 

The  French  determined  to  improve  the  supply  of  water,  and 
in  this  way  increase  the  value  of  the  country  both  to  them- 
selves and  the  Arabs.  The  first  attempt  was  made  at  the 
oasis  of  Tuggurt,  in  1856.  The  apparatus  was  taken  there  on 
camels*  backs,  with  a  great  deal  of  trouble,  and  finally  set  at 
work. 

After  five  weeks  of  labor  the  drill  struck  a  water  course 
under  the  gypsum,  at  a  depth  of  about  two  hundred  feet.  An 
immense  spring  gushed  out  with  such  force  that  very  little 


124  INLAND  LAKE  IN  THE   DESERT. 

strength  was  required  for  removing  the  tools.  It  flowed  about 
a  thousand  gallons  a  minute,  and  has  been  flowing  at  that 
rate  ever  since. 

The  natives  were  wild  with  delight.  They  danced  and  sung, 
and  made  a  great  many  manifestations  of  joy,  not  only  on  the 
occasion  of  opening  the  well,  but  for  days  and  weeks  after- 
wards. Ever  since  then,  similar  scenes  have  been  enacted  in 
other  parts  of  the  desert  occupied  by  the  French,  whenever  a 
well  is  opened.  The  culture  of  dates  has  been  enormously 
extended  by  the  planting  of  new  groves  wherever  the  wells 
are  made,  and  both  the  natives  and  their  conquerors  have 
found  the  enterprise  of  mutual  advantage.  Sometimes  the 
wells  are  salt  or  brackish,  but  the  date  palm  does  not  mind 
any  little  trifle  like  that.  Whether  the  water  which  is  sup- 
plied to  it  is  fresh  or  salt,  hot  or  cold,  does  not  seem  to  make 
any  difference  to  the  tree.  It  prospers  and  grows  and  produces 
fruit  all  the  same. 

A  part  of  the  desert  is  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean, 
and  some  of  the  scientific  men  and  others  interested  in  the 
development  of  Algeria,  have  proposed  to  dig  a  canal  from  the 
sea,  and  allow  this  empty  space  to  be  filled.  They  would  thus 
create  an  inland  lake  on  which  steamers  could  run,  and  which 
could  furnish  a  vast  supply  of  water  to  groves  of  palm  trees 
along  its  shores.  But  the  enterprise  is  not  likely  to  be  under- 
taken, for  a  variety  of  reasons. 

In  the  first  place,  the  cost  would  be  something  enormous, 
and  quite  out  of  proportion  to  the  result  proposed.  The  cut- 
ting or  canal  would  be  more  than  a  hundred  miles  long,  and 
for  quite  a  distance,  forty  or  fifty  feet  deep. 

The  distance  which  could  be  flooded  is  variously  estimated 
from  twenty  to  forty  thousand  square  miles.  Of  course  the 
land  covered  by  the  water  would  be  of  no  use,  and  it  includes 
many  prosperous  oases  of  date  palms,  which  would  have  far 
more  water  than  they  need  in  order  to  bear  fruits.  To  start 
with,  there  would  thus  be  a  heavy  loss. 

The  effect  upon  the  climate  of  Europe  of  the  proposed  inland 
sea  has  been  much  discussed.  The  whole  of  France  owes  its 


I 

THE   SUEZ   CANAL.  125 

warm,  genial  climate  to  the  hot  winds  which  blow  from  Africa 
across  the  Mediterranean,  and  do  not  lose  their  soothing  tem- 
perature till  they  reach  the  North  Sea  and  the  Baltic.  Africa 
thus  becomes  a  vast  furnace  to  supply  Europe  with  hot  air. 
It  is  feared  by  many  of  the  scientific  men  who  have  studied 
the  matter,  that  the  inland  sea  would  partially  or  completely 
change  the  climate.  The  winds  would  absorb  the  moisture, 
and  thus  form  vast  rain  clouds;  instead  of  conveying  warmth 
and  dry  air  to  southern  Europe,  they  would  be  cool  and  laden 
with  rain.  The  grapes  would  decay  upon  the  vines  without 
ripening ;  sunny  France  would  be  no  longer  so,  and  Paris  would 
become  as  cold  as  Berlin,  and  as  dreary  as  London.  Doubt- 
less this  is  an  overstatement  of  the  case,  but  the  risk  that  any 
of  these  events  might  happen  outweighs  the  probable  good 
which  the  inland  sea  might  accomplish. 

Not  altogether  distinct  from  mining  matters,  as  it  certainly 
required  a  vast  deal  of  excavating,  is  the  Suez  Canal — a 
French  enterprise  of  the  greatest  magnitude.  The  plan  for 
making  a  canal  between  the  Mediterranean  and  Red  seas  is 
very  old,  and  has  received  a  great  deal  of  attention  from  an- 
cient times  to  the  present.  One  important  difference  between 
the  canal  of  to-day  and  those  of  the  olden  time  is  in  its  direct 
course  from  sea  to  sea,  which  makes  it  altogether  a  salt-water 
canal.  The  old  plans  were  in  favor  of  tapping  the  Nile  and 
connecting  the  river  with  the  Red  Sea,  so  that  a  portion  of  the 
route  would  be  a  fresh-water  one.  The  size  of  modern  ships 
rendered  it  necessary  to  abandon  the  Nile  scheme  altogether, 
as  the  shallowness  of  the  river  would  not  permit  the  passage 
of  the  ordinary  sea-going  vessel,  even  if  we  leave  tmconsidered 
those  vast  specimens  of  the  naval  architect's  skill  which  are 
the  pride  and  boast  of  all  maritime  nations. 

According  to  Herodotus  and  other  writers,  "  the  first  to 
attempt  the  construction  of  the  canal  to  the  Red  Sea,"  was 
Pharaoh  Necho  II,  one  of  the  Egyptian  kings,  who  reigned 
about  six  hundred  and  ten  years  before  Christ.  His  canal  left 
the  Nile  at  Bubastis,  near  Zagazig,  and  followed  along  a  valley 
leading  toward  the  Red  Sea,  which  then  extended  much  farther 


126  PLAN   OP   NAPOLEON   FOR  DIGGING  A   CANAL. 

inland  than  it  does  at  present.  Pliny  estimates  the  length  of 
this  canal  at  sixty-two  Roman  miles,  or  fifty-seven  English 
ones,  and  modern  measurements  show  that  these  figures  were 
very  nearly  correct.  Herodotus  estimates  the  distance  from 
the  Red  Sea  to  the  mouth  of  the  Nile  at  one  hundred  and 
fourteen  miles,  and  he  says  that  120,000  men  perished  while 
cutting  it.  This  is  probably  an  exaggeration  or  a  slip  of  the 
pen,  as  he  doubtless  meant  to  say  that  that  number  of  men 
was  engaged  in  the  work. 

The  canal  was  not  finished  during  the  reign  of  Necho  II. 
The  work  was  continued  by  his  successors,  and  finally  com- 
pleted, but  it  was  neglected,  and  the  drifting  sands  soon  filled 
the  canal  and  made  it  useless.  It  remained  so  for  centuries, 
th  nigh  several  attempts  were  made  to  clear  it  out.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  re-opened  about  the  year  1000  of  our  era,  by  one 
of  the  Arab  sultans,  but  it  was  again  neglected,  with  the  same 
result  as  before. 

In  modern  times,  the  first  to  take  up  the  subject  and  give  it 
careful  attention,  was  the  emperor  Napoleon,  at  the  time  of 
his  conquest  of  Egypt  in  1798.  He  personally  examined  the 
traces  of  the  canal  made  by  Necho  and  his  successors,  and 
ordered  one  of  his  engineers  to  make  a  careful  survey  of  the 
route,  to  ascertain  what  difference  there  might  be  between  the 
levels  of  the  two  seas. 

This  engineer  reported  a  difference  of  thirty  feet,  and  as 
this  would  render  it  impossible  to  make  a  direct  canal  without 
locks,  a  scheme  was  projected  for  making  use  of  a  portion  of 
the  Nile,  as  in  the  olden  time,  and  having  a  system  of  locks 
where  the  salt-water  canal  joined  the  river.  But  the  chances 
of  war  interfered,  as  the  French  were  compelled  to  evacuate 
Egypt  before  the  plan  had  been  reported. 

Nothing  more  was  done  until  1846,  when  a  mixed  commis- 
sion was  appointed  to  investigate  the  matter.  They  exploded 
the  old  error  of  a  difference  of  level,  and  showed  that  the 
height  of  the  water  on  each  side  was  so  nearly  the  same  as  to 
make  no  appreciable  difference.  Further  than  to  establish 
this  fact,  the  commission  did  not  go,  except  to  draw  up  some 
elaborate  plans,  which  never  amounted  to  anything. 


HOW  THE  CANAL  WAS  PLANNED  AND  DUG.       127 

In  1855,  a  project  was  completed  by  M.  de  Lesseps,  for  a 
canal  without  locks,  and  this  is  the  scheme  which  has  been 
successfully  carried  out  by  the  Suez  Canal  Company.  Some 
of  the  details  were  changed,  but  none  of  them  are  of  any 
serious  consequence. 

It  would  require  too  much  space  to  record  all  the  diplomatic 
and  other  negotiations  that  attended  the  inception  of  the 
scheme,  and  the  various  means  adopted  to  secure  the  funds 
necessary  for  conducting  the  work.  The  financial  part  of  it 
was  quite  as  difficult  as  the  labor  of  the  engineers,  and  several 
times  it  looked  as  though  the  enterprise  must  be  abandoned 
altogether.  The  whole  capital  required  by  the  canal,  from 
commencement  to  completion,  was  about  seventeen  million 
pounds  sterling,  or  eighty-five  millions  of  dollars ! 

The  work  of  excavating  was  begun  on  the  25th  of  April, 
185*9,  by  a  few  laborers  who  dug  a  small  ditch  in  the  presence 
of  M.  de  Lesseps  and  four  directors  of  the  company,  on  the 
spot  selected  for  the  Mediterranean  mouth  of  the  canal.  Im- 
mediately after  this  working,  encampments  were  established 
all  along  the  line,  and  the  enterprise  was  earnestly  pushed. 
At  first,  the  work  was  performed  without  any  machinery. 
Men  and  donkeys  were  the  active  force,  the  former  armed 
with  shovels,  and  the  latter  having  a  couple  of  baskets  hung 
across  their  backs. 

A  native  would  fill  the  baskets  with  sand  and  drive  the 
donkey  on.  They  proceeded  to  where  the  burden  was  to  be 
deposited,  and  when  they  arrived  there,  the  baskets  were 
emptied,  and  the  donkey  was  driven  back  for  a  fresh  load. 

But  it  was  found  that  the  removal  from  agriculture  and 
their  other  usual  employments  of  the  men  necessary  for  dig- 
ging the  canal,  was  a  serious  interference  with  the  affairs  of 
the  country.  Twenty  thousand  men  were  required  every 
month,  and  the  drain  was  found  to  be  so  great  that,  in  1863, 
the  Khedive  refused  to  furnish  them. 

Matters  then  came  to  a  stand  still,  and  the  company  set 
a"bout  replacing  manual  labor  with  machinery.  Various  ma- 
chines were  devised  before  success  was  reached,  and  the  mag- 
nificent dredges  were  made,  by  which  the  canal  was  finished. 


128  THE   FINISHING   OP  THE  CANAL. 

What  was  at  first  thought  to  be  a  misfortune  proved  an  advan- 
tage, as  the  dredges  were  far  more  economical  than  manual 
labor,  and  enabled  the  company  to  finish  the  work  much  sooner 
than  would  have  been  possible  under  the  old  plan. 

The  canal  was  finished  in  the  latter  part  of  1869,  and 
opened  for  traffic  on  the  17th  of  November  of  that  year.  Forty- 
eight  ships  went  from  Port  Said  to  Suez,  on  that  day  and  the 
next,  carrying  guests  who  had  been  invited  to  the  ceremonies. 
All  nations  of  the  world  may  be  said  to  have  taken  part  in 
the  affair,  which  was  on  a  magnificent  scale,  and  cost  many 
thousands  of  dollars  to  the  Khedive  of  Egypt  and  the  canal 
company.  When  the  ceremonies  were  over,  the  canal  was 
formally  opened  for  business,  and  has  been  open  ever  since. 

The  canal  is  a  hundred  miles  long  from  Suez  to  Port  Said. 
The  following  figures  of  its  dimensions  will  be  found  inter- 
esting: 

FEET. 

Width  at  water  line,  where  banks  are  low, 
Width  at  water  line,  where  banks  are  high,     -  -     190 

Width  at  bottom,   -  72 

Depth,    -  -26 

Slope  of  bank  near  water  line,  one  foot  in  five. 

At  frequent  intervals  tl>ere  are  wide  spaces  where  ships 
may  pass,  and  there  are  three  lakes  which  were  formed  by  the 
filling  of  depressions  in  the  desert.  These  lakes  are  pretty 
sheets  of  water,  and  one  of  them — Lake  Timsah — has  become 
a  pleasure  resort  where  the  people  of  Cairo  go  to  enjoy  salt- 
water bathing. 

The  advantages  of  the  canal  to  the  commerce  of  the  world 
are  very  great.  The  old  routes  have  been  partially  abandoned 
for  the  new  one,  and  at  present  the  movement  of  steamers 
through  the  canal  averages  more  than  a  hundred  a  month  each 
way,  not  to  speak  of  sailing  ships  and  smaller  craft.  The 
saving  of  distance  by  the  canal  may  be  shown  by  the  following 
table. 

Via  Cape  of  Via  Distance 

Good  Hope.      Suez  Canal.       Saved. 

England  to  Bombay  (nautical  miles),  10,860  6,020  4,840 

New  York  to  Bombay,        "  "  11,520  7,920  3,600 

St.  Petersburg  to  Bombay,  "  «  11,610  6,770  4,840 

Marseilles  to  Bombay,         "  «  10^560  4,620  5,940 


IX. 


ADVENTURES    OF    DIVERS. 

GOING  UNDER  WATER.  —  PEARL  DIVING.  —  COSTUME  OF  THE  DIVERS.  —  HOW 
THEY  DESCEND.  —  OBTAINING  THE  PEARL  OYSTERS.  —  DIVING-BELLS.  — 
HOW  THEY  ARE  MADE.  —  ADVANTAGES  AND  DISADVANTAGES.  —  ADVEN- 
TURES IN  DIVING-BELLS.  —  SUBMARINE  ARMOR.  —  ITS  CONSTRUCTION  AND 

USE.  — A  DIVER'S  ADVENTURE.  —  A  HORRIBLE  SIGHT.  — THE  DIVER'S  STORY. 
—  A  PEARL  DIVER  AND  A  SHARK.  —  A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  —  STRATEGY  IN 

THE  WATER  —  PEARL-DIVING  —  PREPARATORY  STEPS  TO  BE  TAKEN  — PRE- 
PARING FOR  THE  SEVERE  TASK  —  TRAINING  THE  PAPOOSES  IN  MEXICO  — 
OBTAINING  THE  PEARL  OYSTERS  —  DIVING-BELLS  —  ADVENTURES  IN  DIV- 
ING-BELLS—  SUBMARINE  AKMOR  —  A  HORRIBLE  SIGHT  —  THE  DIVER'S 
STORY  —  A  PEARL-DIVER  AND  A  SHARK — HOW  TO  AVOID  SHARKS  AND 
DOG-FISH  —  THE  WAYS  THAT  ABE  DARK,  AND  THE  TRICKS  THAT  ARE 


To  go  under  the  water  is  pretty  nearly  as  difficult  as  to  go 
under  the  earth.  Man  is  not  made  to  live  in  the  water,  al- 
though he  has  been  known  to  pass  many  hours  there  with- 
out touching  land.  A  great  many  persons  seem  to  have  a 
dread  of  water  in  any  shape.  They  rarely  bathe,  and  never 
drink  the  liquid  when  they  can  obtain  anything  stronger.  It 
frequently  becomes  necessary  for  men  to  go  beneath  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  exploring  the  wrecks  of  ships,  and  search- 
ing for  valuable  things  that  are  to  be  found  with  a  varying 
quantity  of  fathoms  above  them.  In  the  East  Indies,  and  in 
South  America,  and  other  parts  of  the  world,  the  primitive 
form  of  diving  without  any  apparatus  whatever  has  been 
popular  for  many  hundreds  of  years.  The  pearl  divers  of  the 
East  are  dressed  in  a  costume  somewhat  resembling  that  of  the 
famous  Greek  Slave,  minus  her  fetters.  The  diver,  when  pre- 
paring to  go  below,  arms  himself  with  a  pick,  with  which  to 
break  away  the  pearl  oysters.  He  is  provided  with  a  stone 
weighing  forty  or  fifty  pounds,  and  attached  to  a  rope  several 
feet  in  length.  Filling  his  lungs  with  air,  he  grasps  the  rope 
in  his  hand,  and  then  jumps  from  the  side  of  the  boat  into  the 
water.  The  weight  of  the  stone  carries  him  down.  When 
he  reaches  the  bottom,  he  detaches  the  oysters  from  the 
rocks,  places  them  in  a  bag  at  his  side,  and  then  rises  with 


130  DIVING-BELLS. 

his  prize  to  the  surface.  Ordinarily  he  does  not  remain  more 
than  a  minute,  or  a  minute  and  a  half,  below  the  surface, 
though  instances  have  been  known  of  pearl  divers  who  would 
remain  as  long  as  four  or  five  minutes  under  the  water.  Of 
course  he  can  only  remain  as  long  as  the  air  which  has  been 
taken  into  his  lungs  will  last  him,  and  every  one  who  tries  to 
hold  his  breath  knows  that  this  cannot  be  for  a  long  time. 

The  diver  generally  closes  his  nostrils  with  a  split  stick,  or 
something  of  the  sort,  to  prevent  the  entrance  of  the  water, 
and  he  is  very  careful  to  keep  his  mouth  tightly  shut.  Water 
and  air  do  not  mix  well  in  one's  lungs,  and  no  man  has  ever 
yet  invented  a  system  of  breathing  water  instead  of  air.  At 
the  depth  to  which  the  pearl  diver  descends,  the  pressure  of 
the  water  causes  a  very  unpleasant  sensation  in  the  ears,  and 
before  he  has  made  many  subaqueous  journeys  the  drum  of 
the  ear  is  generally  broken.  The  breakage  of  the  ear-drum 
causes  no  serious  injury  beyond  rendering  the  person  who 
has  undergone  it  hard  of  hearing,  and  instances  have  been 
known  of  divers  becoming  entirely  deaf  in  consequence  of  the 
injury  to  their  ears. 

As  an  improvement  upon  the  primitive  form  of  diving,  the 
Diving-Bell  was  invented.  It  is  called  a  bell  on  account  of 
its  shape,  and  not  in  consequence  of  any  sonorous  quality.  It 
is  constructed  in  the  general  shape  of  a  bell,  or  an  inverted 
tumbler ;  it  is  lowered,  mouth  downwards,  into  the  water  by 
means  of  ropes  attached  to  a  ship,  a  boat,  or  the  arm  of  a  der- 
rick projecting  over  the  water.  Generally,  however,  it  is  let 
down  from  a  ship's  side.  The  earliest  diving-bells  had  no 
arrangement  for  supplying  them  with  air.  After  the  quantity 
within  the  bell  was  exhausted,  the  diver  gave  a  signal  by 
means  of  a  rope,  and  the  bell  was  drawn  to  the  surface.  At 
present  the  diving-bell  has  a  flexible  rubber  tube  attached  to 
it,  by  which  it  is  constantly  supplied  with  fresh  air,  so  that  a 
diver  may  remain  several  hours  under  water  without  suffering 
for  want  of  a  pure  atmosphere.  The  foul  air  is  let  out  through 
a  valve  in  the  top  of  the  bell,  and  is  constantly  rising  in  the 
shape  of  little  bubbles.  The  pure  air  is  forced  down  by 


i 


I 
I 


8 


.     IMPROVEMENTS  IN  DIVING.  133 

means  of  a  pump,  which  must  be  kept  in  steady  operation. 
As  long  as  this  pump  is  at  work,  and  the  bubbles  are  rising 
from  the  bell,  those  above  can  be  assured  that  everything  is 
satisfactory ;  but  let  the  bubbles  cease  to  rise,  and  it  is  in- 
stantly known  that  something  is  going  wrong. 

As  the  bell  descends  below  the  surface,  the  pressure  of  the 
air  becomes  very  great,  being  equal  to  the  pressure  of  the 
water.  A  dense  atmosphere  of  this  sort  has  many  peculiar- 
ities. It  is  easy  enough  to  breathe,  but  the  pressure  on  the 
drum  of  the  ear  is  frequently  inconvenient.  An  ordinary 
whisper  will  sound  as  loud  as  the  customary  tones  of  the 
voice,  and  if  there  are  two  persons  in  the  bell,  and  one  of 
them  speaks  as  he  would  naturally  speak  in  the  open  air,  he 
will  seem  to  the  other  to  be  shouting  with  the  full  power  of 
his  lungs.  A  slight  blow  upon  any  metallic  substance  within 
the  bell  will  sound  like  a  very  heavy  one,  and  any  noise  that 
would  cause  no  inconvenience  in  the  open  air  may  become 
absolutely  painful  in  the  dense  atmosphere  in  the  inside  of  a 
diving-bell. 

A  diving-bell  must  be  made  very  heavy  to  carry  it  down- 
ward, and  large  weights  are  generally  placed  around  its  mouth. 
A  shelf  inside  serves  as  a  seat  for  the  occupant,  and  when  it  is 
lowered  to  the  bottom,  the  ground  can  be  leisurely  surveyed 
or  examined  for  whatever  object  the  diver  has  in  view. 
Sometimes,  when  two  persons  descend  in  a  bell,  one  of  them 
may  leave  the  bell  by  diving  into  the  water,  and  then  return- 
ing, but  he  cannot  go  very  far.  Submarine  armor,  however, 
enables  him  to  go  quite  a  distance  away  from  the  bell,  and 
return  at  his  leisure.  Submarine  armor  possesses  many  ad- 
vantages over  the  ordinary  diving-bell.  A  man  encased  in  a 
submarine  suit  can  remain  under  water  for  a  long  time,  and 
move  about  pretty  much  as  he  likes. 

Submarine  armor  consists  of  a  water-proof  suit,  completely 
encasing  the  body  of  the  wearer.  It  is  put  on  in  two  sections ; 
the  trousers  have  shoes  attached  to  them,  with  heavy  leaden 
soles,  and  at  the  waist  they  are  firmly  fastened  to  a  metallic 
ring.  The  upper  part  of  the  suit  covers  the  arms,  the  head, 


134  SUBMARINE   ARMOR. 

and  the  chest,  and  the  lower  part  of  it  is  fastened  to  a  ring 
which  exactly  meets  the  other.  The  upper  part  of  the  suit  is 
put  on,  and  after  it  the  second,  or  lower  part.  The  two  rings 
are  then  fastened  together  by  means  of  screws,  and  a  thin 
band  of  rubbei  upon  them  excludes  both  air  and  water.  The 
head  of  the  diver  is  enclosed  in  a  helmet  made  of  brass  or 
other  metal,  and  having  a  thick  plate  of  glass  in  front.  Air  is 
conveyed  inside  this  helmet  by  means  of  a  rubber  tube,  and 
an  air  pump  must  be  kept  in  constant  operation,  to  supply  the 
man  in  armor  with  the  necessary  amount  of  air.  The  foul  air 
escapes  through  a  valve  in  the  top,  just  as  it  escapes  from  the 
top  of  the  diving-bell.  A  suit  of  clothing  of  this  sort  does  not 
add  to  the  beauty  of  its  wearer ;  it  is  very  cumbersome,  and  I 
greatly  doubt  if  it  ever  becomes  fashionable  for  an  afternoon 
promenade  on  Broadway.  The  helmet  might  answer  very 
well  as  a  disguise,  for  the  reason  that  the  face  of  the  wearer 
is  almost,  and  generally  quite,  invisible. 

When  a  diver  is  properly  encased  in  his  armor,  he  is  swung 
off  from  the  side  of  the  boat  or  ship,  and  sinks  into  the  water. 
The  leaden  soles  upon  his  shoes  carry  him  straight  down,  and 
serve  to  keep  his  feet  in  the  proper  place  and  position.  The 
tube  supplies  him  with  air,  and  he  can  walk  about  and  use  his 
hands  freely.  He  can  handle  the  pick  and  shovel,  and  can 
enter  the  cabin  of  a  sunken  ship ;  in  fact,  he  can  go  in  any 
place  where  the  flexible  tube  can  be  made  to  follow ;  but  all 
the  time  he  is  below,  the  pump  must  maintain  a  steady  mo- 
tion, and  the  valve  in  the  top  of  his  helmet  must  work  freely. 
A  slight  accident  may  cause  his  death:  should  any  of  the 
machinery  of  the  pump  give  way,  or  some  careless  person  on 
the  ship  step  upon  the  tube  as  it  lies  along  the  deck,  the 
diver  might  lose  his  life.  It  sometimes  happens  that  on  be- 
ing drawn  to  the  surface  the  diver  is  found  dead.  Some 
slight  accident  has  cut  off  his  supply  of  air,  and  cutting  off 
the  air  has  deprived  him  of  life. 

Sunken  ships  have  been  explored  by  means  of  this  diving 
armor,  and  sometimes  large  amounts  of  treasure  are  recovered 
through  its  use.  In  some  cases  miners  have  prosecuted  their 


A    HORRIBLE   SIGHT.  j.35 

operations  under  water  by  means  of  this  apparatus.  A  few 
years  since  an  expedition  was  fitted  out  to  examine  a  wreck 
of  a  ship  which  was  sunk  more  than  half  a  century  ago  on 
the  coast  of  South  America.  She  was  known  to  have  a  great 
deal  of  treasure  on  board.  Operations  had  been  undertaken 
frequently  by  means  of  common  divers  and  diving-bells  to 
recover  this  treasure,  but  none  of  the  enterprises  had  been 
rewarded1  with  success.  With  their  submarine  armor  to  aid 
them,  the  new  explorers  were  successful,  and  were  hand- 
somely rewarded  for  their  efforts. 

Thrilling  stories  are  told  by  men  who  have  thus  gone  below 
the  surface  of  the  water.  Some  time  ago  a  diver  was  sent 
down  to  examine  a  steamer  that  had  been  sunk  in  about  sixty 
feet  of  water,  and  had  carried  down  many  of  its  passengers. 
The  man  went  down,  and  made  two  or  three  efforts  without 
success  to  enter  the  cabin  of  the  vessel.  On  the  fourth  visit 
he  accomplished  his  object,  and  reached  the  cabin.  Soon  he 
made  a  signal  to  be  drawn  up.  When  he  was  on  the  deck  of 
the  ship,  and  the  armor  was  removed,  he  fainted.  When  he 
recovered,  he  was  asked  the  cause  of  his  faintness,  and  re- 
plied,— 

"  It's  enough  to  make  any  man  faint  to  see  what  I  have 
seen.  I  went  into  the  cabin  of  that  ship ;  it  was  full  of  water, 
of  course ;  but  that  wasn't  all.  It  was  full  of  the  bodies  of 
those  passengers  that  went  down  when  the  ship  was  lost. 
There  was  a  slight  motion  of  the  water,  caused  by  the  ground 
swell ;  and,  as  I  entered  the  cabin,  the  water  slowly  swayed 
backward  and  forward,  and  swung  these  bodies  with  it.  At 
the  very  door  one  of  them  brushed  against  me,  or  rather 
rolled  against  me,  and  its  dead,  glassy  eyes  stared  directly  in 
the  face  of  my  helmet,  not  six  inches  away.  I  knew  it  was 
dead,  but  there  seemed  to  be  a  life-like  expression  in  that  cold 
and  stony  face.  I  passed  by  it,  and  had  gone  but  a  few  feet 
before  I  encountered  another  body ;  and  as  I  looked  along  the 
cabin,  the  vessel,  being  slightly  careened,  received  a  dim 
light  through  its  windows.  Those  bodies  swinging  with  the 
motion  of  the  water  seemed  more  like  living  than  like  dead 
8 


1S6  SEEKING  FOR  PEARLS. 

forms.  There  was  a  combination  of  life  and  death  in  their 
paleness  which  was  absolutely  horrible ;  and  not  for  all  the 
treasure  this  ship  contains  will  I  go  down  again." 

The  diver  positively  refused  to  repeat  his  descent,  at  least 
in  that  part  of  the  ship  ;  but  others,  less  sensitive  than  himself, 
were  found  to  go  down  and  complete  the  exploration.  None 
of  them,  however,  appeared  anxious  to  continue  on  that  sort 
of  work,  and  all  were  heartily  glad  when  the  exploration  in 
the  cabin  was  completed. 

The  life  of  a  pearl  diver  is  full  of  adventures.  The  pearl 
oyster  is  found  only  in  warm  countries,  or,  at  all  events,  very 
rarely  in  cold  countries.  The  parts  of  the  sea  where  these 
oysters  are  found  are  generally  frequented  by  sharks.  The 
sharks  have  a  great  fondness  for  divers,  but  it  can  be  readily 
understood  that  the  divers  do  not  reciprocate  the  fondness  of 
this  finny  tribe.  Nothing  is  more  pleasing  to  the  shark  • —  that 
is  to  say,  an  old  and  well-educated  shark  —  than  to  make  a 
breakfast  off  a  pearl  diver.  The  diver  objects  to  this  little 
arrangement,  and  remonstrates  with  the  shark ;  but  the  latter 
doesn't  heed  his  remonstrances,  unless  they  are  of  the  most 
positive  character. 

Before  going  below,  the  diver  generally  scans  the  water 
very  carefully,  to  see  whether  any  of  his  man-eating  friends 
are  around  and  ready  to  welcome  him.  When  he  has  reached 
the  bottom,  finished  his  labor,  filled  his  bag  with  oysters,  and 
is  ready  to  ascend,  he  always  takes  a  good  look  aloft,  to  see 
that  no  shark  is  waiting  for  him.  The  shark  does  not  pick  up 
the  diver  at  the  bottom ;  he  makes  no  attack  as  long  as  the 
man  is  beneath  him,  but  watches  his  chance,  and  as  the  man 
goes  upward  he  makes  a  sudden  dash,  and  considering  the 
diver  a  stranger,  takes  him  in.  It  is  not  unusual  in  the  pearl 
diving  regions  to  hear  of  men  who  have  suddenly  disappeared 
while  below ;  and  the  inference  always  is,  that  these  men  have 
been  quietly  and  calmly  eaten.  A  pearl  seeker  whom  I  met 
some  years  ago  while  on  a  sea  voyage  told  me  an  exciting 
story  of.  an  adventure  with  a  shark,  in  the  pearl  regions  not 
far  from  Panama. 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  SHAEK.  137 

"  I  bad  in  my  employ,"  said  he,  "  about  a  dozen  divers,  very 
active,  athletic  fellows,  who  did  their  duty  faithfully,  stole  all 
the  pearls  they  could  when  my  back  was  turned,  and  some- 
times, unless  I  was  very  watchful,  they  reduced  my  returns 
very  materially.  I  had  a  curiosity  to  learn  the  peculiarities 
of  pearl  diving  for  myself,  and  so  engaged  one  of  the  pro- 
fessional divers  to  teach  me.  Well,  he  taught  me.  • 

"  My  first  duty  was  to  strip  off  all  my  clothes,  swing  a  bag 
over  my  shoulder,  take  an  iron  rod  about  two  feet  long  and 
sharpened  at  one  end  with  which  to  detach  the  oysters,  seize 
a  stone,  and  after  fastening  my  nose  so  as  not  to  take  in  any 
water  that  way,  I  jumped  overboard  and  followed  the  diver 
below. 

"  The  water  was  about  thirty  feet  deep,  and  the  first  time  I 
went  down  I  could  do  nothing  but  come  back  again.  I  didn't 
bring  any  oysters  that  time.  The  next  time  I  went  down,  I 
managed  to  get  half  a  dozen  oysters,  and  then  I  came  up. 
Well,  after  a  while  I  got  so  that  1  could  get  my  bag  half  filled 
on  each  descent,  and  began  to  think  that  I  was  a  very  fair 
diver.  I  did  not  do  much  of  it,  though.  Half  a  dozen  times  a 
day  were  all  that  I  was  willing  to  try.  My  ears  stood  it  very 
well  the  first  day,  but  the  second  day  I  went  down  deeper 
and  staid  rather  longer  than  at  any  previous  time,  and  when  I 
came  up  my  ears  were  bleeding,  and  I  felt  as  if  there  was  at 
least  a  barrel  of  water  in  my  head.  That  was  enough  for 
that  day ;  but  the  next  morning  I  felt  all  right,  and  tried  it 
again. 

"  Always  before  I  went  down  they  cautioned  me  to  look  out 
for  sharks.  '  Never  stir  from  the  bottom/  said  one  of  the  men, 
'  until  you  have  looked  up  to  the  top,  and  find  everything  is 
clear  above  you.'  I  remembered  his  advice,  and  it  was  well  that 
I  did  so.  About  ten  days  after  I  had  begun  to  learn  the  busi- 
ness, I  went  down  as  usual,  picked  up  some  oysters,  put  them 
in  my  bag,  and  was  starting  to  go  up.  I  gave  my  usual  look 
above,  and  there  I  saw  a  big  shovel-nosed  shark  watching 
me.  He  was  evidently  calculating  that  he  had  me  sure,  and 
considered  me  as  good  a  breakfast  as  he  wanted.  I  did  not 


138  A   FIGHT  UNDER  WATER. 

like  his  looks,  and  what  to  do  I  did  not  exactly  know.  I 
would  have  much  rather  been  in  the  cabin  of  my  schooner 
than  in  the  stomach  of  that  fellow.  My  first  impulse  was  to 
dart  up  beneath  him,  and  follow  the  custom  of  the  natives. 
Generally  when  one  sees  a  shark,  and  can't  get  off  in  any  other 
way,  he  rises  as  rapidly  as  possible  beneath  the  fish,  and  sticks 
the  iron  rod  into  his  belly.  This  is  a  treatment  for  which  the 
shark  is  not  prepared,  and  unless  he  is  over-hungry  he  will 
generally  go  away.  Sometimes,  though,  he  shows  fight ;  and 
when  it  comes  to  a  struggle  it  is  very  fierce.  The  shark  is 
in  his  natural  element,  but  the  man  is  not  in  the  element  to 
which  he  is  most  accustomed,  and  if  the  shark  is  large  and 
persistent  he  generally  wins. 

"  I  did  not  consider  myself  up  to  the  emergency  of  stabbing 
that  fellow  with  my  rod,  and  thought  I  would  take  the  chance 
of  going  by  him.  But  that  was  of  no  use ;  he  would  have 
taken  me  in  as  I  reached  the  surface,  just  as  a  trout  takes  in  a 
fly.  In  an  emergency  like  mine,  men  think,  and  they  must 
think  very  rapidly.  I  do  not  believe  that  I  ever  thought  with 
more  rapidity  in  all  my  life.  The  place  where  I  had  been 
gathering  oysters  was  at  the  side  of  a  large  rock,  and  I  had 
not  left  it  when  I  saw  the  shark.  I  moved  quietly  to  the 
other  side,  thinking  to  dodge  him. 

"  He  saw  my  movement,  and  immediately  swam  over  the 
rock,  and  placed  himself  above  me.  Well,  what  was  to  be  done 
next,  and  what  do  you  suppose  I  did  ?  You  know  there  is  a 
little  fish  called  the  cuttle-fish.  It  is  not  much  of  a  fish  ;  it  is 
not  handsome  ;  it  cannot  swim  fast,  and  is  not  heavy  on  the 
fight.  When  pursued  it  throws  out  a  sort  of  inky  sub- 
stance, which  blackens  the  water  and  makes  it  sufficiently 
cloudy  to  enable  the  cuttle-fish  to  escape.  It  carries  this 
ink  in  a  bag,  and  keeps  it  laid  up  ready  for  use.  Perhaps 
you  might  call  him  a  marine  editor ;  that  is,  the  sort  of  editor 
that  does  not  fight,  but  defends  himself  by  slinging  ink  in  the 
face  of  his  adversaries. 

"  I  was  not  in  a  condition  to  fight,  and  so  I  quickly  thought 
I  would  play  cuttle-fish.  On  one  side  of  the  rock  the  bottom 


A   NARROW   ESCAPE.  139 

was  a  sandy  mud,  and  I  immediately  conceived  the  idea  of 
stirring  up  this  mud,  thickening  the  water,  and  so  making  a 
cloud,  behind  which  I  could  escape.  With  my  pick  I  stirred 
the  mud,  and  in  less  than  ten  seconds  I  had  the  water  all 
around  me  very  thick  and  cloudy. 

"  Then  I  slipped  back  to  the  other  side  of  the  rock,  and  went 
above.  I  reached  the  side  of  the  boat  with  just  strength 
enough  to  lay  hold  of  it.  The  men  saw  that  something  was 
wrong,  and  they  instantly  seized  me,  and  pulled  me  on  board. 
They  had  become  alarmed  at  my  long  absence,  as  I  was  under 
water  nearly  twice  the  time  I  had  been  at  any  previous 
descent. 

"  Well,  this  is  not  the  whole  of  the  story.  If  I  should  take 
off  my  boot  —  the  right  one  — you  would  see  some  very  ugly 
scars  on  my  foot.  That  shark  watched  the  water  where  I  was, 
and  just  as  I  reached  the  surface,  and  was  being  pulled  into 
the  boat,  he  discovered  me.  He  darted  for  me,  whirled  on  his 
back,  —  sharks  always  have  to  turn  on  their  backs  to  seize 
their  prey,  —  and  tried  to  take  in  my  foot. 

"  The  men  saw  him  coming,  and  they  pulled  me  in  about  as 
fast  as  any  man  was  ever  pulled  into  a  boat.  That  shark  did 
not  get  me,  as,  of  course,  you  believe,  but  he  did  get  hold  of 
the  end  of  my  foot.  Two  toes  are  gone,  and  the  others  are 
pretty  well  scarred.  If  he  had  made  his  dive  at  me  one 
second  earlier,  I  do  not  believe  I  should  have  had  any  foot  on 
this  leg  to  boast  of.  Confound  these  sharks,  any  how.  They 
do  not  respect  a  white  man  at  all,  or  half  as  much  as  they  do 
a  brown-skinned  native. 

"  Take  a  lot  of  sharks  when  they  are  not  particularly  hungry, 
and  a  lot  of  niggers  may  swim  around  them,  and  they  will  be 
as  sociable  as  if  they  belonged  to  the  same  family ;  but  just 
let  them  see  a  white  man  in  the  water,  and  they  will  take 
him  in  as  readily  as  a  bull-dog  vvould  take  in  a  beefsteak. 

"  I  have  been  some  time  telling  this  story  to  you,  but  the 
whole  occurrence  did  not  consume  more  than  two  or  three 
minutes." 

In  Mexico,  a  peculiar  way  of  pearl-fishing  is  going  on. 


140  PREPARATORY  ARRANGEMENTS. 

Preparatory  to  entering  on  pearl-fishing  in  that  country,  a  con- 
tractor must  obtain  a  concession,  and  take  care  to  be  provided 
with  such  articles  as  the  Indians  most  desire — eatables,  tools, 
coarse  articles  of  dress,  and  toys.  The  concession  is  obtained 
by  securing  a  fifth  of  the  produce  of  the  fishery  to  the  authori- 
ties of  La  Paz,  and  then,  at  an  expense  of  five  dollars,  a  right 
to  fish  in  a  certain  spot  is  acquired. 

A  picturesque  scene  is  presented  by  the  encampment  of  the 
Indians  with  their  families,  who  are  mainly  supported  through 
the  year  by  the  fishery.  They  impatiently  await  the  coming  of 
their  employers,  and  their  approach  is  the  signal  for  a  joyful 
tumult.  All  join  in  the  shout  of  welcome,  and  many  plunge 
into  the  sea,  to  show,  by  their  various  performances  in  the 
water,  their  superior  fitness  for  the  labors  they  are  anxious  to 
undertake. 

Loud  cries  are  heard,  of  "Engage  me,  master,"  "I  will 
make  your  fortune,"  "  You  employed  me  last  year,"  "  I  am  not 
only  the  best  of  divers,  but  I  am  always  lucky." 

A  selection  is  made,  and  the  contractor  takes  with  him  those 
he  deems  the  ablest  hands,  pursued  by  the  reproaches  and 
taunts  of  those  who  consider  they  are  unfairly  neglected.  The 
conditions  of  the  engagement  secure  the  divers'  maintenance 
during  the  fishery,  and  a  share  of  the  unopened  oysters. 
These  requirements  granted,  shaking  hands  seals  or  completes 
the  arrangement. 

It  is  from  the  15th  of  May  to  the  15th  of  August  that  the 
Mexican  fishing  is  prosecuted.  Then  it  is  that  calm  weather 
and  cloudless  sky  may  be  expected,  which  are  indispensable 
to  success.  Early  in  the  afternoon  a  breeze  frequently  comes 
from  the  northeast.  Should  it  rain,  the  work  is  partly  sus- 
pended. The  evening  is  occupied  in  opening  the  oysters  col- 
lected in  the  early  part  of  the  day. 

The  day  after  the  arrival  of  the  divers,  the  places  most  likely 
to  prove  favorable  are  sought  by  experienced  eyes,  and  a  sort 
of  rehearsal  is  gone  through  by  the  Indians.  They  plunge  in 
to  a  moderate  depth,  and  remain  but  a  short  time  under  water. 
Then  they  prepare  themselves  for  the  severer  task.  Their 


THE  OPENING  OF  THE  SEASON.  141 

children,  almost  amphibious,  remain  on  the  bank,  and  are  thus 
prepared  to  take  up  the  calling  of  a  diver  at  some  future  day. 

The  Indians  dive  fearlessly,  being  accustomed  to  such  exer- 
cises from  their  infancy,  plunging  to  a  depth  of  from  five  to 
ten  fathoms  by  two  cords,  a  diving-stone  and  a  net,  which  are 
connected  with  the  boat,  which  always  accompanies  them. 
The  diver,  putting  the  toes  of  his  right  foot  on  the  rope  of  the 
diving-stone,  and  his  left  on  the  net,  seizes  the  two  cords  with 
one  hand,  and,  closing  his  nostrils  with  the  other,  goes  to  the 
bottom  of  the  water,  where  he  brings  the  net  around  his  neck, 
and  collects  and  puts  into  it  as  many  shells  as  he  can  reach 
while  he  remains  below,  which  is  generally  about  two  minutes. 
On  emerging  from  the  sea,  he  discharges  water  from  his  mouth 
and  nose,  and  sometimes  blood,  which,  however,  does  not  deter 
him  from  presently  resuming  his  labors.  Some  men  will  fre- 
quently make  fifty  trips  in  one  forenoon. 

Divers  soon  find  themselves  able  to  remain  under  water  two 
minutes;  some  occasionally  stay  three  minutes,  but  never 
longer.  Young  divers  at  first  are  curiously  affected;  blood 
rushes  from  the  nose,  eyes,  and  ears,  when  they  come  up, 
caused  by  the  compression  of  the  lungs.  It  is  a  painful  sight, 
but  rest  and  cold  water  are  the  only  remedies  applied,  and, 
after  a  short  time,  the  bleeding  is  not  renewed  on  diving. 

The  opening  of  the  season  is  marked  by  a  ceremony,  intended 
to  be  very  solemn.  A  sorcerer  is  brought  with  the  divers,  to 
exorcise  the  sea,  and  protect  them.  In  the  performance  of  his 
important  duty,  this  highly-gifted  personage  addresses  awful 
language  to  the  dog-fish,  setting  forth  his  past  atrocities  and 
admonishing  him  to  act  a  better  part  in  future. 

A  single  plunge  enables  a  diver  to  secure  five  or  six  oysters, 
sometimes  seven  or  eight,  but  rarely  more.  The  boats  which 
attend  them  are  managed  by  rowers,  or  are  secured  by  an 
anchor,  or  a  stone,  fastened  to  a  rope.  Some  of  the  divers 
have  a  rope  around  them,  attached  to  the  boat.  The  most 
prudent  course  is  to  be  as  little  encumbered  as  possible,  that 
they  may  avoid  the  sharks  and  dog-fish.  They  are,  however, 
generally  armed  with  a  short  stick,  made  of  hard  wood,  and 


142  THE  WAYS  THAT  ARE  DARK. 

pointed.  A  lookout  or  watcher  is  in  each  boat,  to  give  a  sig- 
nal to  those  under  water  when  danger  is  apparent. 

The  gangs  of  younger  divers  divide  into  three  parties,  and 
rest  for  longer  periods.  They  go  to  their  labor  fasting.  When 
below,  they  of  course  snatch  the  oysters  up  as  quickly  as  possi- 
ble, using  the  short  stick  they  carry,  when  necessary  to  separ- 
ate them  from  any  other  substance.  Finding  an  oyster  likely 
to  contain  a  pearl,  the  stick  is  sometimes  used  to  open  it,  and 
the  diver  will  reappear  with  a  shell  or  two,  and  tell  that  during 
three  minutes  immersion  he  could  discover  nothing  but  shells. 
The  fraud  is  often  discovered,  and  the  stick  freely  used  on  the 
head  or  back  of  the  cheat. 

Jules  Verne,  in  his  Twenty  Thousand  Leagues  Under  the 
Sea,  gives  the  account  of  an  adventure  of  a  pearl-diver,  which 
is  of  the  most  thrilling  nature ;  Prof.  Aronnax  has  gone  down 
to  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  in  a  peculiar  diving  apparel,  which 
allowed  him  to  remain  under  water  for  a  considerable  time, 
with  Captain  Nemo  of  the  Nautilus,  and  two  or  three  other 
men.  The  professor  tells  his  story  thus : 

"About  five  yards  from  me  a  shadow  appeared,  and  sank  to 
the  ground.  The  disquieting  idea  of  sharks  shot  through  my 
mind,  but  I  was  mistaken;  and  once  again  it  was  not  a  mon- 
ster of  the  ocean  that  we  had  anything  to  do  with. 

"  It  was  a  man,  a  living  man,  an  Indian,  a  fisherman,  a  poor 
devil,  who,  I  suppose,  had  come  to  glean  before  the  harvest. 
I  could  see  the  bottom  of  his  canoe  anchored  some  feet  above 
his  head.  He  dived  and  went  up  successively.  A  stone  held 
between  his  feet,  cut  in  the  shape  of  a  sugar-loaf,  whilst  a  rope 
fastened  him  to  his  boat,  helped  him  to  descend  more  rapidly. 
This  was  all  his  apparatus.  Reaching  the  bottom,  about  five 
yards  deep,  he  went  on  his  knees  and  filled  his  bag  with 
oysters  picked  up  at  random.  Then  he  went  up,  emptied  it, 
pulled  up  his  stone,  and  began  the  operation  once  more,  which 
lasted  thirty  seconds. 

"  The  diver  did  riot  see  us.  The  shadow  of  the  rock  hid  us 
from  sight.  And  how  should  this  poor  Indian  ever  dream 
that  men,  beings  like  himself,  should  be  there  under  the  water 


FIGHTING   A   SHARK.  143 

watching  his  movements,  and  losing  no  detail  of  the  fishing. 
Several  times  he  went  up  in  this  way,  and  dived  again.  He 
did  not  carry  away  more  than  ten  at  each  plunge,  for  he  was 
obliged  to  pull  them  from  the  bank  to  which  they  adhered  by 
means  of  their  strong  byssus.  And  how  many  of  those  oysters 
for  which  he  risked  his  life  had  no  pearl  in  them!  I  watched 
him  closely ;  his  manoeuvres  were  regular,  and,  for  the  space 
of  half  an  hour,  no  danger  appeared  to  threaten  him. 

"  I  was  beginning  to  accustom  myself  to  the  sight  of  this 
interesting  fishing,  when  suddenly,  as  the  Indian  was  on  the 
ground,  I  saw  him  make  a  gesture  of  terror,  rise,  and  make  a 
spring  to  return  to  the  surface  of  the  sea. 

"  I  understood  his  dread.  A  gigantic  shadow  appeared  just 
above  the  unfortunate  diver.  It  was  a  shark  of  enormous  size, 
advancing  diagonally,  his  eyes  on  fire,  and  his  jaws  open.  I 
was  mute  with  horror,  and  unable  to  move. 

"  The  voracious  creature  shot  towards  the  Indian,  who 
threw  himself  on  one  side  in  order  to  avoid  the  shark's  fins: 
but  not  its  tail,  for  it  struck  his  chest,  and  stretched  him  on 
the  ground. 

"  This  scene  lasted  but  a  few  seconds;  the  shark  returned, 
and,  turning  on  his  back,  prepared  himself  for  cutting  the 
Indian  in  two;  when  I  saw  Captain  Nemo  rise  suddenly,  and 
then,  dagger  in  hand,  walk  straight  to  the  monster,  ready  to 
fight  face  to  face  with  him.  The  very  moment  the  shark  was 
going  to  snap  the  unhappy  fisherman  in  two,  he  perceived  his 
new  adversary,  and,  turning  over,  made  straight  towards  him. 

"  I  can  still  see  Captain  Nemo's  position.  Holding  himself 
well  together,  he  waited  for  the  shark  with  admirable  coolness; 
and.  when  it  rushed  at  him,  threw  himself  on  one  side  with 
wonderful  quickness,  avoiding  the  shock,  and  burying  his 
dagger  deep  into  its  side.  But  it  was  not  all  over.  A  terrible 
combat  ensued. 

"  The  shark  had  seemed  to  roar,  if  I  might  say  so.  The 
blood  rushed  in  torrents  from  its  wound.  The  sea  was  dyed 
red,  and  through  the  opaque  liquid  1  could  distinguish  nothing 
more.  Nothing  more,  until  the  moment  when,  like  lightning, 


144  FIGHTING   A   SHARK. 

I  saw  the  undaunted  captain  hanging  on  to  one  of  the  crea- 
ture's fins,  struggling,  as  it  were,  hand  to  hand  with  the 
monster,  and  dealing  successive  blows  at  his  enemy,  yet  still 
unable  to  give  a  decisive  one. 

"  The  shark's  struggles  agitated  the  water  with  such  fury 
that  the  rocking  threatened  to  upset  me. 

"  I  wanted  to  go  to  the  captain's  assistance,  but,  nailed  to 
the  spot  with  horror,  I  could  not  stir. 

"  I  saw  the  haggard  eye ;  I  saw  the  different  phases  of  the 
fight.  The  captain  fell  to  the  earth,  upset  by  the  enormous 
mass  which  leant  upon  him.  The  shark's  jaws  opened  wide, 
like  a  pair  of  factory  shears,  and  it  would  have  been  all  over 
with  the  captain ;  but,  quick  as  thought,  harpoon  in  hand,  Ned 
Land  rushed  towards  the  shark  and  struck  it  with  its  sharp 
point. 

"  The  waves  were  impregnated  with  a  mass  of  blood.  They 
rocked  under  the  shark's  movements,  which  beat  them  with 
indescribable  fury.  Ned  Land  had  not  missed  his  aim.  It 
was  the  monster's  death-rattle.  Struck  to  the  heart,  it  strug- 
gled in  dreadful  convulsions,  the  shock  of  which  overthrew 
Conseil. 

"  But  Ned  Land  had  disentangled  the  captain,  who,  getting 
up  without  any  wound,  went  straight  to  the  Indian,  quickly 
cut  the  cord  which  held  him  to  his  stone,  took  him  in  his  arms, 
and,  with  a  sharp  blow  of  his  heel,  mounted  to  the  surface.'' 


X. 


RUSSIAN  MINES  AND  MINING. 

EXTENT   OF    THE    EMPIRE — ITS   MINERAL   RESOURCES — PETER   THE   GREAT,  AND 

WHAT  HE    DID N1KITE    DEMIDOFF — THE    DEMIDOFF    ESTATES — IRON  MINES 

AND    A    VISIT    TO     THEM — WHERE     RUSSIA     SHEET    IRON    IS    MADE COPPER 

AND    MALACHITE — A  WONDERFUL    SIGHT — STRANGE    STORY  OF    AN    EMERALD 

NECKLACE GOLD    MINING    IN    SIBERIA — HARDSHIPS    OF    THE    MINERS — HOW 

THEY   ARE    TREATED — MODE    OF   MINING. 

The  empire  of  Russia  covers  nearly  an  eighth  of  the  land 
surface  of  the  globe.  Her  northern  limit  is  the  Arctic  Ocean, 
and  the  regions  of  eternal  ice  and  snow;  on  the  south,  she 
rests  upon  the  Black  Sea,  in  a  region  of  almost  tropical 
warmth.  Tropical  fruits  grow  in  her  Crimean  possessions, 
while  polar  bears  and  reindeer  wander  over  the  frozen  and 
barren  lands  of  her  extreme  north.  She  has  every  variety  of 
climate,  and  every  variety  of  soil.  Here  are  long  ranges  of 
lofty  mountains  enclosing  countless  treasures  of  wealth  in 
their  rocky  bosoms;  beyond  them  you  find  wide  stretches  of 
treeless  steppes,  fertile  as  our  western  prairies,  and  boundless, 
apparently,  as  the  sea.  Wide  and  deep  rivers  wind  through 
her  territory,  and  facilitate  the  communications  which  com- 
merce demands;  broad  lakes  spread  their  shiny  surfaces  at 
frequent  intervals,  and  reflect  the  primeval  forests  that  line 
their  shores.  In  a  word,  Russia  is  a  little  world  in  herself. 
The  races  of  men  included  in  her  inhabitants  are  as  varied  as 
her  climate ;  it  is  said  that  more  than  a  hundred  distinct  and 
different  languages  are  spoken  by  the  subjects  of  His  Imperial 
Majesty,  the  Autocrat  of  all  the  Russians. 

With  such  a  vast  territory,  and  such  a  variety  of  mountain 
and  plain,  hill  and  valley,  within  her  borders^Russia  may  be 

expected  to  hold  a  prominent  place  as  a  laika  of  mines. 

If  UNIVERSITY  )) 


146  THE  PRODUCE  IN  RUSSIA. 

Such  an  expectation  would  be  well  founded,  as  the  land  of 
the  Czar  is  in  the  very  front  rank  of  mining  countries.  The 
intelligence  and  enterprise  of  Peter  the  Great  led  to  the  devel- 
opment of  her  mining  interests,  and  the  work  thus  begun  has 
been  steadily  followed  to  the  present  day. 

Probably  the  best  mining  school  in  the  world  is  at  St. 
Petersburg.  It  has  constantly  nearly  three  hundred  pupils, 
all  supported  at  the  expense  of  the  government.  The  estab- 
lishment is  the  geological  mirror  of  the  entire  empire.  The 
mountains  of  Lapland  and  the  Caucasus,  Finland  and  the 
Yaldai,  the  vast  Ourals,  the  Altai  range  and  the  peaks  of  Ner- 
chinsk and  the  Baikal,  Siberia  and  Kamtchatka,  in  fact  every 
part  of  Russia,  have  been  drawn  upon  to  fill  its  museum.  Not 
only  have  they  contributed,  but  they  steadily  continue  to  do  so, 
year  after  year,  as  fast  as  new  discoveries  are  made  ;  and  the 
government  spares  no  pains  or  expense  to  make  the  collec- 
tion the  most  perfect  in  the  world. 

Gold,  silver,  lead,  iron,  tin,  copper,  and  other  metallic  ores 
are  there  in  abundance,  and  afford  the  student  the  most  ample 
opportunity  for  study.  In  the  collection  of  semi-precious  or 
valuable  stones  there  is  a  bewildering  array.  We  find  the  topaz 
of  all  shades;  we  find  rubies,  emeralds,  beryls,  amethysts, 
agates,  turquoise,  onyx,  garnets,  aqua-marines,  malachites, 
marbles,  lapislazuli,  porphyries,  and  other  stones  in  endless 
variety.  As  an  illustration  of  the  great  variety  of  the  mineral 
products  of  Russia,  let  me  mention  a  little  circumstance.  On 
my  desk,  and  lying  before  me  as  I  write,  is  a  paper  weight  I 
brought  home  from  Siberia.  It  is  a  small  mosaic,  perhaps 
three  inches  by  five,  and  contains  no  less  than  twenty-one 
kinds  of  variegated  marbles  from  the  Altai  mountains.  One 
piece  is  white,  and  another  is  nearly  black,  and  there  is  great 
variety  between  the  two  extremes. 

Almost  the  only  mineral  products  not  known  to  exist 
in  Russia  is  diamonds.  They  have  been  found  in  a  few  in- 
stances, but  in  very  small  numbers,  and  under  circumstances 
that  led  to  a  strong  suspicion  that  the  places  of  discovery  had 
been  "salted." 


MINING   SCHOOL   AT  ST.   PETERSBURG.  14T 

In  order  to  facilitate  the  study  of  the  pupils  in  this  school 
of  mines,  and  make  it  as  practical  as  possible,  all  the  ma- 
chinery and  apparatus  used  in  a  mine  has  been  arranged  in 
an  immense  museum — some  in  the  form  of  models,  and  others 
of  their  full  size.  Great  mechanical  skill  has  been  displayed 
in  the  preparation  of  this  machinery;  whether  in  the  shape 
of  models  or  of  full  size,  the  working  is  perfect,  and  a  student 
can  easily  understand  from  them  the  labor  of  the  miner,  and 
its  result. 

Underneath  the  immense  building  there  is  a  reproduction 
of  one  of  the  mines  at  Perm,  one  of  the  cities  of  the  Oural 
mountains.  The  utmost  care  has  been  taken  to  make  the 
reproduction  perfect.  You  visit  the  place  exactly  as  you 
would  visit  a  real  mine,  and  you  are  shown  through  it  by  the 
light  of  torches.  You  have  the  same  temperature  that  you 
would  have  in  the  mine  of  which  this  is  a  copy,  and  the  same 
kind  of  atmosphere. 

The  character  of  the  earth,  the  changes  of  color,  the  suc- 
cession of  layers  of  earth,  rock,  and  ore,  the  machinery,  the 
tools  of  the  workmen,  all  lead  a  visitor  to  suppose  he  is  really 
in  a  mine,  and  that  the  actual  work  has  only  been  suspended  a 
few  hours  while  the  laborers  have  been  allowed  a  half  holiday. 

The  great  mining  centers  of  Russia  are  in  the  Oural  and 
Altai  mountains,  especially  the  former.  The  wealth  of  the 
Ourals  in  minerals  was  almost  unknown  until  the  time  of 
Peter  the  Great,  when  he  sent  some  engineers  to  make  an 
examination.  Previous  to  that  time  some  gold  had  been 
found,  and  brought  to  Moscow;  and  it  was  known  that  the 
former  rulers  of  the  kingdom  of  Kazan  derived  much  of  their 
wealth  from  the  gold  mines. 

But  hardly  anything  was  known  of  the  other  mineral  riches 
of  the  mountain  range.  It  did  not  take  a  long  time  for 
sharp-eyed  engineers  to  discover  the  existence  of  iron  and 
copper,  and  further  research  showed  that  they  were  to  be 
found  in  large  quantities.  As  soon  as  the  facts  were  known, 
the  government  determined  to  work  the  mines  on  its  own 
responsibility,  until  their  riches  could  be  demonstrated,  and 


148  THE   FIRST   MINERAL   EXPLORATION. 

private  parties  induced  to  operate  on  their  own  account  and 
risk. 

The  first  mineral  exploration  of  this  region  was  made  by 
Nikite  Demidoff,  in  1701  or  1702.  Peter  the  Great  sent  him 
there  from  Tula,  a  place  which  has  since  become  of  considera- 
ble importance  as  a  manufacturing  center.  He  had  a  very 
clear  head  for  his  business,  and  went  at  it  in  earnest,  and  tho 
result  is  seen  to-day  in  the  immense  prosperity  of  the  mines. 
As  a  reward  for  his  industry,  the  emperor  gave  him  a  grant  of 
territory  amounting  to  nearly  five  thousand  square  miles,  with 
whatever  mineral  or  other  wealth  might  be  found  there. 

This  princely  estate  has  remained  ever  since  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  Demidoff  family,  and  has  made  it  the  richest  family 
of  all  Russia,  with  the  exception  of  the  Romanoffs  (the  Impe- 
rial House).  It  has  been  admirably  controlled,  and  the  owners 
have  spared  no  pains  or  expense  to  secure  the  most  intelligent 
direction  and  management.  They  have  conducted  everything 
on  a  liberal  scale;  the  towns  and  villages  which  they  have 
built  up  are  among  the  prettiest,  neatest,  and  most  comfortable 
in  all  Russia. 

In  this  last  particular  they  are  worthy  of  imitation  every- 
where, and  many  great  establishments  in  Europe  and  America 
would  be,  to-day,  more  prosperous  if  they  followed  the  example 
of  the  Demidoffs.  There  are  some  prominent  instances  of 
manufacturing  or  mining  prosperity  growing  in  part  from  an 
attention  to  the  wants  of  the  workman,  the  education  of  his 
children,  and  a  general  regard  for  his  welfare.  The  most 
notable  one  now  occurring  to  me  is  that  of  the  Fairbanks 
Scale  Works  in  Vermont,  whose  products  have  obtained  a 
world-wide  fame.  They  have  built  up  upon  what  was  the  wil- 
derness, a  prosperous  town,  with  schools,  libraries,  lecture  and 
reading  rooms,  and  they  have  given  inducements  for  their 
workmen  to  be  industrious  and  economical,  and  become  house- 
owners  in  their  own  right.  The  Fairbanks  Brothers  never 
heard,  perhaps,  of  the  Demidoffs,  but  they  have  followed  almost 
the  same  course,  and  with  the  same  result. 

Every  year  the  Demidoffs  select  several  of  the  brightest 


THE   CASTLE   OF   THE   DEMIDOFFS.  149 

youths  in  each  village,  and  send  them  to  the  mining  schools 
of  St.  Petersburg,  and  also  to  France,  England,  and  other 
countries.  These  spend  several  years  away  from  the  Ourals, 
and  when  they  return  they  bring  a  stock  of  very  valuable 
knowledge  which  is  of  great  practical  use. 

In  my  journey  through  Russia,  I  visited  the  mining  regions 
of  the  Oural,  and  also  of  the  Altai  Mountains,  and  was  greatly 
interested  in  what  I  saw. 

The  castle  of  the  Demidoffs,  as  it  is  called,  stands  on  the 
bank  of  a  small  river  in  the  Ourals,  at  the  town  of  Neviansk. 
Fart  of  it  was  built  by  the  elder  Demidoff;  it  has  since  been 
enlarged,  so  that  it  is  now  a  goodly  sized  palace.  In  it  is  a 
large  saloon  with  fresco  paintings  by  an  Italian  artist  who 
was  specially  engaged  for  the  work,  and  it  has  several  rooms 
which  would  make  large  halls  anywhere  else.  The  furniture1 
was  made  expressly  for  the  house,  and  is  renewed  from  time 
to  time,  whenever  it  becomes  antiquated  or  faded.  Several 
rooms  are  kept  for  the  use  of  travelers,  and  everything,  includ- 
ing the  table,  is  furnished  free  of  charge. 

You  may  arrive  there  at  any  hour  of  the  day  or  night,  and 
find  a  warm  welcome,  and  a  room  ready  for  you.  You  are  fed 
with  a  most  liberal  hand,  and  may  have  the  best  wines  known 
to  the  European  market — champagne,  port,  sherry,  anything 
and  everything  you  choose.  Stay  as  long  as  you  please,  go 
where  you  wish  to,  and  you  have  no  bill  to  pay.  Let  us  hope 
for  a  speedy  adoption  of  this  Demidoff  custom  everywhere, 
with  the  assurance  that  it  will  be  highly  popular  with  the 
majority  of  visitors,  and  tend  to  a  large  increase  in  their 
number. 

The  principal  mining  town  of  the  Demidoffs  is  on  the  river 
Tagil,  and  is  known  as  Nijne  Tagilsk.  It  has  a  population 
of  about  twenty-five  thousand,  and  contains  many  fine  build- 
ings, including  churches,  hospitals  for  the  workmen,  schools, 
academies,  dwellings  for  the  directors  and  sub-directors,  and 
an  immense  pile  in  which  are  the  offices  of  the  administration. 

The  smelting  furnaces,  forges,  rolling  mills,  machine  shops, 
and  the  like,  are  on  an  enormous  scale,  and  are  surpassed  by 


150  THE   METALS  FOUND. 

very  few  establishments  anywhere  in  the  world.  Much  of  the 
machinery  is  made  on  the  spot,  and  the  facilities  are  such  as 
to  astonish  any  visitor,  even  when  ho  knows  beforehand  that 
he  will  see  something  colossal. 

All  the  smelting  is  done  with  charcoal,  and  consequently  the 
charcoal  burners  are  an  important  element  of  the  population. 
The  forests  of  the  estate  cover  many  hundreds  of  square  miles, 
and  are  managed  with  great  care.  Not  a  tree  is  cut  without 
the  order  of  an  officer,  and  the  work  is  so  arranged  that  the 
young  trees  are  protected  until  they  are  of  suitable  size.  When 
a  piece  of  ground  has  been  cleared,  it  is  replanted,  and  in 
eighty  years  it  can  be  cleared  again. 

The  iron  ore  is  about  a  mile  from  the  town,  and  near  the 
top  of  a  hill,  so  that  it  can  be  rolled  directly  into  the  works 
with  very  little  labor.  It  is  of  tho  kind  known  as  magnetic 
ore,  and  the  supply  is  simply  inexhaustible.  It  is  worked  in 
an  open  quarry,  no  tunneling  or  shafting  being  needed,  and 
as  the  vein  is  four  hundred  feet  wide,  eighty  feet  thick,  and  a 
mile  or  more  in  length,  there  is  no  danger  that  the  supply  will 
be  exhausted  for  some  thousands  of  years.  And  if  it  should 
be,  there  are  other  and  larger  deposits  not  far  away. 

Copper  is  also  found  in  this  vicinity,  and  not  more  than  two 
miles  from  the  iron  mine.  It  was  first  discovered  about  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century,  and  has  since  been  worked 
to  great  advantage. 

The  most  remarkable  product  of  copper  is  the  substance 
known  as  malachite.  It  is  found  in  various  parts  of  the  world 
wherever  there  are  mines  of  copper,  but  nowhere  else  in  such 
quantities  as  in  the  Oural  mountains.  Malachite  is  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  an  oxide  of  copper.  The  chemists  know 
exactly  how  it  is  formed,  but  they  cannot  make  it  any  more 
than  they  can  make  tho  diamond,  though  they  understand 
perfectly  well  the  composition  of  that  highly-prized  stone. 
Certain  salts  in  the  earth  mingle  with  the  copper  ore  and  the 
water  that  finds  its  way  through  the  earth,  and  these  ingre- 
dients, soaking  slowly  downward  into  crevices  and  hollows  in 
the  rock,  form  the  substance  of  which  the  Russians  make  so 
much  use. 


HOW   MALACHITE   WAS   FOUND.  151 

In  1885  the  largest  mass  of  malachite  ever  known  was 
found  on  the  Demidoff  estate.  The  miners,  who  were  work- 
ing a  vein  of  copper,  found  some  shreds  or  strips  of  copper 
extending  downward,  and  the  superintendent  of  the  mine 
ordered  them  to  follow  these  shreds,  in  hopes  of  striking 
another  vein.  The  work  was  pushed  forward,  or  rather  down- 
ward, and  the  stray  threads  of  ore  were  traced  in  all  their 
windings.  Two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  below  the  mine,  the 
shreds  disappeared,  and  the  superintendent  was  about  to  give 
up  the  enterprise  in  disgust  and  despair,  when  the  men  sud- 
denly came  upon  a  huge  mass  of  malachite.  It  was  broken 
up  and  taken  to  the  surface,  and  the  aggregate  weight  of  the 
mass  was  estimated  at  seventy  tons !  It  was  this  lot  that  sup- 
plied the  most  of  the  malachite  in  the  Church  of  St.  Isaac, 
and  from  it,  also,  was  made  the  enormous  vase  which  the 
Emperor  of  Russia  sent  to  His  Holiness  the  Pope. 

We  use  malachite  for  jewelry, and  think  it  very  good;  those 
of  us  who  have  been  in  St.  Petersburg  will  recall  the  Church 
of  St.  Isaac,  where  there  are  whole  columns  apparently  of 
solid  malachite.  I  say  apparently,  for  those  columns  are  of 
granite,  with  a  malachite  veneering  an  inch  or  two  in  thick- 
ness, for  the  reason  that  the  material  does  not  come  in  suffi- 
ciently solid  shape  to  be  used  for  making  columns.  It  is  a 
good  deal  honey-combed,  and  there  are  numerous  vacant  places 
in  a  large  block  of  it.  There  was  a  block  of  malachite  in  the 
Paris  Exposition  which  measured  something  like  seven  feet  in 
length  by  four  in  width,  and  there  was  a  nicely-polished  spot 
on  one  side,  a  couple  of  feet  in  length,  and  a  foot  and  a  half 
in  width.  This  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  largest  solid  blocks 
of  the  material  in  Russia,  and  it  was  regarded  as  a  great  curi- 
osity by  many  thousands  of  visitors.  At  the  Philadelphia 
Exhibition  in  1876,  there  was  much  interest  manifested  in  the 
Russian  department,  in  consequence  of  the  fine  display  of  this 
article.  There  was  a  fireplace  whose  mantel  and  side-pieces 
were  solid  slabs  of  malachite.  Then  there  were  two  or  three 
large  vases  and  other  ornamental  pieces,  all  of  the  same  mate- 
rial ;  and  very  rich  they  were.  People  were  never  weary  of 
gazing  upon  these  things  and  commenting  on  their  beauty. 
9 


152  RUSSIAN   SHEET-IRON. 

There  are  several  other  mining  estates  besides  this  in  the 
Oural  mountains,  and  some  of  them  are  nearly  as  extensive. 
There  the  government  has  establishments  of  its  own,  where  it 
makes  its  machinery  for  ships  of  war  and  other  purposes,  and 
manufactures  cannon  and  cannon  shot,  and  many  other  things 
which  are  constructed  of  iron  or  steel.  One  of  the  private 
works  which  I  visited  was  that  of  Issetskoi,  where  they  make 
iron  of  peculiar  toughness  and  polish.  Nearly  all  the  "  Russia 
sheet-iron"  which  is  so  popular  in  America,  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  stove  pipes  and  parlor  stoves,  comes  from  this  estab- 
lishment. It  is  capable  of  being  rolled  to  the  thinness  of 
letter-paper,  and  will  stand  a  vast  amount  of  bending  before 
it  breaks. 

At  one  of  the  mining  and  manufacturing  works  in  this 
region,  there  is  an  establishment  for  the  production  of  cutlery, 
and  a  vast  amount  is  annually  turned  out.  Its  sword-blades, 
knives,  and  other  things  are  of  great  fineness,  but  generally 
they  are  not  as  nicely  finished  as  the  products  of  Birmingham 
and  Sheffield.  About  1848,  a  process  of  making  Damascus 
steel  was  invented  by  General  Anossoff,  who  was  then  in 
charge  of  the  works,  and  since  then,  blades  that  could  be  bent 
double,  without  danger  of  breaking,  have  been  turned  out  in 
great  numbers.  Some  of  these  have  found  their  way  abroad, 
but  the  government  does  not  facilitate  their  sale  outside  the 
country. 

In  the  Oural  mountains,  on  the  great  road  from  Russia  to 
Siberia,  is  the  town  or  city  of  Ekaterinenberg,  which  was 
founded  by  the  Empress  Catherine  II,  the  imperial  lady  who 
became  famous,  among  other  things,  for  her  peculiar  and 
rather  summary  ways  of  making  love.  Catherine  was  stately 
and  not  ill-looking;  the  town  which  perpetuates  her  name, 
perpetuates  also  her  characteristics.  I  drove  into  it  one 
Christmas  morning,  after  a  long  ride  over  the  dreary  steppes 
of  Siberia,  and  as  I  first  looked  upon  its  broad  streets  and  the 
lake  around  which  its  principal  edifices  are  built,  I  thought  I 
had  not  seen  anything  lovelier  in  the  line  of  Russian  towns. 

It  has  a  population  exceeding  twenty  thousand.     Five-sixths 


EKATERINENBEBG.  153 

of  the  inhabitants  are  connected  in  some  way  with  the  min- 
ing interests  of  the  surrounding  region,  and  possibly  the  occu- 
pations of  the  remaining  sixth  are  not  far  removed  from  them. 
All  the  copper  money  circulated  in  Russia  is  coined  here,  and 
the  place  does  a  large  business  in  lapidary  work.  Amethysts, 
beryls,  rubies,  emeralds,  and  other  gems  are  cut  here,  and  so 
extensive  is  the  business  that  the  servants  at  the  hotels,  and 
itinerant  merchants  on  the  street  pester  you  to  purchase  these 
stones,  and  dozens  of  others.  Seals  in  countless  variety  can 
be  had  here,  and  wonderfully  cheap  when  compared  with  the 
prices  of  the  same  articles  in  Moscow  or  St.  Petersburg.  The 
government  has  here  a  large  lapidary  establishment,  and 
all  its  products  go,  or  are  supposed  to  go,  to  the  Imperial 
palace  at  St.  Petersburg.  From  this  place  come  the  great 
majority  of  the  semi-precious  stones  which  are  given  away  by 
the  emperor.  And  hereby  hangs  a  tale. 

During  the  reign  of  the  Emperor  Nicholas,  some  children 
who  were  playing  in  the  dry  bed  of  a  brook  several  miles  from 
Ekaterinenberg,  found  some  curious  stones  which  they  carried 
home.  These  lay  around  the  cottage  for  some  time,  and  were 
not  thought  to  be  of  any  value,  but  one  day  an  officer  happened 
to  see  them  and  recognized  their  character.  They  were  sent 
to  the  government  establishment,  and  there  disappeared. 

They  were  emerald  crystals  of  unusually  fine  character,  and 
by  law  and  custom  were  the  property  of  the  emperor.  Instead 
of  going  to  St.  Petersburg,  they  were  sent  to  Germany,  and 
sold,  and  in  course  of  time  were  bought  by  one  of  the  princes 
of  the  reigning  family,  as  a  present  for  his  wife. 

Some  years  later,  she  was  at  St.  Petersburg,  on  some  grand 
occasion,  and  wore  these  emeralds.  The  empress  admired 
them,  and  asked  where  they  came  from. 

"  They  are  from  Siberia,"  was  the  reply. 

The  empress  was  astonished,  and  communicated  the  fact  to 
the  emperor. 

There  was  a  great  row  at  once.  An  officer  was  sent  to 
Ekaterinenberg  to  search  the  house  of  the  director,  and  all 
other  persons  connected  with  the  imperial  factory.  He  found 


154  GOLD  MINING   IN  RUSSIA. 

several  stones  of  great  value  in  the  house  of  the  director,  and 
as  the  latter  could  not  explain,  he  was  arrested  and  sent  to 
prison,  where  he  died  a  few  years  later.  Many  people  believed, 
and  still  believe,  that  he  was  innocent,  and  that  the  theft  was 
committed  at  St.  Petersburg,  by  some  member  of  the  imperial 
family. 

Strange  to  say,  very  few  emeralds  have  ever  been  discovered 
in  that  region,  and  none  since  that  time  of  equal  value  with 
those  that  had  such  a  curious  history. 

The  principal  gold  mining  of  Russia  is  carried  on  in  the 
Asiatic  portion  of  the  empire.  Some  deposits  have  been  found 
of  enormous  richness,  and  many  fortunes  have  been  made  by 
mining  for  this  precious  ore.  Formerly,  the  business  was 
entirely  in  the  hands  of  the  government,  bnt  in  the  last  twenty 
years  it  has  been  given  up  to  private  enterprise,  the  govern- 
ment exacting  a  tax  of  fifteen  per  cent,  on  all  gold  taken  out. 
In  some  districts  the  government  continues  to  manage  the 
business,  but  it  only  does  this  where  it  cannot  let  it  out  to 
advantage. 

The  processes  employed  are  various.  In  some  of  the  mines 
the  earth  is  washed  by  means  of  machinery,  much  like  that 
used  in  California,  but  with  a  greater  expenditure  of  labor  in 
proportion  to  the  amount  handled.  In  the  valleys  of  the 
streams  which  flow  into  the  Yenesei  and  other  rivers,  there 
are  many  mining  establishments ;  there  are  others  near  Lake 
Baikal,  and  others  again  on  some  of  the  rivers  flowing  into 
the  Amoor. 

The  government  mines  are  worked  by  convicts,  who  receive 
no  pay.  Only  their  board,  clothes,  and  lodging  are  supplied 
to  them,  and  these  are  not  always  of  the  best  quality.  The 
private  miners  employ  their  workmen  in  the  villages  and 
towns;  they  begin  operations  as  early  as  possible  in  the 
spring,  and  close  in  the  latter  part  of  September.  To  obtain 
.•a  concession  for  working  a  mine,  the  applicant  must  either  be 
:a  hereditary  nobleman,  or  a  merchant  of  the  second  guild  or 
class.  He  obtains  a  concession  five  miles  long,  and  about  six 
hundred  feet  wide,  on  the  borders  of  and  including  a  stream, 
BO  as  to  give  him  as  much  water  privilege  as  possible. 


HOW  THE  MINING  IS  DONE.  155 

When  a  claimant  has  an  allotment,  he  must  work  it  at  least 
one  year  out  of  every  three,  under  pain  of  forfeiture,  and  there 
are  other  requirements  with  which  he  must  comply. 

There  is  generally  a  heavy  outlay  for  buildings  and  machinery 
before  the  mining  begins.  To  get  at  the  pay-dirt,  as  it  is 
called  in  California,  the  surface  earth  must  be  stripped  off, 
and  sometimes  this  stripping  is  twenty  or  thirty  feet  deep. 
Holes  or  shafts  are  sunk  to  ascertain  the  depth  of  the  strip- 
ping and  pay-earth,  and  from  the  amount  of  gold  in  the  latter 
it  is  very  easy  to  form  an  estimate  of  the  probabilities  of  profit. 

Some  of  the  concerns  employ  two  or  three  thousand  work- 
men, and  half  as  many  horses.  The  cost  of  horses  is  the 
heaviest  item  of  expense,  as  the  loss  is  very  great,  and  to  this 
must  be  added  the  cost  of  keeping  the  animals.  It  often 
happens  that  the  hay,  provisions,  and  everything  else  must  be 
carried  two  or  three  hundred  miles,  and  consequently  the  cap- 
italist who  goes  into  the  mining  business  in  Siberia,  must  have 
a  long  and  deep  and  well-filled  purse  to  start  with. 

In  these  mining  establishments,  the  work  is  very  severe. 
The  bell  is  rung  at  half  past  two  in  the  morning,  and  a  man 
must  be  at  his  post  by  three.  He  gets  half  an  hour  each  for 
breakfast  and  tea,  and  an  hour  for  dinner;  he  works  until 
nine  o'clock  at  night,  and  takes  his  supper  when  he  gets 
through.  If  he  is  in  debt  to  his  employer,  and  the  latter 
generally  manages  to  have  him  so,  he  works  every  day — Sun- 
days, Saints'  days,  and  all — through  the  season. 

The  task  set  is  for  five  men  and  two  horses  to  break  up  and 
cart  away  two  cubic  fathoms  of  earth  per  day,  and  they  may 
quit  work  whenever  they  have  done  it.  Or  they  may  work 
"  extra,"  and  get  pretty  high  wages  for  it,  and  altogether  a 
man  can  earn  not  far  from  thirty  dollars  a  month  by  making 
long  and  late  hours. 

It  is  absolutely  necessary,  for  the  interest  of  the  employer, 
that  he  should  give  his  men  good  and  abundant  food,  provide 
them  with  comfortable  lodgings,  and  have  a  hospital  for  those 
who  become  ill.  Sometimes  two  or  more  establishments  unite 
to  hire  a  surgeon,  and  in  this  case  he  makes  a  daily  round  to 


156        HOW  THE  MINERS  ABE  PROVIDED  FOR. 

see  if  any  one  needs  his  services.  The  proprietors  also  main- 
tain stores  where  they  supply  their  workmen,  and  it  is  not  con- 
sidered respectable  to  charge  any  profit  on  the  goods  beyond 
enough  to  pay  the  cost  of  transportation  and  handling. 

The  workmen  are  a  thriftless  lot,  generally,  and  rarely  save 
anything.  When  their  season  is  over,  they  proceed  to  the 
large  towns,  and  there  waste  their  substance  in  riotous  living. 
The  spring  comes  and  finds  them  without  a  copeck,  and  pos- 
sibly in  debt,  from  which  their  only  exit  is  by  hiring  out  to  a 
gold  miner,  and  getting  the  advance  of  a  month's  pay  which 
custom  has  established. 


XL 

A   DAY    IN    POMPEII. 

A  VISIT  TO  POMPEII.  —  NEAPOLITAN  HACKMEN.  —  AN  INTERESTING  ADVEN- 
TURE. —  HOW  TO  AVOID  A  QUARREL.  —  BEGGARS.  —  BEGGARY  AS  A  FINE 
ART.  —  A  PICTURESQUE  SCENE.  —  MAKING  MACARONI.  —  TRICKS  OP  ATX 
OLD  ROOSTER. — POMPEII.  —  ITS  HISTORY.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  THE  BURIED 
CITY.  —  A  SCENE  IN  THE  STREETS.  —  AN  ANCIENT  BAKERY.  —  HOW  THF 
MILLS  WERE  TURNED.  —  INVESTIGATING  AN  OVEN.  —  A  WONDERFUL  DIS- 
COVERY. —  PRESENT  CONDITION  OF  THE  HOUSES.  —  ADVERTISING  IN  OLD 
TIMES.  —  POMPEIIAN  PERSONALS.  —  A  PICTURE  OF  THE  DESTRUCTION.  — 
OBSCENE  OBJECTS  IN  THE  CITY. 

ON  a  pleasant  spring  morning  several  years  ago,  I  started 
from  Naples  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  ruins  of  Pompeii.  Our  party 
consisted  of  four  persons  ;  and  our  first  work  was  to  engage 
a  carriage,  as  we  thought  the  carriage  road  would  be  prefer- 
able to  the  railway.  Engaging  a  carriage  in  Naples  is  a 
tax  upon  the  patience  equal  to  some  of  the  trials  which  were 
visited  upon  Job.  I  am  not  quite  certain  that  Job  would 
have  remained  patient  after  a  contest  with  Neapolitan  hack' 
men.  Boils  would  be  nothing  compared  to  it. 

One  of  the  school-books  that  I  studied  in  my  younger  days 
made  the  assertion,  "  A  horse  is  a  noble  animal."  I  do  not 
question  the  nobility  of  the  horse,  and  his  possession  of  blue 
blood ;  but  of  one  thing  I  am  certain,  and  that  is,  a  great 
majority  of  those  who  associate  with  him  are  the  reverse  of 
noble.  Hackmen,  all  the  world  over,  are  proverbial  for  dis- 
honesty. Horse-jockeys  are  never  mentioned  as  types  of 
human  perfection ;  and  the  history  of  the  race-track  is  the 
history  of  a  great  deal  of  fraud.  If  the  horse  is  a  noble  beast, 
it  must  be  that  his  nobility  and  excellence  of  character 
develop  the  opposite  qualities  among  his  human  intimates. 

Hackmen  are  bad  enough  everywhere ;  but  I  think  the  per- 


158  A   PICTURESQUE   HACKMAN. 

fection  of  badness  is  to  be  found  among  the  hackmen  of 
Naples.  They  will  lie  with  the  most  unblushing  impudence  ; 
and  if  they  receive  any  future  punishment  for  telling  untruths, 
their  roasting  will  be  perpetual.  The  day  before  our  journey 
to  Pompeii,  we  had  chartered  a  carriage  to  take  us  to  the 
Sibyl's  Cave,  and  the  other  curiosities  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Pozzuoli.  We  made  a  positive  bargain  with  the  driver,  includ- 
ing the  amount  which  he  was  to  receive  as  drink  money.  I 
believe  we  were  to  pay  twenty  francs  for  the  carriage,  and 
two  francs  for  drink  money.  When  we  returned  and  were 
settling  the  bill,  he  swore  by  all  the  saints  in  the  calendar,  — 
and  he  named  every  one  of  them,  —  that  we  agreed  to  pay  thirty 
francs  for  the  carriage,  and  ten  francs  for  drink  money.  He 
took  his  hat  from  his  head  in  his  rage,  and  threw  it  upon  the 
ground,  pulled  his  hair,  and  made  things  in  general  very 
unpleasant.  He  called  several  unwashed  Neapolitans  to  wit- 
ness that  no  carriage  was  ever  hired  at  a  lower  rate  than  the 
one  which  he  insisted  was  our  contract  price. 

We  found  that  we  could  not  reason  with  him  ;  and  so  we  light- 
ed our  cigars,  and  waited  for  his  paroxysm  of  rage  to  come  to  an 
end.  We  finally  compromised  the  matter  by  paying  twenty- 
five  francs  for  the  whole  business ;  that  is,  we  compromised 
by  handing  him  the  money,  and  walking  away.  He  followed 
us  two  or  three  blocks;  in  fact,  he  stuck  to  us  until  we 
entered  our  hotel,  and  there  we  lost  sight  of  him. 

The  hackman  who  was  to  take  us  to  the  buried  city  might 
have  been  useful,  but  certainly  he  was  not  ornamental.  He 
was  covered  with  dust,  so  that  he  resembled  a  walking  ash-heap; 
and  as  for  washing,  I  do  not  think  he  had  ever  experienced 
its  terrors.  Judging  by  the  odor  which  arose  from  his  skin, 
he  had  been  put  through  some  embalming  process,  in  which 
garlic  was  the  preservative  substance.  He  resembled  a 
sponge  which  has  been  dipped  in  garlic  water,  and  kept  with- 
out squeezing.  His  clothing  was  of  all  sizes  except  his  own. 
His  trousers  were  made  for  a  man  twice  as  large  as  he ;  and 
his  coat  for  one  of  about  half  his  dimensions.  His  face  was 
as  prepossessing  as  a  basket  of  old  bottles ;  and  as  for  his  man- 
ners, he  did  not  appear  to  have  any  to  boast  of. 


PERTINACIOUS  BEGGARS. 


I  spoke  to  him  in  French,  which  he  pretended  to  under- 
stand, but  could  not  comprehend.  He  answered  in  a  mingled 
patois  of  French  and  Italian,  in  which  there  was  no  French 
to  speak  of,  and  very  little  Italian.  I  forget  the  exact  sum 
we  agreed  to  pay,  but  think  it  was  altogether  about  twenty- 
five  francs. 

I  may  as  well  explain  here,  that  on  our  way  back  we 
invented  a  new  plan  for  paying  him,  and  at  the  same  time 
avoiding  trouble.  "When  we  neared  the  hotel  on  our  return, 
I  counted  out  the  money  in  francs  and  half  francs,  and  threw 
in  a  few  copper  coins  by  way  of  adding  to  the  confusion. 
With  the  proper  amount  in  my  hand,  I  stepped  from  the  car- 
riage, and  waited  until  my  three  companions  were  a  dozen 
yards  away ;  then  I  dropped  the  money  into  the  hands  of  the 
driver,  and  started  at  a  rapid  walk  to  overtake  my  friends. 
Before  he  had  finished  counting  the  money  we  were  inside 
of  the  hotel.  As  we  walked  up  stairs,  I  heard  a  volley  of 
Neapolitan  and  French  oaths  following  us  into  the  building, 
and  rolling  through  the  hall  like  a  small  cloud  of  smoke. 

We  started  from  Naples  in  the  direction  of  Vesuvius,  pass- 
ing through  several  villages  on  our  road  to  Pompeii.  The 
road  was  excellent,  being  paved  or  macadamized  the  entire 
distance,  and  ornamented  with  houses  and  beggars  in  about 
equal  proportions. 

The  beggars  deserve  great  credit  for  the  study  they  have 
devoted  to  the  perfection  of  their  art.  Sores  are  cultivated  as 
a  handsome  man  would  cultivate  his  mustache ;  and  as  for  a 
withered  leg,  it  is  worth  a  fortune  to  its  possessor.  Every 
time  our  carriage  halted,  the  beggars  surrounded  it,  as  flies 
in  July  surround  a  lump  of  sugar,  and  pretty  nearly  for  the 
same  reason,  as  they  wanted  something  on  which  to  exist. 
They  accosted  us  in  two  or  three  languages,  Italian  of  course 
predominating.  We  told  them,  in  French,  in  English,  and  in 
German,  to  go  away,  and  that  we  would  give  them  nothing ; 
but  they  stuck  to  us  with  the  most  unruffled  pertinacity. 
They  had  heard  all  that  before,  and  knew  that  if  they  were 
adhesive,  they  had  a  good  prospect  of  extracting  something. 
I  tried  a  new  plan  on  them,  and  found  that  it  worked  well. 


1GO  BEGGING   AS   A   SCIENCE.  *f 

Assuming  an  air  of  great  indignation,  and  with  as  much 
severity  in  my  face  as  I  could  command,  I  addressed  them 
very  loudly,  with  my  hands  extended,  in  Russian  and  Chinese. 
Those  languages  were  new  to  them,  and  fearing  that  it  waa 
some  horrid  imprecation,  several  of  them  dropped  away.  I 
afterwards  found  the  plan  quite  successful,  not  only  with 
Italian  beggars,  but  with  beggars  of  every  nation.  Tell  them 
in  any  language  to  which  they  are  accustomed,  that  you  will 
give  them  nothing,  and,  if  you  are  so  minded,  consign  them 
to  the  infernal  regions,  and  they  do  not  mind  it ;  but  if  you 
assume  a  priestly  attitude,  and  utter  something  very  solemnly 
in  a  language  they  do  not  understand,  you  have  a  fair  pros- 
pect of  getting  rid  of  them. 

At  one  place,  on  the  road  to  Pompeii,  there  is  a  small  hill. 
From  the  foot  to  the  summit  the  distance  is  not  more  than 
one  to  two  hundred  feet;  but  the  slope  is  so  steep,  that  horses, 
in  ascending  it,  do  not  travel  faster  than  a  walk.  At  the  foot 
of  this  hill,  four  beggars  —  middle-aged  women  —  were 
located ;  and  they  evidently  had  purchased  a  monopoly,  or 
possibly  a  grant  from  government  for  the  possession  of  the 
spot.  In  front  of  a  small  wine  shop  they  had  erected  a 
pavilion,  and  each  of  them  had  a  comfortable  chair.  They 
watched  the  place,  and  attended  closely  to  business  during 
the  entire  day.  When  they  saw  a  carriage  approaching,  they 
left  their  chairs,  and  proceeded  to  the  road,  adhering  closely 
to  the  vehicle  until  it  reached  the  top  of  the  hill.  They  begged 
persistently  until  they  received  what  they  demanded,  or  the 
top  of  the  hill  was  reached.  Then  they  returned  leisurely  to 
their  chairs,  and  waited  for  the  next  customer. 

If  there  was  but  a  single  carriage  at  a  time,  all  of  them 
worked  it.  If  there  were  two  carriages,  the  beggars  divided 
into  couples ;  and  if  by  any  chance  there  were  four  carriages 
together,  the  professionals  scattered,  and  each  of  them  took  a 
vehicle.  I  drove  out  on  this  road  several  times,  and  always 
found  it  begged  by  the  same  persons.  I  proposed  one  day  to 
my  friends  to  engage  five  carriages,  and  drive  them  out  there 
together.  I  thought  that  we  might  kill  the  beggars  by  caus- 


MAKING   MACARONI.  161 

ing  them  to  die  of  grief  and  rage  at  seeing  a  carriage  pass 
without  being  able  to  annoy  its  occupants. 

Another  object  of  interest  along  the  road,  and  closely  asso- 
ciated with  the  beggars,  is  the  manufacture  of  macaroni.  I 
did  not  enter  the  houses  to  see  how  the  stuff  was  made ;  but 
I  saw  great  quantities  of  it  drying  on  frames  in  front  of  the 
places  of  its  manufacture.  One  of  my  companions,  who  had 
witnessed  the  process,  said  they  made  macaroni  by  putting 
some  dough  around  a  long  hole,  and  letting  it  dry. 

He  said  the  holes  did  not  cost  anything,  and  the  dough  was 
not  expensive.  "  And  that  is  the  reason,'7  said  he,  "  why  the 
confounded  stuff  is  so  cheap." 

I  was  rather  fond  of  macaroni  as  an  article  of  diet ;  and 
my  friend  advised  me,  if  I  wished  to  continue  so,  to  remain  in 
blissful  ignorance  of  the  manner  of  its  preparation,  and  not 
to  ask  any  questions. 

I  took  his  advice,  and  to  this  day  do  not  know  much  about 
the  process. 

One  thing  in  connection  with  macaroni,  which  amused  me 
much,  was  the  dexterity  of  the  chickens  in  eating  it. 

A  string  of  macaroni  in  its  soft  state,  four  or  five  feet  long, 
is  hung  across  a  horizontal  bar  in  such  a  way  that  the  ends 
are  a  foot  or  so  from  the  ground.  The  frames  look  like 
candle-moulds,  with  freshly  moulded  candles  hanging  from 
them.  The  macaroni,  as  it  hangs,  is  pretty  thick,  there  being 
just  space  enough  between  the  sticks  to  allow  them  to  dry. 
When  the  stuff  is  soft,  chickens  can  easily  eat  it.  As  it  hangs 
from  the  frames,  these  birds  would  get  beneath  them,  and 
bite  off  the  ends  of  the  perpendicular  sticks. 

The  young  chickens  were  rather  awkward ;  but  the  old 
hens  and  roosters  were  very  successful.  I  watched  one 
venerable  old  cock  under  a  frame,  and  studied  his  perform- 
ance. He  elevated  his  head  as  if  he  were  peering  through  a 
gun  barrel  up  to  the  sky.  He  took  careful  aim,  and  then 
jumped  upwards,  with  his  mouth  open.  The  soft  macaroni 
went  down  his  throat  a  couple  of  inches  or  so,  as  a  sausage 
might  go  down  the  throat  of  a  terrier ;  and  at  the  exact 


162  ,         DESTRUCTION   OF  POMPEII. 

instant  when  his  head  was  highest,  he  closed  his  bill,  and 
nipped  off  the  morsel.  I  saw  him  take  half  a  dozen  bites 
in  that  way,  and  he  did  not  miss  his  mark  a  single  time  in  the 
whole  performance. 

We  had  pleasant  glimpses  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  though  not 
as  many  as  we  could  have  wished  on  account  of  the  height 
of  the  fences.  After  a  drive  of  something  more  than  an  hour, 
we  reached  the  gate  of  Pompeii.  Dismounting  from  our  car- 
riage, and  paying  two  francs  to  the  custodian,  we  entered  the 
ancient  city. 

Pompeii  was  violently  shaken  by  an  earthquake  in  the  year 
63.  Several  temples  tumbled  down  along  with  the  colonnade 
of  the  Forum.  The  theatres  and  many  tombs  and  houses 
were  also  overthrown.  Nearly  every  family  went  from  the 
place  ;  and  it  was  some  time  before  they  returned.  The 
senate  hesitated  for  some  time  whether  to  rebuild  the  city  or 
not,  and  finally  decided  to  do  so.  The  work  of  rebuilding  was 
going  on  quite  vigorously,  when  all  at  once  came  the  terrible 
eruption  of  79.  It  buried  Pompeii  under  a  deluge  of  stones 
and  ashes,  and  buried  Herculaneum  under  lava  and  liquid 
mud. 

These  cities  and  many  villages  were  wiped  out  in  a  single 
day,  and  a  large  region  of  country  was  depopulated.  After 
the  catastrophe,  some  of  the  inhabitants  returned,  and  made 
excavations  for  recovering  their  valuables.  Some  robbers 
also  crept  into  the  city.  The  Emperor  Titus  entertained  the 
idea  of  cleaning  and  restoring  the  city,  and  sent  two  senators 
to  examine  the  ground;  but  the  magnitude  of  the  work 
frightened  the  government,  and  the  restoration  was  never 
undertaken.  In  time  Pompeii  became  almost  forgotten,  and 
its  site  was  lost.  For  more  than  a  dozen  centuries  the  locality 
where  Pompeii  had  stood  was  unknown. 

In  1748,  under  the  reign  of  Charles  III.,  when  the  discovery 
of  Herculaneum  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world  to 
that  locality,  some  vine-dressers  struck  upon  some  old  walls, 
and  unearthed  a  few  statues.  The  king  ordered  some  exca- 
vations to  be  made  in  the  vicinity ;  but  it  was  not  until  eight 


DODGING   A   REGULATION.  1G3 

years  later  that  any  one  supposed  that  they  were  exhuming 
Pompeii.  Since  that  time  the  work  of  excavation  has  gone 
on  with  a  great  many  intervals  of  inactivity.  Whenever  the 
government  makes  an  appropriation,  or  some  crowned  head 
»or  other  wealthy  personage  makes  an  addition  to  the  Porn- 
peian  fund,  the  work  is  prosecuted;  but  as  soon  as  the  money 
is  expended  the  work  stops. 

It  is  now  more  than  a  hundred  years  since  the  excavation 
began,  and  the  third  part  of  the  city  is  not  yet  uncovered. 

Since  1860,  the  whole  system  of  work  and  management  has 
been  reformed,  and  moralized,  as  it  were.  All  the  guides  and 
door-keepers  are  under  the  control  of  the  government. 

The  visitor  pays  two  francs  at  the  gate,  and  is  guided  about 
the  city  by  a  man  clad  in  uniform.  Notices  are  posted  in  all 
the  modern  languages,  telling  visitors  not  to  give  money  to 
the  guides  under  any  pretence  whatever,  and  forbidding  the 
guides  to  receive  the  money.  This  is  all  very  well  as  far  as 
it  goes ;  but  human  ingenuity  is  able  to  get  around  the  rule. 

We  had  a  guide  who  spoke  French  fluently,  and  was  a  very 
polite  and  agreeable  fellow.  He  took  pains  to  call  our  atten- 
tion to  one  of  the  signs,  and  assured  us  that  he  could  not 
receive  a  penny  under  any  circumstances.  But  at .  almost 
every  step  he  had  photographs  to  sell.  Whenever  we  found 
anything  particularly  interesting,  out  from  his  pocket  came  a 
package  of  photographs,  and  of  course  we  purchased.  By 
the  time  we  had  finished  our  journey,  we  had  bought  photo- 
graphs enough  to  stock  a  small  store ;  and  the  profit  on  the 
transaction  was  probably  six  times  as  much  as  the  guide 
would  have  wrung  from  us  had  the  old  system  been  in  vogue. 
It  is  very  evident  that  the  government  winks  at  this  transac- 
tion ;  otherwise  the  guides  would  not  be  allowed  to  sell  pho- 
tographs or  anything  else. 

We  walked  through  streets  silent  and  deserted,  except  by 
groups  of  visitors  like  ourselves,  and  the  occasional  patrolmen 
or  guides.  We  "walked  on  the  pavement  where,  two  thousand 
years  ago,  chariots  rolled  along,  and  we  saw  on  those  pave- 
ments the  marks  of  the  chariot  wheels  as  plainly  as  if  they 


164  SCENES  IN  THE  STREET. 

had  been  worn  during  the  past  month.  At  the  drinking  foun- 
tains on  the  street  corners,  we  could  see  where  the  Pompeian 
stopped  when  he  was  thirsty.  The  stone  at  the  orifice,  whence 
the  water  poured  out,  was  worn  away  by  the  many  applica- 
tions of  Pompeian  lips. 

We  looked  into  the  ovens  as  they  were  on  the  day  of  the 
eruption.  The  bakers  were  preparing  their  store  of  bread, 
and  we  were  shown  the  loaves  which  had  been  drawn  from 
those  ovens  after  resting  there  eighteen  hundred  years.  We 
saw  the  shops  of  the  wine  merchants,  the  butchers,  the  bakers, 
and  the  men  of  other  occupations. 

We  saw  the  names  that  had  been  painted  on  the  door-posts, 
a  little  faded  and  dull,  yet  still  legible.  We  sat  down  on 
benches  which  were  unoccupied  for  seventeen  hundred  years  ; 
and  we  entered  the  dwelling-houses  where,  two  thousand 
years  ago,  the  members  of  the  family  passed  their  daily  life. 
It  was  a  picture  of  the  past,  and  not  of  the  present. 

Pompeii  was  preserved,  and  not  destroyed.  To  its  inhabit* 
ant,  on  the  day  of  the  eruption  it  was  destroyed  ;  but  for  us 
who  now  look  upon  it,  and  study  its  history,  it  has  been  pre* 
served. 

The  most  complete  bakery  in  Pompeii  was  in  Herculaneum 
Street,  and  occupied  an  entire  house. 

The  inner  court-yard  of  the  house  contains  four  mills  of 
curious  construction.  At  a  little  distance  they  resemble 
hour-glasses.  Imagine  two  large  blocks' of  stone  in  the  shape 
of  cones,  the  upper  one  overset  upon  the  lower,  and  you  have 
their  construction. 

The  lower  one  remained  motionless,  and  the  other  was 
turned  either  by  a  man  or  a  donkey.  The  grain  was  crushed 
between  the  two  stones.  Sometimes  the  servants  of  the 
establishment  turned  the  mill.  At  other  times  slaves,  for 
some  misdemeanor,  had  their  eyes  put  out,  and  then  they 
were  sent  to  work  at  grinding. 

The  story  goes  that,  sometimes,  when  the  millers  were 
short  of  hands,  they  established  bathing-houses  around  their 
mills,  and  the  passers  by  who  were  caught  in  the  trap  had  to 


STALE  BREAD.  167 

work  the  mill.  In  the  establishment  now  referred  to,  the  ma« 
chinery  was  turned,  not  by  men,  but  by  a  mule,  whose  bones 
were  found  lying  near.  In  the  stable  of  the  mule  the  racks 
and  troughs  were  standing.  Near  the  bake-ovens  were  the 
troughs  where  the  dough  was  kneaded. 

There  was  one  oven  which  remained  uninjured.  It  had 
two  openings  ;  the  loaves  went  into  one  of  these,  in  the  shape 
of  dough,  and  were  taken  out  at  the  other  opening  baked. 
Everything  seemed  to  be  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation,  and 
the  oven  could  be  made  use  of  again  for  a  repetition  of  its 
work  of  eighteen  centuries  ago. 

The  oven  when  found  was  full  of  bread.  Some  of  the 
loaves  were  stamped  to  indicate  that  they  were  of  wheat 
flour,  and  others  to  indicate  that  they  were  of  bran  flour. 
The  oven  had  been  carefully  sealed,  and  there  were  no  ashes 
in  it.  Eighty-one  loaves  were  found  in  it,  a  little  stale,  to  be 
sure,  and  very  hard  and  black,  but  lying  in  the  same  order 
in  which  they  were  placed  on  the  23d  of  November  in  the 
year  79.  The  loaves  weighed  about  a  pound  each.  They 
are  round,  depressed  in  the  centre,  raised  on  the  edges,  and 
divided  into  eight  lobes.  Imagine  an  American  pie  which 
has  been  marked  with  the  knife  as  if  for  cutting  before  it  is 
placed  in  the  oven,  and  you  have  an  almost  exact  picture  of 
a  Pompeian  loaf  of  bread.  I  did  not  try  to  eat  it,  partly  be- 
cause I  prefer  my  bread  fresh,  and  partly  because  the  loaves 
are  considered  too  precious  to  be  given  or  sold  to  visitors. 

Whoever  goes  to  Pompeii  thinking  to  find  a  perfect  city 
will  be  very  much  disappointed. 

The  ruins  of  Pompeii,  as  the  old  lady  said  about  the  ruins 
of  the  Coliseum,  are  very  much  out  of  repair.  The  walls  of 
the  buildings  are  mostly  standing,  but  the  roofs  and  doors, 
which  were  constructed  of  wood,  are  gone,  having  rotted 
away  in  their  long  exposure  to  the  moisture.  Everything 
whatever,  of  wood,  planks,  or  beams,  was  turned  to  ashes  :  all 
is  uncovered,  and  there  are  no  roofs  to  be  seen. 

Almost  everywhere  you  walk  under  the  open  sky ;  every- 
thing is  open,  and  if  a  shower  were  to  come  on,  you  would 


168  ART  IN   POMPEII. 

hardly  find  shelter.  Imagine  yourself  in  a  city  in  process  of 
building  with  only  the  first  stories  completed,  and  with  no 
floorings  for  the  second. 

Many  of  the  statues  and  works  of  art  have  been  carried  to 
the  Museum  at  Naples,  so  that  in  the  old  city  itself,  there  are, 
comparatively,  few  curiosities  of  a  portable  character.  The 
sky,  the  landscape,  the  sea-shore,  the  walls  and  the  pavements 
are  antique,  and  it  is  only  the  visitors  and  their  guides  that 
are  modern.  The  streets  are  not  repaired,  the  sidewalks  are 
not  changed,  and  we  walk  upon  the  same  stones  that  were  for- 
merly trodden  by  the  feet  of  the  Pompeian  merchant  and  his 
slave. 

As  we  enter  these  narrow  streets  we  can  almost  think  we 
are  quitting  the  century  we  live  in,  and  going  back  to  the 
century  that  witnessed  the  birth  of  Christ. 

When  first  uncovered,  the  paintings  of  the  walls  were  as 
fresh  as  though  they  were  made  but  a  week  ago,  the  ashes 
having  preserved  them  perfectly.  In  a  few  weeks  or  months 
their  coloring  fades,  and  they  become  dingy  and  hardly 
visible. 

The  Pompeians  were  great  lovers  of  art ;  every  wall  is 
frescoed,  and  the  mosaics  on  the  floors  are  an  interesting 
study.  Statues  adorn  the  interior  of  the  dwellings,  and 
abound  in  the  public  places :  even  the  ordinary  utensils  of 
the  kitchen  were  fashioned  in  a  remarkable  manner,  and  far 
more  artistic  than  those  of  the  present  day.  The  most  ordi- 
nary utensils  of  the  household  are  specimens  of  art  that  evoke 
the  admiration  of  every  beholder. 

As  one  walks  through  Pompeii  he  sees  much  to  tell  him 
that  advertising  is  not  altogether  an  invention  of  the  present 
age.  Placards  and  posters  enlivened  the  streets ;  the  walls 
were  covered  with  them  ;  and  in  many  places  there  were 
whitewashed  patches  of  wall,  serving  for  the  announcements 
which  the  writers  wished  to  make  public.  These  panels  were 
dedicated  entirely  to  the  public  business,  and  anybody  had 
the  right  to  paint  upon  them,  in  delicate  and  slender  letters, 
the  advertisements  which  we  now  find  in  the  columns  of  the 
newspapers. 


ADVERTISING  IN  THE   OLDEN  TIME.  169 

Many  of  these  announcements  were  of  a  political  character, 
such  as  proclamations  of  candidates  for  public  office.  Pom- 
peii was  evidently  swallowed  up  just  before  an  election.  In 
reading  the  posters  you  will  find  that  sometimes  it  was  a  no- 
ble, sometimes  a  group  of  citizens,  and  sometimes  a  corpora- 
tion of  tradesmen,  who  recommended  some  one  to  the  office  of 
cedile  or  duumvir.  Thus  Paratus  nominates  Pansa  ;  Philippus 
nominates  Caius  ;  Felix,  and  Yalentinus,  and  his  associates- 
prefer  Sabinus.  Sometimes  the  elector  was  in  a  hurry,  and 
asked  to  have  his  candidate  chosen  quickly.  Sometimes  a 
dozen  guilds,  such  as  the  fruiterers,  the  porters,  the  mule  dri- 
vers, the  salt  makers,  carpenters,  and  others,  united  to  urge 
the  election  of  somebody. 

Rather  curiously,  we  found  on  some  of  these  placards  that 
the  sleepers  declared  their  preference  for  somebody,  and  it 
puzzled  us  to  know  who  were  these  friends  of  sleep.  Per- 
haps they  may  have  been  gentlemen  who  did  not  like  noise, 
or  perhaps  they  were  an  association  of  tumultuous  fellows 
who  thus  disguised  themselves  under  an  ironical  title.  They 
may  have  been  a  type  of  the  class  who  are  described  in  the 
present  slang  of  New  York  as  roosters. 

There  were  advertisements  of  lost  property,  hotels  announ- 
cing rooms  to  let,  stolen  horses,  performances  at  the  theatres, 
and  various  other  things,  such  as  we  see  in  the  advertising 
papers,  and  in  posters  on  the  walls  at  the  present  day. 

There  were  some  of  these  posters  devoted  to  what  we  call 
personals.  Of  course  they  were  obscurely  worded,  so  as  to 
be  understood  only  by  those  for  whom  they  were  intended. 
One  of  my  companions  asserted  that  one  advertisement  read, 
a  Julia,  same  place,  six  P.  M.,  Tuesday  ;  "  and  another  said, 
"  Scipio,  come  back  ;  all  will  be  forgiven  ;  "  and  another  was, 
"  Marcus  has  gone  west,  will  return  next  week." 
•  I  did  not  see  these  advertisements,  and  make  the  statement 
only  on  his  authority.  I  might  have  been  inclined  to  believe 
it  had  he  not  declared,  with  the  most  solemn  visage,  that  he 
read  an  advertisement  thus :  "Secure  me  a  suit  of  rooms  on 
the  Boston  steamer  tomorrow."  This  was  too  much ;  and  I 

told  him  that  business  was  played  out. 
10 


170  PICTURE   OF   THE   DESTRUCTION. 

There  were  inscriptions  in  reference  to  the  cleanliness  of 
the  city ;  and  some  of  them  recalled,  in  terms  too  precise  and 
definite  for  modern  times,  the  announcement  of  the  present 
day,  tl  Commit  no  Nuisance." 

Pompeii  was  not  a  large  city  ;  it  contained  only  about  thirty 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  was  rather  a  suburb  than  a  great  na- 
tional dwelling-place.  The  Rome  of  that  day  was  many  times 
larger ;  and  when  we  are  considering  the  buried  city,  we 
must  remember  that  we  are  considering  a  small  hamlet  rather 
than  a  large  capital. 

A  volume  might  be  filled  with  descriptions  of  Pompeii  and 
its  contents  ;  the  forum,  the  theatres,  the  dwellings,  the  tombs, 
the  baths,  the  shops,  the  stables,  the  gardens,  are  all  interest- 
ing. According  to  the  histories,  it  was  during  a  festival  that 
the  eruption  took  place.  We  may  imagine  the  picture,  that 
while  the  amphitheatre  was  crowded  and  gladiatorial  combats 
were  in  progress,  the  earth  shook,  and  the  sky  was  dark  with 
the  clouds  of  smoke  and  ashes  rising  from  the  great  volcano. 
The  Pompeians  rushed  from  the  amphitheatre,  and  were  over- 
taken by  the  shower  of  stones,  and  the  deluge  of  ashes  falling 
like  a  burning  snow  upon  the  streets  ;  the  dust  fills  the  streets. 
Heaps  of  the  burning  ashes  break  through  the  houses,  crush- 
ing the  tiles  and  burning  the  rafters ;  the  fire  falls  from  story 
to  story,  and  accumulates  like  earth  thrown  in  to  fill  a  trench. 
The  amphitheatre  is  speedily  ingulfed,  and  no  one  remains 
in  it  but  the  dead  gladiators,  and  the  prisoners  enclosed  in 
their  cages,  from  which  there  is  no  escape.  Those  who  have 
sheltered  themselves  under  the  shops,  and  in  the  arcade,  were 
buried  beneath  the  ashes  and  stones. 

Skeletons  are  found  everywhere,  indicating  how  people 
were  overtaken  in  their  flight.  Here  is  a  fallen  woman  grasp- 
ing a  bag  of  jewels  ;  near  by  is  the  skeleton  of  a  man  with  a 
bunch  of  keys  in  one  hand,  and  the  remains  of  a  bag  of  coins 
in  the  other.  A  woman  holding  a  child  in  her  arms  took 
shelter  in  an  oven,  and  was  enclosed  there.  A  soldier,  faith- 
ful to  his  duty,  remains  at  his  post  before  the  gate  of  the  city, 
c  ne  hand  upon  his  mouth,  and  the  other  on  his  spear,  and  in 


OBSCENITY   OF  THE  POMPEIANS.  173 

this  brave  attitude  he  died.  The  family  of  Dioraed  assem- 
bled in  his  cellar,  where  seventeen  victims,  women  and  chil- 
dren, were  buried  alive,  clinging  closely  to  each  other.  The 
last  agony  of  these  poor  wretches  is  terrible  to  imagine. 

A  priest  of  Isis,  enveloped  in  flames,  and  unable  to  escape 
into  the  street,  cut  through  two  walls  with  an  axe,  and  fell  at 
the  foot  of  the  third,  still  clutching  his  weapon.  A  goat  was 
found  crouched  in  an  oven  with  its  bell  still  attached  to  its 
neck.  Prisoners  were  found  with  their  ankles  riveted  to  iron 
bars.  Everywhere  skeletons  have  been  discovered,  and  they 
all  picture  the  anguish  and  terror  the  sufferers  endured  on 
the  day  of  the  eruption. 

Many  moralists,  those  who  consider  that  Sodom  and  Go- 
morrah were  destroyed  as  a  punishment  for  their  crimes,  are 
of  opinion  that  Pompeii  was  also  destroyed  because  of  its 
wickedness.  The  discoveries  in  that  city  are,  many  of  them, 
of  a  character  not  to  be  described  in  public  prints,  especially 
by  the  aid  of  the  engraver's  art,  at  the  present  day.  Some  of 
the  eardrops  worn  by  the  women  were  curious  to  behold. 
Lamps  were  fashioned  in  forms  quite  as  obscene  as  they  are 
fantastic  ;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  chandeliers,  and 
of  many  of  the  utensils  used  in  ordinary  life.  Curiously  en- 
graved seals  are  found  that  would  hardly  be  suitable  to  im- 
press to-day  on  the  back  of  a  letter,  and  there  were  paintings 
on  many  of  the  walls  that  should  be  covered  from  fastidious 
eyes. 

Certain  houses  which  in  American  cities  are  visited  by 
stealth,  and  whose  locality  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  shrouded  in 
obscurity,  were  boldly  designated  by  various  symbols  cut 
upon  the  stones  of  the  sidewalks  and  upon  the  lintels  of  the 
doors.  Many  of  these  objects  have  been  preserved,  and  are 
now  in  the  Museum  at  Naples ;  they  have  been  placed  in 
apartments  by  themselves,  where  any  curious  visitor  may  ex- 
amine them ;  and  those  who  are  curious  in  such  matters  I 
respectfully  refer  to  the  Museum.  The  impressions  on  the 
sidewalks  and  over  the  doors  remain  as  they  were,  and  may 
be  examined  by  any  tourist  who  is  interested  in  their  study. 


174  NEW  EXCAVATIONS. 

In  the  autumn  of  1876,  new  excavations  have  been  com- 
menced in  Pompeii,  and  judge  of  the  astonishment  of  the 
excavators,  when,  while  digging  for  unknown  treasures,  they 
come  to  a  second  city  beneath  the  0116  known  to  the  reader. 
It  has  been  buried  there  perhaps  centuries  before  New  Pompeii 
was  built,  under  lava  and  sulphurous  matter,  and  the  architects, 
probably  not  knowing  of  the  fact,  erected  their  houses  on  top 
of  those  of  their  forefathers.  It  almost  seems  that  Art,  in  the 
first-buried  city,  was  far  more  advanced  than  in  the  latter. 
Marvels  of  art  and  architecture  have  been  found,  and  when  we 
enter  one  of  those  splendid  edifices,  and  admire  its  paintings 
and  statuary,  we  are  struck  with  admiration  for  the  great 
accomplishments  of  men  who  lived  centuries  before  the  birth 
of  Christ. 

Let  us  enter  one  of  these  houses,  and  see  how  they  are  built, 
and  at  the  same  time  admire  the  freschi,  paintings,  and 
statuary  which  adorn  the  graceful  abode  of  the  ancients. 

We  enter  the  house  by  the  vestibulum,  or  hall,  and  come  into 
the  atrium,  a  large  square,  paved  with  marble,  inlaid  with  the 
richest  mosaic  of  various  colors.  A  row  of  pillars,  adorned 
with  the  most  beautiful  freschi,  border  it  on  the  right  and  left, 
and  between  them  doors  may  be  seen,  which  lead  into  bed- 
rooms. The  two  last  rooms  on  the  sides  of  this  open  space 
leave  two  small  recesses,  which  are  furnished  in  the  richest 
manner,  and  probably  served  as  small  reception-rooms.  In 
the  center  of  this  atrium  is  an  impluvium,  or  small  reservoir, 
generally  provided  with  a  fountain.  Over  this  impluvium  the 
roof  is  open,  and  the  sky  may  be  seen.  Going  onward,  right 
opposite  the  entrance,  we  enter  into  the  tallinum,  which  is  not 
provided  with  a  door,  and  allows  a  free  view  over  the  atrium. 
This  room  probably  served  for  a  large  reception-room,  as  the 
most  costly  paintings  /ind  the  richest  furniture  are  found  here. 
On  the  right-hand  side  of  this  room  we  find  the  triclinium,  or 
dining-room,  and  on  the  other  side  a  cabinet  of  curiosities  and 
gems  is  found.  Between  this  last  apartment  and  the  reception- 
room,  a  small  passage  is  seen,  which  probably  served  for  the 
slaves,  as  they  were  not  allowed  to  go  through  the  reception- 


DESCRIPTION   OF  A   HOUSE.  175 

room  of  their  master.  These  rooms  all  open  on  the  peristyle, 
another  oblong  square,  which  has  on  either  side  a  row  of  sleep- 
ing-rooms, which  probably  were  destined  for  the  afternoon  nap 
of  the  old  Romans.  No  beds  are  to  be  seen  in  them,  only 
large,  commodious  lounges. 

At  the  end  of  this  peristyle,  which  also  is  adorned  with 
pillars  and  statuary,  and  we  may  readily  except  flowers  and 
plants  of  the  richest  fragrance,  we  enter  into  a  second  eating- 
room,  for  the  Romans  had  one  dining-hall  for  the  winter, 
and  one  for  the  summer,  or  one  for  ordinary,  and  another  for 
festive  occasions.  A  cabinet,  dignified  with  the  name  of 
library,  is,  in  most  cases,  on  the  right-hand  side  of  this  room, 
and  in  these  apartments  have  been  found  many  rolls  of  papy- 
rus (the  reader  will  remember  that  the  art  of  printing  was  not 
invented  before  the  fifteenth  century  after  Christ),  containing 
manuscripts.  On  the  other  side  was  generally  the  kitchen. 
From  this  last  eating-room  we  enter  into  the  viridarium,  or 
garden.  Modern  imagination  can  scarcely  imagine  the  beauty 
and  luxury  of  this  cool  place  of  resort.  Fountains  of  fragrant 
waters  here  filled  the  air  with  sweet  perfume,  and  we  do  not 
wonder  that  this  place  was  devoted  to  a  rest  after  dinner,  and 
the  abode  of  love.  The  wall,  which  terminates  the  garden  and 
the  house,  is  screened  by  the  most  beautiful  plants,  which  over- 
shadow superb  statuary,  and  we  may  imagine  the  beautiful 
view  which  may  be  had  from  the  atrium,  through  the  different 
rooms  (as  no  doors  interfere)  to  the  green  background,  varie- 
gated by  the  colors  of  flowers  and  the  rich  curtains,  whose 
folds  partly  conceal  the  tablinum  and  the  second  dining-room. 

The  houses  consist  generally  of  one  single  floor,  unless  they 
are  very  large,  and  we  may  easily  see,  from  the  plan  here 
described,  that  there  is  space  enough  for  the  comfort  of  all  the 
inhabitants,  and  the  enjoyment  of  the  numerous  guests. 

If  we  wished  to  give  a  description  of  all  the  treasures  found 
in  those  ancient  abodes,  we  might  fill  volumes,  and  therefore 
we  will  only  mention  some  of  the  most  remarkable  features  of 
the  recent  excavations.  One  picture  has  been  exhumed  at. 
Pompeii,  representing  the  Three  Graces,  which  Raphael,  of 


176  ANCIENT  PAINTINGS. 

course,  could  not  possibly  have  seen,  yet  the  two  compositions, 
although  of  different  dimensions,  are  precisely  the  same — in 
grouping,  in  form,  in  expression,  and  even  in  charm.  Now, 
not  even  a  sketch  of  the  picture  was  known  until  long  after 
the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century,  while  the  actual  picture 
is  a  modern  revelation  altogether.  Another  fact  was  dis- 
covered: Raphael,  copying  a  statue,  applied  the  very  same 
process  to  his  painting  which  had  been  employed  by  his  prede- 
cessors fifteen  centuries  previously.  Within  the  last  few  years, 
forty  figures  have  been  redeemed  from  out  these  artistic  tombs, 
which  were  evidently  details  of  an  immense  composition,  in- 
tended for  the  adornment  of  a  theater  or  banqueting-hall, 
besides  those,  pictures  of  lightly-clad  figures,  floating  through 
the  air,  relieved  against  brown,  black,  and  crimson  skies,  with 
masses  of  carnation-cloud  beneath  their  feet,  and  gems  hang- 
ing, so  to  speak,  around  them,  enveloped  in  robes  of  hyacinth, 
blue,  green,  and  so  on,  the  colors  appearing  to  be  laid  thickly 
on  vitrified  surfaces.  It  is  a  wonder  to  all  artists  how  those 
colors  were  laid  on,  not  only  as  far  as  the  magnificent  coloring 
goes,  but  even  in  what  way  it  was  done.  We  find  painting  in 
relief  on  the  smoothest  surface  of  white  marble ;  statuary  even 
has  been  painted  in  the  most  masterly  way,  and  we  see  auburn 
and  blonde  hair  painted  in  a  way  which  deceives  even  the 
sharpest  observer ;  if  we  did  not  know  better,  we  would  think 
that  the  statue  had  natural  hair, — all  the  gloss  and  the  true 
tinge  glowing  through  it  is  illustrated  to  absolute  perfection. 

The  Neapolitan  chemists,  of  course,  are  very  eager  to 
unravel  this  secret  of  their  forefathers.  Many  a  piece  of 
painting  has  been  analyzed ;  many  a  fragment  of  painted 
beauty  has  been  destroyed  by  acids.  However,  till  now,  they 
did  not  succeed,  and  perhaps  the  art  will  be  for  ever  a  mystery 
to  us. 

Upon  the  whole,  as  this  antique  city  is  thrown  more  and 
more  open  to  modern  light,  it  proves  to  be  the  richest  memo- 
rial extant  of  Grecian  genius,  as  represented  by  an  art  so 
different  from,  and  still  at  the  same  time  so  kindred  to,  sculp- 
ture. In  most  other  classic  centers,  while  the  form  and  the 


AN   ANCIENT   WINE-SHOP.  1.7 

purity  have  survived,  the  color  and  the  splendor  have  faded ; 
but  here,  as  chamber  after  chamber,  gallery  after  gallery  is 
opened,  a  new  beauty  of  the  past  appears,  freshly  vivified  by 
the  long-excluded  light,  and,  as  we  are  assured,  labyrinths  of 
interest  remain  yet  to  be  explored. 

A  wine-shop  was  lately  found  at  Pompeii,  roughly  orna- 
mented with  imitations  of  marbles  in  fresco.  Over  the  podium 
of  the  front  room  runs  a  band  of  stucco,  with  four  groups  or 
scenes  painted  on  a  white  ground.  The  first,  on  the  left,  rep- 
resents a  young  man  kissing  a  woman  dressed  in  yellow  gar- 
ments, with  black  shoes.  She  says,  "Nolo,  cym  myrta"  *  * 
"I  don't  want  to  be  kissed;  go  to  your  Myrtalis."  The 
second  scene  represents,  very  likely,  the  same  woman  talking 
to  Myrtalis,  who  says,  "Non  mia,  est."  They  both  point  their 
fingers  at  a  third  female,  bringing  in  a  great  wine-jar  and  a 
glass.  She  says,  "  Qui  vol.  symat  oceane,  veni.  bibe,"  an  invi- 
tation to  partake  of  the  drink.  The  third  scene  represents 
two  gamblers  seated,  having  the  chess-board  on  their  knees, 
on  which  several  latrunculi  are  seen  disposed  in  rows  of  differ- 
ent colors,  yellow,  black,  white.  The  one  on  the  left  is  just 
throwing  the  dice,  and  says,  "Exsi,"  "I  won."  The  other 
answers,  pointing  to  the  dice,  "Non  tria,  duas  est,"  "You 
have  got  two,  not  three."  Both  fight  in  the  fourth  scene. 
One  says,  "Non  it  a  me,  tria,  ego,  fvi,"  "I  did  not  throw  two, 
but  three.  I  have  won."  The  other  answers,  "  Orte  fellator 

ego  fvi,"  "You !  I  have  the  game."     At  this  moment 

the  shop-keeper  comes  in,  and  pushing  them  outside,  says, 
"  Itis,  foras,  riksatis,"  "  Go  out  to  quarrel." 


XII. 

VESUVIUS  AND  ITS  ERUPTIONS. 

Y15E  GREAT  ERUPTION  OP  VESUVIUS.  —  WHAT  IT  DID.  —  THREE  CITIES  WIPED 
OUT.  —  LAVA  AND  ITS  CHARACTER.  —  GOING  TO  THE  MOUNTAIN.  —  SKIRMISH- 
ING WITH  GUIDES  AND  BEGGARS.  — ARCHITECTURAL  STEEDS.  — A  HORSE  WITH 
A  HAND  RAIL  AROUND  HIM.  — COAT-HOOKS  TO  LET.  —A  MOTLEY  CROWD.  — 
HOW  AN  AMERICAN  WAS  MOUNTED.  —  A  NEW  MODE  OF  SPURRING.  —  THE 
ROAD  FROM  RESINA.  —  BURNING  LAVA.  —  CROSSING  THE  LAVA  BEDS.  — 
CLIMBING  ON  FOOT.  — HAPS  AND  MISHAPS.  —  AN  ENGLISHMAN'S  ACCIDENT.  — 
LIGHTING  A  CIGAR  AT  THE  CRATER.  —  SUFFOCATED  BY  SULPHUR  FUMES.  — 
DOWN  AMONG  THE  ASHES.  —  A  LONG  FALL  AND  SLIDE.  —  IN  HERCULANEUM. 
—  UNDERGROUND  BENEATH  THE  CITY.  —  "LOOK  HERE."  —  HOW  THE  CITY 
WAS  DISCOVERED.  —  THE  ERUPTION  OF  1872.  —  HORRIBLE  SCENES.  —  EXTENT 
OF  THE  DESTRUCTION. 

THE  eruption  of  Vesuvius  that  buried  Pompeii  destroyed 
Herculaneum  at  the  same  time.  Some  historians  contend 
that  the  occurrences  were  not  identical  in  point  of  time ;  but, 
after  all,  it  makes  little  difference  to  us  whether  the  two  cities 
were  simultaneously  destroyed  or  not.  The  probability  is, 
and  it  is  pretty  well  settled,  that  while  the  ashes  and  stones 
from  the  crater  of  Vesuvius  were  blown  upon  Pompeii,  the 
lava  and  mud  flowed  in  the  direction  of  Herculaneum,  and 
covered  it.  A  third  city,  Stabiaa,  was  destroyed  at  the  same 
time  —  a  fact  which  is  not  generally  known.  Castellainare,  a 
well-known  summer  resort  near  Naples,  stands  on  the  site  of 
Stabias,  whose  excavations,  not  having  promised  very  well, 
were  filled  up  soon  after  they  were  begun. 

The  lava  which  flows  from  a  volcano  during  violent  erup- 
tions is  a  composition  of  melted  stone  and  oxide  of  iron.  The 
stone  is  mainly  feldspar  and  hornblende.  There  is  a  good 
deal  of  sulphur  also  in  the  lava  when  it  rises  in  the  volcano, 
but  the  most  of  it  is  thrown  out  in  the  form  of  sulphurous 
fumes.  The  lava  very  much  resembles  the  slag  or  scoria} 


STARTING  FOR  VESUVIUS.  179 

flowing  from  an  iron  foundery,  and,  when  suddenly  cooled,  it 
assumes  a  glassy  character.  When  it  consolidates  or  cools,  it 
forms  what  are  known  as  volcanic  rocks.  If  the  streams  of 
lava  are  cooled  under  no  other  pressure  than  that  of  the  at- 
mosphere, they  assume  a  porous  appearance.  Lava,  cooled 
under  the  surface  of  the  water  is  much  more  compact,  and 
where  it  is  cooled  under  heavy  masses  of  earth  and  rock,  it 
becomes  quite  solid. 

Our  party  visited  Herculaneum  after  making  a  journey  to 
Vesuvius.  We  wished  to  see  the  volcano  first,  and  afterwards 
to  explore  the  city  which  it  had  destroyed.  We  rode  out  of 
Naples,  after  our  usual  struggle  with  the  hackman,  and  at 
Resina  left  our  carriage  to  proceed  on  horseback.  About 
half  the  population  gathered  to  see  us  off.  A  staff,  or  heavy 
stick,  is  considered  indispensable,  and  each  of  us  purchased 
one  from  the  crowd  of  boys  and  men,  whose  wooden  material 
was  sufficient  for  starting  a  small  forest.  I  think  our  selection 
was  made  from  about  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  sticks, 
which  they  simultaneously  presented  in  our  faces,  and  with 
the  demands  of  the  venders  and  the  piteous  appeals  of  forty 
or  fifty  beggars,  we  had,  for  a  few  minutes,  a  concord  of  sweet 
Italian  sounds. 

As  soon  as  we  had  bought  the  sticks  we  used  them  to  clear 
away  the  crowd,  and  as  we  were  all  young,  reasonably  power- 
ful, and  as  indignant  as  we  were  powerful,  we  made  a  clear 
circle  around  us  in  a  very  short  time.  Then  we  bargained 
for  animals  on  which  to  ride.  I  obtained  a  horse,  something 
like  those  with  which  the  famous  Mackerel  Brigade  was 
equipped. 

My  horse  had  no  hand  rail  along  his  deck,  by  which  to  cling 
on,  though  his  back-bone  had  a  close  resemblance  to  a  rail  with 
a  great  many  knots  on  it.  He  had  an  elegant  selection  of 
knobs  sticking  out  all  over  him,  on  which  to  hang  superfluous 
coats  and  other  garments.  One  of  my  companions  offered  to 
charter  two  of  the  knobs  as  coat-hooks,  but  immediately  with- 
drew his  offer  when  the  horse  which  he  was  to  ride  was 
brought  out.  Mine  looked  like  a  frame  with  a  skin  drawn 


180  REMARKABLE  STEEDS. 

over  it,  but  bis  resembled  a  frame  without  any  skin.  I  sug- 
gested that,  when  he  got  through  the  journey,  he  might  sell 
out  his  horse  to  be  used  as  a  lantern  for  a  light-house,  and  that 
the  ribs  would  give  a  peculiar  effect  to  the  rays  of  light. 

The  third  man  of  the  party  obtained  a  mule  that  had  lost 
one  ear,  and  had  his  tail  eaten  off  by  the  rats.  The  beast  had 
a  habit  of  going  backward  faster  than  forward,  and  before  we 
had  gone  a  mile  we  asked  the  guide  to  shift  the  saddle  so  that 
our  friend's  face  could  be  turned  towards  the  stern  of  his 
craft ;  but  the  guide  insisted  that  such  a  thing  had  never  been 
done,  and  that  the  mule  would  be  all  right  if  the  man  behind 
him  would  give  an  occasional  prod  with  his  stick.  The  fourth 
man  was  mounted  on  a  donkey,  or  mule,  or  horse  ;  I  cannot 
say  exactly  what  the  animal  was,  but  he  seemed  to  be  a 
mixture  of  the  three,  with  a  small  infusion  of  bull-dog  and 
rhinoceros. 

He  had  a  hide  that  would  turn  a  six-pound  shot,  and  as  for 
cudgelling,  he  rather  enjoyed  it  than  otherwise.  His  rider 
had  brought  along  a  pair  of  spurs,  which  he  picked  up  a  day 
or  so  before  in  Naples.  He  proposed  to  show  us  his  skill  in 
mulemanship,  but  the  mule  was  so  small,  and  his  rider's  legs 
were  so  long,  that  the  latter  could  not  reach  the  beast  with 
his  heels.  I  suggested  a  dodge  which  I  had  seen  in  practice 
before.  With  the  spurs  on  his  heels  my  friend  found  his 
feet  too  far  aft,  when  he  raised  them,  to  do  any  good ;  I  ac- 
cordingly suggested  that,  if  he  buckled  the  spurs  on  just  below 
the  knees,  he  would  find  them  to  be  of  more  advantage.  He 
tried  it  with  one  spur,  which  had  a  perceptible  effect  on  the 
activity  of  the  animal ;  but,  unfortunately,  the  activity  was 
sidewise,  or  backwards,  or  in  circles,  and  not  straight  ahead. 
The  beast  either  sidled  along  the  track,  or  else  went  in  quick 
plunges,  in  a  way  that  was  very  uncomfortable.  Our  whole 
cavalcade,  considered  as  an  average,  did  not  get  along  very 
fast,  and  every  fifteen  minutes  we  had  a  grand  kicking  plunge 
all  round;  but  we  were  all  sufficiently  accustomed  to  the 
saddle  to  save  ourselves  from  being  thrown.  We  made  about 
three  miles  an  hour  each  along  the  route,  or  fifteen  miles  an 


A  SAFE   HORSE.  181 

hour  for  the  five  of  us,  which,  on  the  whole,  was  not  to  be 
considered  bad. 

The  road  from  Resina  winds  along  sometimes  over  the  lava 
beds,  and  sometimes  on  a  carriage-way,  constructed  at  great 
expense,  but  now  almost  entirely  useless.  In  some  places  the 
lava,  though  it  had  been  lying  there  several  years,  was  quite 
warm,  and  there  were  cracks,  from  which  the  heat  steadily 
issued.  Lava  requires  a  long  time  for  cooling,  and  sometimes, 
where  it  is  of  great  depth,  it  will  not  cool  enough  for  one  to 
walk  upon  it  within  two  years  after  it  has  flowed  from  the 
mountain.  We  got  along  very  well,  assisted  as  we  were  by 
the  native  loafers,  who  followed  us,  and  occasionally  took  a 
turn  at,  or,  rather,  with,  our  animals7  tails.  With  the  mild 
beasts  they  got  along  very  well,  and  I  think  the  animals  would 
have  had  their  tails  twisted  off  before  breaking  into  a  run ; 
but  the  vicious  beasts  did  not  like  the  arrangement,  and 
they  either  quickened  their  pace,  or  let  fly  their  heels  at  the 
twisters. 

My  horse  had  been  warranted  to  me  as  a  safe  beast,  and 
after  we  had  fairly  started,  I  found  that  he  was  pretty  nearly 
as  safe  as  a  dead  horse.  When  he  began  to  climb  the  moun- 
tain, he  really  seemed  to  be  more  dead  than  alive,  and  no  per- 
suasion, whether  with  my  stick  or  heels,  could  induce  him  to 
break  into  a  run.  When  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  cone, 
half  a  dozen  boys  offered  to  hold  him ;  but  I  concluded  he  had 
better  hold  the  boys  —  one  was  quite  sufficient  to  keep  him 
quiet  while  we  made  the  upward  journey. 

The  real  work  of  climbing  Vesuvius  began  at  the  foot  of 
the  cone.  The  beasts  that  had  brought  us  would  not  go  be- 
yond this  point,  and  so  we  dismounted.  After  refreshing 
ourselves  with  a  bottle  of  villanous  wine,  that  tasted  of  sul- 
phur, sewer-water,  and  other  delightful  things,  we  removed  our 
coats  and  started  upward.  There  was  a  fresh  lot  of  loafers, 
who  wanted  to  assist  us.  They  had  chairs  strung  upon  two 
poles,  by  which  four  men  could  carry  a  person  to  the  summit. 
The  chairs  were  very  good  things  in  their  way,  but  I  preferred 
to  walk,  and  so  did  my  companions.  The  path  sloped  at  an 


182  SEDAN  CHAIRS. 

angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  and  was  made  up  of  ashes  and 
stones.  The  natives  had  arranged  the  stones  in  such  a  way, 
that  a  person  could  step  from  one  to  another  without  great 
difficulty,  only  that  it  happened  that  the  stones  were  so  far 
apart  that  they  occasionally  needed  a  pretty  wide  step. 

Finding  I  would  not  be  carried  in  a  chair,  the  loafers  im- 
portuned me  to  be  dragged  up  with  a  strap  or  rope.  A  stout 
fellow  went  in  front  of  me,  and  continually  pressed  me  to 
seize  a  strap  which  he  invitingly  pushed  before  my  nose.  I 
repeatedly  told  him  that  I  did  not  want  it ;  but  he  stuck  to  me 
half  way  up,  and  then  concluded  I  was  a  bad  bargain.  As  I 
would  not  accept  his  offer  of  assistance,  he  proposed  that  I 
should  give  him  half  a  franc  to  leave  me.  This  I  refused  to 
do,  and  told  him  he  might  go  to  the  summit  if  he  liked,  and 
enjoy  the  scenery;  but  he  wanted  no  summit,  unless  he 
could  earn  something.  He  started  back  down  the  mountain, 
and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  him  miss  his  footing,  and  roll 
to  the  bottom.  I  learned  afterwards  that,  most  unfortunately, 
he  did  not  break  his  neck,  and  was  not  seriously  injured. 

I  have  had  a  good  deal  of  climbing  in  my  life,  but  that  was 
the  worst  thirteen  hundred  feet  I  ever  made  at  one  time  and 
in  one  piece.  I  had  to  stop  several  times  on  the  way  up,  in 
order  to  take  breath,  and  something  with  it  to  make  the  breath 
go  down.  One  of  my  friends  suggested  giving  it  up  when 
near  the  summit ;  he  said  there  had  been  a  great  mistake  in 
the  statements  of  the  guides  and  guide-books.  I  asked  him 
how  it  was,  and  he  said,  "  We  were  informed  that  donkeys  go 
only  to  the  foot  of  the  cone,  and  not  to  the  top ;  but  it  is  my 
impression  that  there  are  now  four  of  the  greatest  donkeys  in 
the  known  world  trying  to  reach  the  summit."  We  forgave 
him  for  his  joke,  and,  after  a  mouthful  of  bad  wine,  he  felt 
better,  and  proceeded. 

For  a  good  deal  of  the  distance  where  we  climbed  it  seemed 
as  if  we  slipped  back  one  step  for  every  two  or  three  that  we 
took  forward,  and  in  some  places  we  slipped  back  two  steps 
where  we  went  forward  one.  An  exhausted  Englishman 
was  just  ahead  of  us,  and  his  misery  gave  us  great  comfort. 


183 

One  of  the  Italians  had  a  leather  strap  fastened  about  his  own 
neck,  and  persuaded  the  Englishman  to  take  hold  of  it. 
Another  Italian  went  before  the  first,  and  held  on  to  a  strap 
around  the  first  man's  waist.  Another  Italian  went  behind 
the  Englishman,  and  pushed  him  ahead,  so  that  he  managed 
to  get  along  very  fairly. 

At  a  critical  moment  the  rear  Italian  slipped ;  the  English- 
man slipped  next,  and  pulled  down  the  two  fellows  in  front. 
The  result  was,  that  the  whole  four  were  doubled  up  in  a 
heap,  rolled  over  in  the  ashes,  and  lost  about  fifty  feet  of  dis- 
tance before  they  could  recover  themselves.  For  about  a 
minute  there  was  a  confused  mass  of  legs,  arms,  and  curses, 
some  Italian  and  some  English,  which  drew  forth  shouts  of 
laughter  from  the  spectators.  The  enraged  Britisher  did  not 
like  the  journey,  and  gave  up  the  attempt  as  a.  bad  job.  We 
were  sorry  for  this,  as  we  expected  him  to  be  suffocated  in 
the  sulphur  fumes  at  the  top,  and  afford  us  an  opportunity  to 
observe  his  agony. 

When  we  reached  the  summit  we  sat  down  to  rest,  and  take 
a  little  wine.  Then  the  guide  led  us  around  to  the  crater, 
where  the  fumes  of  sulphur  and  clouds  of  steam  were  rising 
out  of  the  volcano,  and  around  a  great,  yawning  gulf,  that  was 
a  complete  mass  of  fire.  We  had  to  hold  our  kerchiefs  over 
our  noses  to  save  us  from  suffocation,  and  even  with  this  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  breathe.  The  crater,  at  that  time, 
was  comparatively  small,  —  at  least,  so  they  told  me,  —  but  it 
seemed  to  me  a  very  fair  crater  for  all  practical  purposes. 
The  flames  filled  it  from  side  to  side.  Their  colors  were 
white,  purple,  yellow,  and  crimson,  and  they  threw  up  clouds 
of  smoke  and  steam.  It  seemed  as  if  the  summit  of  the  moun- 
tain was  hollow,  and  might  easily  be  broken  in.  If  a  man 
should  fall  into  the  crater,  his  chance  of  escape  would  be  as 
good  as  if  he  was  dropped  into  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic 
Ocean,  with  a  twenty  ton  anchor  fastened  to  his  neck. 

It  seemed  to  me  as  if  there  might  be  an  eruption  at  any 
moment,  and  I  wanted  to  get  away  from  the  place ;  but  the 
guide  said  there  was  no  danger,  that  the  crater  always  filled 


184  LOOKING  INTO  THE  CRATER. 

up  before  an  explosion,  and  that  they  knew  days  and  weeks 
beforehand  when  it  would  occur.  To  convince  me  that  there 
was  no  danger,  he  said  that  he  had  a  family  to  support,  and 
wanted  to  live,  though  I  could  see  no  reason  why,  and  he  had 
no  hesitation  in  going  close  up  to  the  edge.  Although  I  had 
no  family  to  support,  I  knew  a  man  who  had  one.  I  therefore 
concluded  to  do  as  he  did,  and  so  crept  up  and  looked  over, 
holding  the  kerchief  all  the  while  to  my  face. 

A  very  brief  gaze  was  sufficient  for  me,  not  because  the 
sight  was  less  grand  than  I  had  expected,  but  because  the 
fumes  of  sulphur  were  so  strong  that  I  feared  I  might  faint, 
and  in  falling,  drop  into  that  confounded  hole.  There  are 
various  modes  of  death  which  I  should  consider  disreputable, 
and  .dropping  into  a  volcano  is  one  of  them. 

We  went  so  near  to  the  fire  that  I  lighted  my  cigar  at  the 
flames  of  Vesuvius,  and  as  I  was  quite  weary  I  enjoyed  the 
cigar  with  a  great  deal  of  relish.  We  cooked  some  eggs 
which  we  purchased  of  an  Italian  speculator.  He  had 
brought  them  up  at  a  venture,  and  provided  himself  with 
salt  and  bread,  and  a  few  bottles  of  wine,  so  that  we  were 
able  to  make  a  comfortable  meal.  Our  appetites  had  been 
sharpened  by  the  labor  of  climbing,  and  we  made  a  hearty 
repast,  the  more  so  as  a  view  was  displayed  before  us  which  I 
will  not  easily  forget.  Gold  and  blue,  that  brilliant  gold  of 
the  sun,  a  whole  world  of  cheerful  beams,  and  a  splendid  azure- 
blue  is  lying  upon  the  sea  under  us.  That  is  a  sky  so  magnifi- 
cent, so  many-colored,  as  no  other  country  has  ever  seen. 
Yonder  lies  Capri,  there  Procida,  and  at  a  little  distance  Ischia, 
all  floating  upon  the  water,  like  so  many  boats,  adorned  with 
many-colored  flags,  all  splendor,  all  charm.  This  wreath  of 
villages  and  cities,  washed  by  the  bay  of  Naples,  glistens  like 
marble,  and  yonder,  where  the  sea  pierces  so  deep  in  the  land, 
is  Naples.  That  charming  city  is  surrounded  by  landscapes  of 
the  brightest  hues,  blue,  green,  life  and  joy!  The  Neapolitans, 
proud  of  this  gem,  call  her  "  a  piece  of  paradise  lost  upon  the 
earth."  A  view  of  the  bay  of  Naples  from  the  top  of  Vesu- 
vius is  probably  the  most  charming  one  upon  earth.  The 


THE  PROJECTED  BAILKOAD.  187 

great  difficulty  of  the  ascension,  and  the  still  greater  annoy- 
ance of  the  beggars;  and  the  enormous  number  of  curious 
visitors,  has  led  a  company  to  project  a  railroad,  which  does 
away  with  all  such  troubles.  The  distance  from  the  suburbs 
of  Naples  to  the  top  of  Vesuvius  is  twenty-six  miles,  twenty- 
three  of  which  are  to  be  laid  with  ordinary  railroad  tracks, 
and  the  distance  from  Atrio  del  Cavallo  to  the  top,  which  is 
the  steepest  stretch,  being  three  miles,  is  a  wire-rope  road, 
which  prevents  the  cars  from  sliding  back  over  the  steep  plane. 
The  plan  is  made  to  have  the  whole  road  covered  with  a 
vaulted  roof  of  lava,  to  a  distance  of  about  one  hundred  feet 
from  the  crater,  which  will  at  the  same  time  divide  the  stream- 
ing lava  into  two  tributaries,  running  on  either  side  of  the 
road,  which  is  built  of  lava  also,  and  is  elevated.  The  model 
of  the  road  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  Rigi.  One  of  the  sta- 
tions of  the  road  is  the  observatory  of  Prof.  Palmieri,  who 
here  feels  the  pulse  of  the  mountain.  He  showed  us,  with  the 
greatest  courtesy,  the  different  scientific  instruments  of  which 
he  makes  use  for  his  investigations.  It  would  take  too  much 
space  to  describe  them  here;  let  it  suffice  to  say  that  they 
enable  the  professor  to  make  his  calculations  to  a  nicety,  and 
that  we  really  may  say  that  he  "  feels  the  pulse"  of  the  moun- 
tain ;  he  not  only  knows  what  is  going  on  at  the  moment  in 
this  great  reservoir  of  lava,  but  he  is  able  to  predict  an  ap- 
proaching eruption. 

Going  down  the  mountain  was  much  easier  than  going  up. 
We  did  not  go  down  at  the  same  place  where  we  made  the 
ascent,  but  went  a  little  to  one  side,  where  we  could  walk 
down  through  the  ashes.  The  first  step  or  so  is  a  little  trying 
to  the  nerves,  but  after  two  or  three  steps  you  acquire  confi- 
dence and  then  let  yourself  out.  All  you  need  to  do  is  to 
stand  erect,  throw  your  head  back,  and  start  off,  putting  one 
foot  before  the  other  in  a  dignified  sort  of  way.  The  ashes 
are  generally  dry  and  dusty,  but  at  the  time  of  my  descent 
they  had  just  been  moistened  by  a  slight  fall  of  rain,  so  that 
no  dust  arose  from  them.  Our  feet  settled  in  the  ashes  up  to 
the  ankles,  and  at  every  step  we  went  forward  six  or  eight 
yards.  It  took  us  an  hour  and  a  quarter  to  climb  the  moun- 
tain, and  we  came  down  in  seven  minutes,  including  a  halt  on 


188  BACING  IN  THE  LAVA   BEDS. 

the  way  to  make  love  to  an  English  girl,  who  had  slipped;  and 
was  unable  to  pick  herself  up.  "We  assisted  her  to  her  feet, 
and  lost  a  minute  or  two  in  our  work  of  gallantry. 

A  countryman  of  ours  who  attempted  to  come  down  just 
behind  us  was  not  quite  as  successful  as  ourselves.  He 
managed  to  pitch  forward  and  turn  a  very  pretty  somersault ; 
but  the  exercise  did  not  improve  his  personal  appearance  or 
his  temper.  When  he  brought  himself  to  rights,  and  reached 
the  place  where  the  horses  were  standing,  he  was  very  much 
dilapidated,  and  as  cross  as  a  bear  with  a  chewed  ear. 

It  is  hard  work  to  ascend  Vesuvius,  but  it  is  jolly  fun  TO 
come  down. 

We  mounted  our  animals  and  came  away.  On  the  steepest 
part  of  the  descending  road,  we  tried  to  get  up  a  race, 
thinking  that  the  laws  of  gravitation  would  help  us.  Part 
of  the  beasts  were  induced  to  run,  but  there  were  two  or 
three  out  of  which  no  speed  could  be  made  faster  than  a 
walk.  Even  a x  descent  as  steep  as  the  roof  of  an  ordinary 
house  had  no  temptations  for  them,  and  I  wanted  to  try  the 
experiment  of  flinging  them  over  a  precipice,  to  see  whether 
they  could  be  started  into  anything  like  a  respectable  pace. 
I  have  my  doubts  about  it ;  and  had  they  been  flung  from  a 
perpendicular  cliff,  I  think  they  would  have  come  down 
through  the  air  as  majestically  and  as  calmly  as  a  parachute 
descends  from  a  balloon. 

When  we  reached  Resina,  we  rode  to  Herculaneum.  The 
modern  discovery  of  this  city  resulted  from  digging  a  well 
in  the  year  1709.  The  site  of  the  city  had  been  lost,  owing 
to  the  great  depth  —  nearly  one  hundred  feet  —  of  the  solid 
material  which  covered  it.  Properly  speaking,  Herculaneum 
was  destroyed  by  liquid  mud,  rather  than  by  burning  lava. 
Since  the  destruction  of  the  city,  there  have  been  six  differ- 
ent overflows  of  lava,  so  that  for  all  practical  purposes  the 
site  is  covered  with  this  solid  material. 

When  the  well  referred  to  was  being  made,  the  workmen 
came  upon  another  well ;  an  ancient  affair,  nearly  eighty  feet 
from  the  surface.  Several  works  of  art  were  brought  to  light, 


— ..r 


DESCENT    OF    VESUVIUS; 


A  YOUNG  MAN  AND  A  YOUNG  LADY.          193 

but  for  some  reason  the  government  of  Naples  prohibited  the 
explorations.  Thirty  years  later,  they  have  been  renewed,  and 
have  since  been  prosecuted  at  different  intervals.  At  the 
present  time  the  excavations  are  continued  with  much  zeal, 
and  startling  discoveries  are  being  made. 

As  was  the  case  with  Pompeii,  so  over  ancient  Herculane- 
um  a  new  city  has  been  built.  Underground  passages  have 
been  explored  like  those  of  a  mine,  without  uncovering  them 
to  the  light  of  day.  One  great  difficulty  of  the  excavations 
exists  in  the  fact  that  whilst  Pompeii,  at  the  time  of  the  great 
eruption,  was  covered  with  ashes,  Herculaneum  was  covered 
with  liquid  lava,  which,  if  not  exposed  to  the  air,  requires 
sometimes  two  or  three  years  to  cool  off,  but  then  it  is  almost 
as  hard  as  flag-stone.  It  is  easily  to  be  seen  that  under  such 
difficulties  the  excavations  but  slowly  progressed ;  the  more  so, 
as  the  digging  has  to  be  done  very  carefully,  so  as  not  to  mar 
the  relics,  for  which  the  excavation  properly  is  done. 

It  is  not  often  that  articles  are  found  at  a  height  above 
four  feet  from  the  floor,  as  their  weight  naturally  carried  them 
downwards  through  the  soft  mass  of  ashes.  The  digging  is 
therefore  rapidly  prosecuted  until  the  uniform  above  level  has 
been  attained.  After  this,  the  workmen  carefully  examine 
every  piece  of  lava  which  they  extract  by  small  portions.  As 
soon  as  the  experienced  eye  of  any  worker  recognizes  the  indi- 
cations of  a  mold  being  formed  in  the  lava,  labor  near  that 
point  is  stopped,  and  tamping  irons  are  cautiously  inserted  to 
make  two  or  three  vents  in  the  cavity.  Then  liquid  plaster  is 
poured  in ;  and  after  being  left  sufficiently  long  to  harden,  the 
lava  is  taken  away,  and  the  cast  is  removed. 

In  this  way  some  curious  facts  have  been  brought  to  light. 
Two  skeletons  were  found  in  close  embrace,  the  teeth  perfect, 
indicating  youth  in  its  prime;  skeletons  of  a  young  man  and 
maid.  They  had  fallen  together  in  their  flight,  and  death  had 
wedded  them.  There  was  a  mother  with  her  three  children, 
hand-in-hand,  who  tried  vainly  to  outrun  death.  Perhaps  the 
mother,  singly,  might  have  done  it,  but  she  could  not  leave 
her  children.  Plenty  of  food  for  sad  thought  is  furnished  in 
11 


194  THE   STREETS   OF   HERCULANEUM. 

remembering  that  at  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  six  hundred 
skeletons  have  already  been  exhumed ! — many  in  such  positions 
and  circumstances  as  to  suggest  very  touching  episodes  accom- 
panying the  final  catastrophe. 

The  skeleton  of  a  dove  was  found  in  a  niche  overlooking  the 
garden  of  a  house.  She  had  kept  to  her  post,  notwithstanding 
the  shower  of  hot,  death-dealing  lava.  She  sat  on  her  nest 
through  all  the  storm,  shielding  the  egg  which  was  taken  from 
beneath  her. 

The  streets  of  Herculaneum  are  all  paved  with  lava,  just  as 
the  streets  of  Naples  are  paved  to-day.  One  street  is  more 
than  thirty  feet  wide,  and  furnished  with  raised  sidewalks. 
The  houses  were  mostly  of  brick,  and  in  general  appearance 
and  structure  like  those  of  Pompeii,  which  we  described 
before.  Magnificent  pieces  of  art  were  taken  out  of  them,  but 
it  is  to  be  deplored  that  the  paintings,  as  a  rule,  fade  as  soon 
as  they  are  exposed  to  the  light  of  day.  Many  statues  and 
busts  and  pieces  of  furniture  claim  our  highest  admiration; 
they  are  admirably  executed,  and  evince  a  highly-cultivated 
taste.  Various  musical  and  surgical  instruments,  and  boxes, 
and  many  utensils  belonging  to  the  kitchen  and  toilet,  call  our 
attention,  especially  those  of  the  kitchen,  the  utensils  being 
very  variegated,  and  mostly  manufactured  of  copper  lined  with 
silver.  Many  imitations  of  precious  stones  have  been  found ; 
they  naturally  excite  the  curiosity  of  the  chemist,  who  is  eager 
to  know  how  the  old  Romans  produced  them.  Most  of  these 
articles  are  now  exhibited  in  the  Museum  of  Naples,  where 
the  paintings  are  kept  under  glass,  which  precaution  prevents 
the  fading  of  the  brilliant  colors  as  much  as  possible. 

Herculaneum  possessed  a  theater,  which  claims  our  greatest 
attention,  as  it  is  the  most  important  building  discovered.  It 
was  able  to  contain  eight  thousand  persons.  Its  walls  are 
highly  decorated,  audits  floors  and  pillars  were  constructed  of 
different  colored  marble. 

Signor  Fiorelli,  the  Italian  engineer  who  supervises  the  ex- 
cavations at  Herculaneum  and  Pompeii,  claims  that  Pompeii 
did  not  contain  more  than  12,000  inhabitants  at  the  time  of 


SIGNOR   FIORELLI.  197 

the  eruption,  although  it  has  generally  been  supposed  that  the 
population  was  from  20,000  to  50,000. 

Eight  gates  have  been  discovered,  and  the  roads  outside  of 
them  are  lined  on  each  side  with  tombs  of  considerable  size 
and  architectural  pretension.  The  street  of  tombs,  before  the 
gate  of  Herculaneum,  was  probably  the  principal  burial  place 
of  the  city;  and  the  sepulchral  monuments  adorning  it,  give 
evidence  of  the  refined  taste  and  great  wealth  of  the  promi- 
nent inhabitants.  The  streets,  which,  for  the  most  part,  run 
in  regular  lines,  are,  with  some  exceptions,  barely  wide  enough 
to  admit  a  single  vehicle.  Five  of  the  main  streets  have  been 
partially  or  wholly  traced,  and  with  these  a  regular  system  of 
minor  streets  appear  to  have  been  connected.  The  thorough- 
fares, with  a  single  exception,  terminate  in  or  traverse  the 
western  quarter  of  the  city,  which  is  the  only  part  yet  com- 
pletely explored. 

The  Italian  government  at  present  liberally  assisting  the 
excavations,  the  space  now  laid  bare  measures  about  670,000 
square  feet,  or  one-third  the  whole  area  occupied  by  the  city. 
Signer  Fiorelli  calculates  that,  making  the  excavations  on  an 
average  twenty-five  feet  deep,  and'  employing  eighty-one  labor- 
ers daily,  the  whole  city  will  be  unearthed  in  1947. 

Our  descent  into  Herculaneum  was  by  a  staircase  opening 
from  a  small  house,  where  we  found  a  number  of  guides  in 
uniform.  We  paid  our  two  francs  each,  and  were  remitted  to 
the  care  of  a  guide,  who  pretended  to  speak  English,  but,  to 
our  great  amusement,  we  soon  found  out  that  the  whole  extent 
of  his  English  vocabulary  amounted  to:  "Look  here  !  "  which 
precluded  every  explanation  given  in  Italian.  His  knowledge 
of  English  only  tended  to  make  his  Italian  sound  very  funny 
indeed. 

After  we  had  seen  all  that  was  noteworthy,  we  mounted 
the  steps  into  the  open  air,  and  returned  to  Naples.  "When 
passing  Mt.  Vesuvius,  our  guide  told  us,  that  indications 
of  an  eruption  had  been  observed,  and  really  in  the  follow- 
ing year  the  eruptions  came.  It  did  much  damage  and 


198  THE  ERUPTION   OF   1872. 

attracted  many  visitors  to  Naples,  but  it  did  not  equal  in 
extent  or  magnificence  the  great  eruption  of  1872.  This  out- 
break began  on  the  23d  of  April,  and  was  at  once  the  grandest 
arid  most  terrible  of  all  the  eruptions  that  have  occurred 
during  this  generation. 

For  some  days  previous  to  the  outbreak  the  mountain  gave 
indications  of  approaching  activity,  and  when  the  eruption 
began,  hundreds  of  people  observed  it  from  the  old  lava  beds 
between  the  observatory  and  the  town  of  Resina,  and  some 
of  them  remained  there  during  the  whole  of  the  night  of 
April  25.  Early  the  next  morning  two  great  seams  opened 
under  these  spectators'  feet ;  hot  sulphurous  vapors  enveloped 
them,  and  as  they  sought  safety  in  flight,  great  rivers  of  lava 
rushed  out  of  the  newly-opened  craters,  and  threatened  the 
frightened  sight-seers  with  speedy  destruction.  Some  found 
the  earth  under  them  too  .hot  to  be  walked  upon,  and,  falling 
down,  perished  where  they  were.  Others  were  suffocated 
by  the  gaseous  emanations  from  the  earth,  and  still  others 
were  so  injured  that  they  died  after  reaching  a  place  of 
safety. 

In  the  towns  and  villages  around  the  volcano  the  de- 
struction of  property  was  very  great,  but  the  people  gener- 
ally escaped  by  timely  flight. 

In  all  the  towns  the  terror  was  wide-spread.  Nine  distinct 
craters  were  opened,  and  lava  streams,  some  of  them  sixteen 
feet  deep,  ran  down  the  sides  of  the  mountains,  destroying 
everything  in  their  paths.  Several  of  the  villages  were 
almost  entirely  buried  in  ashes,  as  ancient  Pompeii  was  in 
the  eruption  previously  described.  Even  in  Naples,  people 
were  almost  smothered  with  the  shower  of  dust,  cinders,  and 
sand  that  poured  down  for  days.  Every  window  was  kept 
closed,  and  every  traveller  through  the  streets  was  com- 
pelled to  protect  himself  by  carrying  an  umbrella ;  and  there 
were  serious  fears,  on  the  part  of  the  timid,  that  the  beau- 
tiful Italian  city  of  to-day  was  to  play  the  tragic  part  of 
Pompeii  in  a  repetition  of  the  terrible  scenes  of  eighteen 
hundred  years  ago. 


STORY   OF  AN   EYE-WITNESS.  201 

Many  people  lost  their  lives,  some  in  consequence  of  remain- 
ing to  protect  their  property,  and  others  from  venturing  too 
near  out  of  motives  of  curiosity.  At  one  time  a  group  of 
fifty  or  more  people  were  surrounded  by  the  lava,  and  burned 
to  death  in  sight  of  those  who  were  powerless  to  aid  them. 
They  were  standing  on  a  little  hill,  and  did  not  see,  until  too 
late,  that  the  lava  had  flowed  around  it,  and  placed  them  on 
an  island,  as  it  were,  with  a  red-hot  river  all  around  them. 
Many  others  were  burned  by  the  lava  and  the  hot  blasts  which 
came  from  it  in  various  parts  of  its  course.  A  gentleman  who 
witnessed  the  eruption  thus  describes  the  scene  in  a  letter 
written  from  Naples  on  the  27th  of  April,  1872:  — 

"  Yesterday  morning  I  went  out  to  get  a  carriage  to  go  up 
Mount  Vesuvius,  and  on  my  way  I  was  asked  by  a  respectable 
looking  man  in  the  street  if  I  had  heard  the  news  of  the 
night.  He  then  told  me  that  hundreds  of  people,  who  had 
gone  up  the  night  before  to  see  the  burning  lava  in  the  Atrio 
di  Cavallo,  were  dead.  I  had  seen  the  mountain  at  eleven 
o'clock  the  night  before,  when  there  was  a  stream  of  lava 
running  from  the  top  of  the  cone  into  the  Atrio  —  that  is,  the 
valley  between  Vesuvius  and  the  adjoining  hill,  the  Somma, 
where  there  seemed  to  be  a  lake  of  fire.  Later  in  the  night 
there  was  a  tremendous  eruption,  a  large  crater  opening 
suddenly  between  the  Observatory  and  the  Atrio  di  Cavallo, 
across  the  path  of  the  visitors,  it  is  said,  of  a  mile  in  diameter. 
We  started  from  Naples  at  eight  o'clock.  The  view  of  the 
mountain  was  magnificent.  An  enormous  cloud  of  dense 
white  smoke  was  ascending  to  an  immense  height  above  the 
mountain,  like  great  fleeces  of  cotton  wool,  quite  unlike  any 
cloud  I  ever  saw.  I  could  see  the  lava  rushing  from  several 
openings  to  the  right  of  and  above  the  Observatory,  but 
below  the  cone.  The  lava  was  still  flowing  from  the  cone  into 
the  Atrio,  but  no  ash  or  dust  was  thrown  up.  We  drove  on 
to  Resina,  where  the  population  were  in  fearful  excitement, 
not  knowing  what  to  do,  and  apparently  apprehensive  of 
instant  death  —  everybody  making  signs  to  us,  and  telling  us 
to  go  back.  We  went  on  to  the  Piazza  di  Pugliano,  where  we 


202  AN  ISLAND   OF   FIRE. 

were  stopped  and  told  that  no  one  was  allowed  to  go  up  the 
mountain,  by  order  of  the  police.  However,  after  some  ex- 
postulation, I  took  a  guide  on  the  box  and  started  again. 

"  A  few  minutes  afterwards  we  met  a  cart  bringing  down  a 
dead  body,  and  as  we  went  on  we  saw  other  bodies  —  at  least 
twelve  —  of  which  one  only  appeared  to  be  living.  They 
were  frightfully  burned  on  the  face  and  hands,  and  some, 
which  were  carried  on  chairs,  in  a  sitting  position,  were  very 
ghastly  objects.  Further  on  we  met  people  —  officials,  appar- 
ently—  coming  down,  all  warning  us  to  go  back.  At  last, 
when  we  had  arrived  at  an  elbow  of  the  road  not  far  below  the 
Observatory,  we  met  the  officer  who  has  charge  of  the 
Observatory,  who  said  we  could  not  go  on ;  that  the  danger 
was  imminent;  that  the  lava  was  running  across  and  down 
the  road  before  us ;  that  he  had  orders  from  the  prefect  of 
Naples  to  prevent  any  one  ascending,  and  that  we  could  not 
pass.  My  coachman  was  getting  a  little  anxious,  though  I 
will  do  him  the  justice  to  say  he  was  not  afraid  ;  so  I  consented 
not  to  take  the  carriage  beyond  a  turn  in  the  road  above  us  to 
the  right,  especially  as  I  did  not  wish  to  meet  the  lava  in  a 
narrow  road  where  we  could  not  turn  the  carriage.  We  left 
the  carriage  there,  and  ascended  on  foot  with  the  guide  by  a 
path  straight  up  the  mountain-side. 

"  At  length  we  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  flat  ground  reaching 
to  the  foot  of  the  cone.  Currents  of  lava  were  running  down 
on  both  sides  of  us  far  below ;  the  craters  from  which  they 
flowed  were  hidden  by  the  smoke ;  clouds  of  smoke  were  as- 
cending from  the  top  of  the  cone,  and  the  lava  still  pouring 
down  the  Atrio.  The  roar  of  the  mountain,  which  we  had  first 
heard  at  Portici  was  now  tremendous,  continuous,  and  unlike 
anything  else  I  ever  heard,  —  millions  of  peals  of  thunder  roll- 
ing at  the  same  time,  —  when  suddenly,  about  noon,  there  was 
a  cessation,  with  a  low,  rolling  sound ;  and  one  heard  the  tick- 
ing and  rippling  of  the  lava  currents  pouring  down  the  hill- 
sides below.  Then,  in  about  a  minute,  came  a  deafening  roar, 
shaking  the  ground  under  our  feet ;  and  a  new  crater  burst 
forth  just  on  the  other  side  of  the  Observatory,  as  it  seemed 


A   MAGNIFICENT  SCENE.  203 

to  us,  and  dense  clouds  of  ashes  and  stones  were  thrown  up 
into  the  air  on  the  left  hand  of,  and  mingling  with,  the  great 
white  cloud,  making  a  great  contrast  with  the  dark-brown 
dust  and  ashes,  which  rose  perpendicularly  to  an  immense 
height.  The  roaring  continued  and  kept  on  increasing  till  it 
became  deafening,  and  I  began  to  think  it  might  injure  our 
ears.  We  staid  there  about  an  hour  and  a  half. 

"  The  scene  was  magnificent,  the  smoke  occasionally  clear- 
ing away  and  giving  us  the  view  towards  the  Atrio,  that 
towards  the  cone  being  always  clear  ;  but  as  some  of  our  party 
fancied  that  the  ground  might  open  under  our  feet,  and  that 
we  might  find  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  new  crater.  I  at 
length  reluctantly  sent  the  guide  to  bring  up  the  carriage. 
Had  I  been  alone  I  should  have  staid  there  till  the  evening. 
When  we  had  gone  down  a  short  distance  the  same  phe- 
nomena again  appeared.  The  sudden  cessation  of  the  tremen- 
dous roaring,  the  clicking  and  rippling  of  the  falling  lava,  and 
the  low  muttering  became  then  again  audible ;  then  the 
fearful  roar,  and  the  shaking  of  the  ground,  and  another 
crater  burst  forth  on  the  flank  of  the  mountain,  below  the 
Observatory,  sending  up  clouds  of  dust  and  ashes,  which 
rolled  over  and  over  till  they  reached  an  enormous  height, 
but  quite  separate  from  the  other  clouds.  All  this  time  the 
sun  was  shining  in  an  Italian  sky  without  a  cloud. 

"  After  stopping  some  time  to  admire  the  scene,  we  contin- 
ued our  descent;  but  before  we  reached  the  bottom  of  the  hill 
we  saw  the  lava  from  the  last  crater  tearing  its  way  down 
through  the  vineyards  to  our  right  with  wonderful  rapidity. 
Just  an  hour  after  we  left  the  top  of  the  hill  the  cone  com- 
menced sending  up  torrents  of  stones,  which  fell  in  all 
directions ;  but  whether  the  red-hot  hail  reached  our  position 
on  the  height  I  know  not.  When  we  reached  Resina  it  was 
curious  to  see  the  congratulations  for  what  they  thought  our 
escape  on  the  faces  of  the  people.  The  uncertainty  and  the 
panic  were  gone,  and  they  were  steadily  packing  up  their 
beds  and  the  few  things  they  could  carry,  and  starting  with 
every  sort  of  conveyance  to  put  their  guardian  saint,  St. 


•204  THE   ERUPTION  SUBSIDING. 

Gennaro,  between  them  and  the  danger.  When  I  started 
from  Naples  I  expected  to  find  all  the  world  at  the  top  of  the 
mountain ;  but,  to  my  great  surprise,  there  was  not  a  single 
stranger  there  —  only  the  few  persons  employed  in  bringing 
down  the  dead.  I  believe  the  police  prevented  any  carnage 
passing  after  ours.  The  awful  roaring  of  the  mountain  con- 
tinued and  increased  till  midnight,  when  it  ceased,  and  only 
roared  again  for  a  short  time  about  four  o'clock.  To-day  the 
mountain  is  quieter,  and  the  Neapolitans  are  a  trifle  less 
pale.  The  view  of  the  mountain  at  midnight  was  grand  in 
the  extreme." 

Several  villages  were  destroyed  in  this  eruption,  and  many 
acres  of  vines  were  covered  with  lava  and  ashes.  Bat  as 
soon  as  the  eruption  was  over,  many  of  those  who  had  fled 
returned  to  whatever  of  their  old  homes  they  could  find. 
There  is  something  strange  in  the  fascination  of  the  people 
for  the  places  which  they  are  well  aware  are  liable  at  any 
time  to  the  lava  torrent  or  the  storm  of  ashes.  Eruptions 
have  occurred,  and  will  occur  again  ;  but  all  the  reasoning  you 
can  offer  would  not  induce  these  Italian  peasants  to  go  and 
live  elsewhere. 

At  the  present  time  Professor  Palmier!  reports  from  his 
observatory,  near  the  top  of  the  crater,  that  symptoms  have 
been  observed  by  him  which  indicate  a  new  eruption,  and 
strange  to  say,  the  Italians,  who  are  accustomed  to  live  con- 
stantly in  danger,  quietly  look  out  for  the  occurrence,  living  at 
the  very  foot  of  the  death-dealing  mountain.  The  soil  is 
extremely  fertile,  and  eagerness  for  wealth  seems  here  even  to 
expel  fear  for  death. 


XIII. 

THE    CAVERNS    OF    NAPLES. 

/ 

EXCAVATIONS  NEAR  NAPLES.  —  POZZUOLI. — VISIT  TO  THE  CAVE  OP  THE  CTT- 
MEAN  SIBYL.  —  ACCIDENT  TO  AN  ENGLISH  TRAVELLER.  —  HUMAN  PACK- 
HORSES.  —  DARKNESS  AND  TORCHES.  —  THE  LAKE  OF  AVERNUS.  — DROWNED 
IN  BOILING  WATER.  —  A  DANGEROUS  WALK.  —  IN  NERO'S  PRISON.  —  INSTRU- 
MENTS OF  TORTURE.  —  USE  OF  THE  RACK.  —  THE  IRON  BEDSTEAD.  —  BROILING 
A  MAN  ALIVE.  —  TREATMENT  OF  PRISONERS.  —AN  ANCIENT  FUNERAL.  —  VIR- 
CIL'S  TOMB.  — CONSTRUCTING  WINE  CELLARS.  — NOVEL  PLAN  OF  ROBBERY. 

THE  traveller  who  visits  Naples  has  abundant  opportunities 
for  making  underground  explorations  in  the  neighborhood 
of  that  city.  A  few  of  the  places  ho  can  examine  are  of 
natural  origin  —  the  Blue  Grotto,  for  example;  but  by  far 
the  greater  part  of  them  are  artificial.  A  most  interesting 
journey  can  be  made  to  Pozzuoli  and  its  immediate  neigh- 
borhood. With  a  longing  desire  to  see  some  of  the  under- 
ground curiosities  that  have  made  that  part  of  Italy  famous, 
I  arranged  a  tour  in  that  direction  before  I  had  fairly  settled 
myself  at  the  hotel.  We  made  a  party  of  three,  all  Amer* 
icans,  and  all  as  impatient  and  uneasy  as  our  race  is  said  to 
be  when  travelling  on  the  continent.  A  skirmish  with  a 
horde  of  rapacious  coachmen  secured  us  a  carriage,  and  we 
drove  out  of  Naples  by  the  road  which  skirts  the  bay  in  the 
direction  of  Rome. 

Arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  the  famous  places,  we  were 
beset  by  guides,  who  almost  climbed  into  the  carriage  in  their 
eagerness  to  secure  an  engagement.  We  picked  out  the 
cleanest  of  the  lot,  or  rather  the  least  dirty,  and  mounted  him 
upon  the  box  by  the  side  of  the  driver,  where  he  sat  in  all 
the  dignity  of  an  emperor.  He  spoke  a  confused  jumble  of 
English,  French,  and  Italian,  which  was  no  language  in  par- 
ticular, but  might  be  anything  in  general.  His  first  move- 


206  GOING  TO   POZZUOLI, 

ment  was  to  stop  at  a  wayside  house,  from  which  a  woman 
emerged  bringing  us  half  a  dozen  candles  or  torches  of 
twisted  rags  and  tallow,  each  of  them  as  large  as  one's  wrist, 
and  about  three  feet  long.  We  objected  to  so  many,  but  the 
guide  assured  us  they  would  all  be  needed.  I  was  inclined 
to  doubt  his  statement,  from  my  knowledge  of  the  rascality 
of  guides  in  general ;  but  he  met  me  with  the  promise,  "  Me 
them  will  pay  for  if  not  they  be  wanted,  Si,  signer.  You 
verrez  will." 

Of  course  we  could  not  refuse  after  this  guarantee.  I  paid 
for  the  torches  with  a  silent  resolution  to  make  the  fellow  eat 
what  were  left  over ;  and,  as  the  tallow  was  bad,  and  the  rags 
were  worse,  there  was  good  reason  to  believe  they  would  not 
make  an  agreeable  dinner. 

Soon  after  making  this  purchase,  the  work  of  sight-seeing 
began.  Each  place  we  visited  had  a  man  at  the  entrance,  and 
not  one  of  us  could  go  inside  without  paying  for  the  privi- 
lege. There  were  always  a  half  dozen  idle  fellows  hanging 
about  ready  to  sell  cameos  and  other  curiosities  which  had 
been  dug  up  in  the  vicinity,  as  they  solemnly  avowed ;  in  re- 
alit}7"  the  cameos  were  of  modern  manufacture,  and  made  in 
Rome  or  Naples.  The  speculators  would  begin  by  asking 
fifty  francs  for  a  cameo  which  was  worth  about  five,  and  which 
they  would  sell  for  five  if  they  could  not  get  any  more.  If 
we  safely  ran  the  gantlet  through  these  avaricious  trades- 
men, we  were  beset  by  local  guides  who  wanted  to  lead  us, 
and  we  generally  found  it  desirable  to  employ  some  of  them 
in  order  to  see  what  the  place  contained.  In  one  instance 
these  guides  acted  as  pack-horses,  and  I  can  testify  that  one 
of  them,  at  least,  had  all  that  he  wanted  to  carry ;  and  this  is 
the  way  it  happened. 

At  the  cave  of  the  Cumean  Sibyl,  where  the  Emperor  Nero 
and  other  famous  men  of  the  olden  time  were  accustomed  to 
go  to  hear  the  prophecies  on  which  their  fate  depended,  we 
found  a  larger  crowd  than  usual.  A  party  of  Americans  were 
just  emerging  as  we  entered,  and  one  of  them  intimated  that 
the  place  laid  over  anything  he  had  yet  seen.  Our  torches 


CITY    OF    NAPLES,    HAY,    AND    MT.    VESUVIUS.— SEAPORT    OF     Si.UTH    IT*JLY,   NEAR 
THE    SITES    OF    HERCULANEUM    AND    POMPEII. 


A    RIDE    IN    NAPLES. 


HUMAN  PACK  MULES.  209 

were  lighted,  and  we  went  forward  quite  a  distance,  through 
a  tunnel  eight  or  ten  feet  wide,  out  of  which  a  smaller 
tunnel  descended.  Down  this  tunnel  we  walked  until  we 
came  to  the  edge  of  a  black,  repulsive  pool,  over  which  the 
light  shone  very  dimly.  There  was  considerable  smoke 
hanging  over  the  water,  and  altogether  the  place  was  about 
as  gloomy  as  anything  I  had  ever  seen.  For  all  that  could  be 
discovered,  the  pool  might  be  a  thousand  feet  deep,  and  any 
number  of  miles  across ;  to  venture  upon  it  might  be  like 
venturing  upon  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  or  any  other  great  body 
of  water.  I  noticed  that  the  guides  had  their  trousers  rolled 
to  the  knee,  and  were  barefooted.  They  fearlessly  entered  the 
water;  two  of  them  carried  the  torches,  and  three  others 
backed  themselves  to  the  edge  where  there  was  a  sort  of 
stepping-stone. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  now  ?  "  we  asked  of  our  private  guide. 

"  Montez  ze  backs  ze  men  of,"  he  replied.  "  You  they 
carry  porteez  will  to  Grotto  del  Sibyl." 

We  hesitated  to  trust  ourselves  with  these  fellows,  who 
might  drown  us,  or  throw  us  into  a  hole  a  few  thousand  feet 
deep,  and  leave  us  to  come  up  again  through  the  crater  of 
Mount  Vesuvius.  But  finally  we  concluded  to  try  it,  and  so 
we  mounted  our  two-legged  steeds  and  rode  off. 

It  happened  that  I  was  the  heaviest  of  our  party,  and  it  also 
happened  that  the  man  who  took  me  did  not  weigh  as  much 
as  I  did  by  at  least  fifty  pounds.  He  trembled  beneath  rne 
like  a  plateful  of  jelly  in  the  hands  of  an  intoxicated  waiter, 
and  I  expected  every  moment  he  would  drop  me  into  the 
water.  We  went  out  from  the  shore  into  the  smoky  darkness, 
and  in  less  than  a  minute  we  were  completely  at  sea.  Water 
was  beneath  and  around  us,  and  there  was  a  black  sky  above 
that  we  could  almost  touch.  No  horizon  was  visible,  and 
altogether  we  seemed  to  be  in  a  world  about  ten  feet  in 
diameter,  and  without  sun,  moon,  or  stars. 

Our  porters  splashed  along  in  water  about  two  feet  deep, 
and  I  thought  much  more  of  the  liability  of  my  pack  animal  to 
stumble  than  I  did  of  the  Cumean  Sibyl  and  her  oracles. 


210  CUMEAN  SIBYL. 

Nero  was  less  in  ray  mind  than  the  garlic-eating  Italian  be- 
neath me,  and  I  was  much  less  interested  in  the  Roman  kings 
than  in  a  certain  subject  of  Victor  Emanuel.  Our  trio  ex- 
changed comments  on  this  novel  mode  of  travelling,  and  for 
the  time  we  had  very  little  appreciation  of  the  wonderful  his- 
tory of  Rome  and  her  dependencies. 

As  near  as  my  recollection  serves,  we  had  about  five  minutes 
of  this  sort  of  travel,  when  the  head  of  our  procession  came 
to  a  halt  before  a  recess  in  the  wall,  which  our  leader  de- 
scribed as  the  Sibyl's  Bath.  It  seems  that  before  delivering 
her  oracles,  she  used  to  take  a  bath,  on  the  principle,  doubtless, 
that  cleanliness  is  next  to  godliness,  and  the  purer  her  skin 
the  more  likely  would  the  gods  be  to  aid  her  with  their  inspi- 
ration. The  artists  represent  her  as  a  pretty  woman,  and  of 
course  she  was  well  aware  that  frequent  bathing  had  a 
tendency  to  preserve  her  good  looks. 

The  couch  or  bench  where  she  reclined  when  delivering 
her  oracles  was  pointed  out,  and  as  it  then  appeared,  it  was 
anything  but  comfortable.  The  presence  of  the  water  in  the 
cave  was  explained  to  be  something  modern,  and  not  at  all  in 
fashion  when  the  Sibyl  used  to  be  at  home  to  visitors  of 
wealth  and  distinction.  She  used  to  keep  her  floor  dry  arid 
well  swept,  and  probably  she  had  a  little  sideboard  with  a  cold 
ham  or  two  and  a  bottle  of  wine.  Nero  was  a  frequent  caller, 
both  in  fashionable  and  unfashionable  hours,  and  used  to  send 
her  valuable  presents.  Mrs.  Nero  was  jealous,  but  the  old 
gentleman  was  in  a  position  to  do  pretty  much  as  he  liked,  and 
didn't  mind  her  scolding.  One  of  my  companions  showed  me 
a  scrap  of  paper,  which  he  said  he  found  just  inside  the  en- 
trance to  the  cave,  while  I  was  paying  off  the  guides.  It  ran 
as  follows :  — 

May  10,  4  p.  M. 

DEAREST  SIB:  Expect  me  at  eight.  The  old  lady  is  going 
out  this  evening,  and  won't  miss  me.  Have  the  tea  ready,  and 
send  out  for  a  bottle  of  Cliquot.  I  will  bring  a  mince  pie  and 
some  Limburger  cheese;  also  a  new  pair  of  ear-rings  and  a 

chignon. 

Your  loving  NERO. 


AN  UNFORTUNATE  ENGLISHMAN.  211 

I  suspected  that  the  note  was  a  forgery,  as  it  was  written  in 
English,  and  the  paper  had  the  water-mark  of  1866.  I  called 
my  friend's  attention  to  these  slight  discrepancies,  and  he  at 
once  put  the  paper  in  his  pocket,  and  said  nothing  more 
about  it. 

After  looking  at  the  couch  of  the  Sibyl  we  started  back  to 
our  landing-place.  Just  as  we  neared  it  we  met  another  party 
going  in.  One  of  the  porters  of  the  new  party  was  evidently 
weak  in  the  knees,  for  he  stumbled  just  as  he  passed  me,  and 
went  down  like  a  handful  of  mud.  The  gentleman  he  carried 
was  dropped  into  the  water,  and  fell  flat,  as  though  intending 
to  take  a  swim.  He  slowly  rose  to  his  feet,  and  after  blowing 
the  water  from  his  mouth  with  a  noise  like  the  spouting  of  a 
whale,  he  ventured  several  remarks  that  were  nowise  com- 
plimentary to  his  porter  or  to  the  place.  He  appeared  some- 
what excited.  His  language  showed  him  to  be  English,  but 
there  was  nothing  in  it  to  indicate  that  he  was  a  member  in 
good  and  regular  standing  of  the  Church  of  England.  He  did 
not  finish  his  journey  to  the  bath  and  couch  of  the  Sibyl,  but 
followed  us  to  the  shore,  where  he  wrung  himself  out,  and  then 
retired  to  his  carriage  to  be  hung-up  to  dry.  With  a  heart- 
lessness  peculiar  to  many  travellers,  he  refused  to  pay  the 
porter  for  his  services.  It  is  fortunate  that  the  latter  did  not 
understand  English,  as  he  would  have  been  offended  at  the 
remarks  which  were  made  about  him. 

From  the  Sibyl's  Cave  we  went  to  the  famous  Lake  of  Aver- 
nus,  which  was  described  by  Virgil  long  before  anybody  who 
reads  this  book  was  familiar  with  a  single  word  of  Latin. 
Near  the  lake  is  the  famous  passage  into  the  mountain  about 
which  Yirgil  wrote  :  — 

"  Facilis  descensus  Averni.  Sed  revocare  gradum,  hie 
opus,  hie  labor  est." 

We  paid  our  admission  fee,  and  then  prepared  according  to 
the  directions  of  the  guide.  We  laid  aside  our  coats  and  vests, 
removed  our  collars,  neck-ties,  and  hats,  and  altogether  put 
ourselves  in  a  condition  quite  improper  in  polite  society.  A 
boy  stood  ready  to  precede  us  in  a  costume  consisting  of  a  pair 


212  FACILIS   DESCENSUS   AVERNI. 

of  pantaloons  and  a  tin  pail.  A  fresh  egg  was  now  shown  us, 
and  we  examined  it  to  see  that  it  was  quite  cold  and  raw. 
The  boy  then  took  the  egg  and  a  torch,  and  went  into  a 
tunnel  like  the  one  at  the  Sibyl's  Cave.  A  blast  of  hot  air  met 
us  at  the  entrance,  as  though  it  came  from  a  furnace,  and  I 
thought  of  Nebuchadnezzar  and  the  treat  that  he  used  to  have 
for  his  visitors.  On  and  on  we  went,  and  also  down  and  down. 
Old  Virgil  was  right  when  he  said  that  the  descent  was  easy, 
for  we  went  down  with  the  grace  of  so  many  oysters  entering 
the  mouth  of  a  champagne  bottle.  Hotter  and  hotter  grew  the 
air,  and  before  we  were  half  way  down  I  remembered  some 
business  that  I  had  neglected  when  I  left  America.  I  wanted 
to  go  back  to  look  after  it,  but  my  friends  argued  that  it  would 
keep  a  little  longer,  and  I  had  better  go  on.  So  we  con- 
tinued down  into  the  bowels  of  the  mountain,  over  a  slippery 
pathway  and  in  a  temperature  as  agreeable  as  that  of  the 
stoker's  room  on  a  steamship. 

We  reached  the  end  at  last,  and  the  boy  stooped  to  the 
edge  of  a  pool  of  water  and  placed  the  egg  within  it.  We 
could  see  a  thin  vapor  rising  from  the  surface,  and  readily  im- 
agined that  it  was  steam.  The  boy  was  careful  of  his  hands, 
more  careful  than  was  necessary,  since  he  might  have  added 
to  the  interest  of  the  occasion  by  scalding  them,  and  then 
hiring  another  boy  to  take  his  place.  There  were  plenty  of 
boys  outside  who  could  be  hired  cheap,  and  if  a  dozen  were 
killed  daily  by  scalding,  or  rendered  helpless,  it  would  have 
made  no  serious  diminution  of  the  Italian  population. 

We  stood  there  a  couple  of  minutes,  and  then  the  boy  took  the 
tin  pail  and  scooped  up  the  egg  and  a  quart  or  two  of  water.  He 
then  started  back,  and  scrambled  quite  nimbly  up  the  steep  and 
slippery  path.  It  was  a  difficult  ascent  to  make,  and  we  ac- 
knowledged that  Virgil's  head  was  level  when  he  told  about 
the  labor  required  to  retrace  one's  steps  from  Avernus.  We 
perspired  like  a  man  who  has  just  learned  that  he  is  the  father 
of  triplets,  and  by  the  time  we  completed  the  journey,  our 
clothing  was  pretty  thoroughly  saturated.  The  boy  was  ac- 
customed to  it,  as  the  old  lady's  eels  were  to  being  skinned, 


NERO'S  PRISON.  213 

and  the  hide  on  his  shirtless  back  looked  like  the  outside  of  a 
long-used  pocket-book.  The  egg  was  thoroughly  cooked,  and 
the  water  in  the  pail  was  of  a  scalding  temperature,  al- 
together too  hot  to  put  one's  hand  into.  The  egg  cost  us 
half  a  franc,  and  so  did  the  boy :  one  of  us  ate  the  egg  with 
a  little  salt,  but  we  declined  to  eat  the  boy  with  or  without 
salt,  and  he  did  not  urge  us. 

The  guide  told  us  that  one  day  an  Englishman  went  down 
the  "  descensus  Averni,"  and  on  arriving  at  the  hot  water,  he 
stepped  around  so  carelessly  that  he  slipped  and  fell  in.  His 
cries  and  shrieks  rang  through  the  tunnel ;  he  was  pulled  out 
as  quickly  as  possible,  but  he  was  so  badly  scalded  that  he  died 
in  a  few  hours.  Several  accidents  have  happened  there  by 
persons  scalding  their  hands  and  feet,  but  the  character  of  the 
place  is  such,  that  people  are  likely  to  be  careful ;  otherwise 
there  would  be  frequent  casualties  to  record. 

We  visited  the  ruins  of  temples  that  were  erected  to  I  don't 
know  how  many  deities,  and  the  next  subterranean  explo- 
ration that  we  made  was  at  Nero's  Prison,  as  the  guide  and  the 
guide-books  call  it.  We  left  our  carriage  and  went  on  foot 
up  a  narrow  lane,  and  along  a  path  where  beggars  followed 
and  beset  us  at  every  turn ;  notwithstanding  their  impor- 
tunity, they  did  not  extract  any  money  from  us,  though  they 
appeared  in  all  the  conditions  in  which  beggars  could  possibly 
present  themselves.  Nero  must  have  been  a  charming  per- 
sonage if  one  could  judge  of  him  by  looking  at  the  place 
where  he  used  to  shut  up  those  who  offended  him.  It  was  a 
subterranean  affair,  and  we  were  obliged  to  light  our  torches 
to  explore  it.  We  were  led  through  winding  passages  into 
cells  that  were  anything  but  comfortable,  the  guide  stopping 
every  moment  to  explain  to  us  the  nature  of  each  one  of  the 
cells,  and  the  uses  to  which  they  were  put.  They  were 
small  enough  to  render  it  utterly  improbable  that  a  man  would 
exert  his  legs  very  actively  in  running,  after  he  was  once  shut 
in,  and  as  for  light  and  ventilation,  they  were  quite  in  keep- 
ing with  the  size  of  the  apartments. 

I  inquired  about  the  character  of  the  food  which  Nero  used 


214  CHOICE   FURNITURE. 

to  furnish  to  the  occupants  of  his  boarding-house,  and  was 
told  that  it  was  not  of  a  luxurious  character.  Nero  had  no 
table  d'hote,  but  used  to  send  the  meals  to  the  rooms  of  his 
guests.  None  of  them  are  alive  now,  and  their  early  death  is 
to  be  attributed  in  many  cases  to  the  treatment  they  received. 
At  the  time  they  resided  there,  oysters  had  not  been  invented, 
and  there  is  nothing  on  record  to  show  that  the  delicious 
conglomerate  which  we  call  hash  had  made  its  appearance. 
Some  of  the  patrons  used  to  express  a  desire  to  live  on  the 
European  plan,  and  take  their  meals  outside  ;  but  the  proprietor 
would  never  permit  it.  And  it  must  be  said,  to  his  credit,  that 
his  establishment  was  to  a  certain  extent  a  free  lunch  concern, 
as  he  never  charged  anything  for  board  and  lodging.  Every- 
thing was  gratis,  and  of  course  the  patrons  who  complained 
must  have  been  mean  fellows,  who  couldn't  be  satisfied,  no 
matter  what  you  might  do  for  them. 

The  furniture  of  the  place  was  very  simple.  It  had  been 
mostly  removed  when  we  were  there,  but  it  consisted  origi- 
nally of  a  bundle  of  straw  on  the  ground  and  a  double  lock  on 
the  door.  There  used  to  be  a  gymnasium,  where  they  kept  a 
choice  lot  of  racks,  thumb-screws,  and  other  luxurious  ar- 
rangements. Life  in  the  private  rooms  used  to  be  monotonous, 
and  in  order  to  render  it  interesting,  Nero  would  take  his 
patrons  into  the  gymnasium  to  amuse  them.  Some  of  them 
he  would  play  a  joke  upon  by  tying  them  down  on  a  rack  and 
then  winding  up  the  machine  so  that  a  man  of  five  feet  eight 
would  often  be  converted  into  six  feet  two.  When  he  had 
been  played  with  in  this  way,  they  would  turn  him  loose, 
though  releasing  him  did  no  good,  as  he  was  generally  dead 
before  they  let  him  off. 

The  gymnasium  had  another  arrangement,  patented  by  Mr. 
Procrustes,  which  was  intended  to  equalize  all  men,  and  make 
them  of  a  uniform  height.  This  invention,  based  on  the  prin- 
ciples of  mechanical  communism,  was  a  bedstead  of  iron,  and 
there  were  various  individuals  who  enjoyed  the  treat  of  being 
placed  upon  it.  A  poet  has  alluded  to  it  as  follows  :  — 


PROCRUSTES7  BED.  217 

"This  iron  bedstead  they  do  fetch 

To  try  our  hopes  upon. 
If  we're  too  short  we  must  be  stretched, 
Cut  off  if  we're  too  long." 

When  they  laid  out  a  man  on  this  couch,  if  its  length  corre- 
sponded with  his,  he  was  immediately  removed  before  he  had 
time  to  go  to  sleep.  If  he  was  short,  both  in  money  and  in 
stature,  they  elongated  him  until  he  could  touch  headboard  and 
footboard  at  the  same  time ;  and  if  he  was  a  tall  fellow,  they 
shortened  him  at  the  feet  with  a  large  pair  of  shears  that 
were  kept  for  the  purpose.  When  a  hundred  men  had  been 
measured  on  this  bed  and  placed  in  a  row,  they  were  found  to 
be  of  the  same  elevation.  A  good  many  of  them  died  soon 
afterwards,  but  people  were  numerous  in  those  days,  and  the 
dead  ones  were  not  missed  by  those  who  didn't  know  anything 
about  them. 

Down  in  the  kitchen,  Nero  had  a  gridiron  resembling  a 
garden  gate,  or  a  section  of  an  iron  fence.  He  had  so  many 
cooks  that  all  of  them  could  not  be  constantly  employed,  and 
so  he  busied  himself  to  devise  ways  to  employ  them.  He 
found  that  the  gridiron  was  just  the  thing,  and  when  his  cooks 
were  idle  he  used  to  take  one  of  his  lodgers  down  stairs  and 
promise  him  a  good  roast.  The  lodger  would  be  thinking  of 
a  nice  turkey  or  a  leg  of  mutton  when  Nero  said  "  roast  "  to 
him,  and  as  the  private  table  was  not  very  good,  he  was  al- 
ways ready  to  go  below.  When  they  got  down  stairs  Nero 
would  tip  the  wink  to  the  cooks,  who  would  seize  the  lodger 
and  tie  him  on  the  gridiron.  They  then  built  a  fire  under  him, 
and  Nero  carried  on  the  joke  by  standing  alongside  with  a 
big  ladle  and  pouring  hot  oil  over  his  guest.  When  he  was 
done  brown,  and  turned  over  and  done  on  the  other  side,  they 
would  let  him  off  to  enjoy  the  fun  of  seeing  the  sell  played 
on  the  next  man.  No  doubt  he  would  have  enjoyed  it  had  he 
not  been  dead  long  before  they  got  through  with  him. 

When  we  returned  to  Naples,  we  went  by  another  route 
than  the  one  we  had  taken  in  the  morning.  At  one  place  our 
way  led  through  a  tunnel  cut  into  the  solid  earth,  and  said  to 
12 


218  THE  TOMB'  OF  VIRGIL. 

be  more  than  two  thousand  years  old.  It  has  worn  down  greatly 
since  it  was  first  opened  ;  the  marks  of  the  axles  of  carts  and 
wagons  are  visible  along  its  sides  ten  or  twelve  feet  above  the 
present  floor.  It  is  lighted  by  torches  placed  at  regular  in- 
tervals  along  the  walls,  and  is  an  important  thoroughfare  for 
people  going  between  Naples  and  certain  villages  and  towns 
to  the  north  of  it.  At  the  end  nearest  to  Naples  we  were 
taken  to  what  is  supposed  to  be  the  Tomb  of  Virgil,  though  its 
authenticity  is  considerably  in  doubt.  It  certainly  is  not 
much  of  a  tomb,  and  many  a  man  not  half  so  talented  or  fa- 
mous as  Virgil  has  been  lodged  after  death  in  far  more  beau- 
ful  quarters  than  these. 

The  peculiar  nature  of  the  earth  composing  the  hills  around 
Naples  has  greatly  facilitated  the  construction  of  tunnels  and 
caves.  It  is  almost  identical  with  that  of  the  bluffs  of  Vicks- 
burg  —  easy  to  cut,  and  at  the  same  time  sufficiently  firm  to 
prevent  falling  in.  No  roofing  or  arching  of  any  kind  is 
needed,  and  the  tools  ordinarily  used  in  excavations  are  all 
that  are  required.  Consequently  every  man  who  has  a  hill  on 
his  farm  can  construct  a  spacious  wine  cellar  at  little  ex- 
pense ;  and  if  he  has  a  friendly  neighbor  over  the  hill,  they  can 
easily  cut  their  way  through,  and  save  the  trouble  of  climbing 
when  they  want  to  visit  each  other. 

I  heard  of  Neapolitan  thieves  who  sometimes  find  out  a  well- 
stored  wine  cellar  in  the  side  of  a  small  hill,  and  carefully  ob- 
serve its  position.  Then  they  erect  a  small  house  on  the  other 
side,  and  begin  a  small  tunnel.  They  cart  the  dirt  away  at 
night,  and  after  a  month  or  so  enter  the  cellar  and  steal 
enough  wine  to  pay  them  handsomely  for  their  trouble. 


XIY. 

THE  EXCAVATIONS  OF  DR.  SCHLIEMANN,  AT  MYCENAE  (GREECE). 

HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  IDEAL — THE  TREASURES  OF  PRIAMUS — DESCRIPTION  OF 
THE  SPOT— EARLY  HISTORY  OF  MYCEN.E — PAUSANIAS,  THE  ANCIENT  ARCH- 
AEOLOGIST—WHERE THE  EXCAVATIONS  WERE  COMMENCED— THE  TOMB  OF 
AGAMEMNON  AND  HIS  FAITHFUL  WARRIORS — DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  TREAS- 
URES FOUND — PROOFS  OF  THE  IMMENSE  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  TOMBS — 
RECENT  PORTRAITS  TAKEN  OF  HEROES  OF  ANCIENT  GREECE — HOW  IT 
WAS  DONE — THE  VALUE  OF  THE  DISCOVERIES  REGARDING  ART  MATTERS — 
HERACLES  STRUGGLING  WITH  THE  LION — DR.  SCHLIEMANN's  HEROIC  WIFE — 
DISCOVERY  OF  THE  TEMPLE  OT  AESCULAPIUS — A  BYZANTINE  CAVE  UNDER 
THE  ROCK — A  DISCOVERY  WHICH  FILLS  ATHENS  WITH  JOY — THE  STATUE 
OF  VICTORY  FOUND  IN  ALMOST  PERFECT  CONDITION. 

Dr.  Heinrich  Schliemann,  the  great  excavator,  of  whom 
so  much  has  been  said  of  late,  is  a  German  by  birth, 
and  a  man  of  an  idealistic  character.  In  his-  youth,  he 
dreamed  of  the  heroes  of  antiquity;  he  was  a  passionate 
student  of  the  Trojan  war,  and  the  adventures  of  Odessus  and 
Agamemnon.  He  loved  to  hear,  in  school,  Homer  recited, 
and  afterwards,  when  he  went  through  his  variegated  life,  as 
ship's  boy,  ship's  broker,  clerk,  commercial  correspondent, 
and,  at  last,  as  an  independent  and  rich  merchant,  one  ideal 
pursued  him,  that  of  seeing,  for  himself,  the  seat  of  Homer, 
and  the  fatherland  of  the  heroes  of  whom  that  great  poet  of 
antiquity  sings ;  he  wanted  to  find  the  traces  of  the  past  dead. 
After  lie  had  occupied  himself,  for  many  years,  with  his  plan, 
after  having  surmounted  innumerable  obstacles,  of  which  he 
gives  a  touching  description  in  his  autobiography,  he  suc- 
ceeded, in  1867,  in  undertaking  his  first  trip  to  Ithaca,  the 
Peloponnesus,  and  Troja.  The  searches  then  made  led  to  the 
discovery  of  the  treasures  of  Priamus,  which  astounded  the 
world;  and  scarcely  has  the  astonishment  of  such  remarkable 


222  DESCRIPTION   OF  THE   SPOT. 

discoveries  cooled  off,  when  Dr.  Schliemann  surprises  us  by  a 
new  miracle.  He  believed  in  the  divinity,  and  found  its  trace ; 
the  treasures  showed  that  Priamus  had  existed;  the  tomb 
identified  Agamemnon. 

But  before  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  excavations, 
and  the  treasures  found  therein,  we  deem  it  highly  necessary 
to.  give  a  description,  in  outline,  of  the  spot  where  the  gems 
of  antiquity  are  being  unearthed. 

We  cannot  do  better  than  give  the  extract  from  the  notes 
of  an  excursion,  made  on  the  very  spot,  under  which  Dr. 
Schliemann  is  now  digging  for  treasures  and  historical  facts, 
which  undoubtedly  are  of  the  greatest  importance  for  the 
knowledge  of  antiquity  and  the  land  of  Homer.  This  excur- 
sion was  made  in  1871,  some  five  years  before  the  persistent 
doctor  commenced  his  researches. 

It  reads  substantially  as  follows: 

"  From  Tiryns  we  proceeded,  Feb.  7th,  by  carriage  to  Argos, 
the  city  of  Inachus,  where  we  found  horses  saddled,  waiting 
for  us,  to  enable  us  to  go  to  Mycenae.  "We  crossed,  on  our 
way,  the  river  Inachus,  and  found,  on  the  Argolic  plain,  for 
the  first  time,  the  red  poppies  which  we  afterwards  noticed  as 
so  abundant  in  Palestine.  After  having  gone  up  the  crum- 
bling steps  of  the  amphitheater,  the  most  important  monu- 
ment at  Argos,  (where,  beset  by  the  importunate  solicitations 
of  some  boys,  we  bought  two  or  three  old  coins,  where  coin  is 
said  to  have  been  first  invented.  The  invention  of  coin  is 
ascribed  to  the  Lydians,  yet  it  is  certain  that  it  was  used  at 
Argos.)  We  mounted  our  horses  and  rode  over  the  plain, 
finding  in  many  places  only  a  difficult  bridle-path,  to  the  treas- 
ury of  Atreus,  or  the  tomb  of  Agamemnon.  This  structure, 
for  it  may  be  either  treasury  or  tomb,  or  both,  (we  commend 
to  Dr.  Schliemann  the  solution  of  the  problem,)  consists  of  a 
building  cut  out  of  the  side  of  a  hill,  entrance  to  which  is 
through  a  gateway,  down  an  inclined  plane,  with  walls  on 
both  sides,  into  two  vaulted  apartments — one  larger  than  the 
other,  and  both  now  empty.  The  most  remarkable  feature  is 
the  gateway,  and  especially  the  huge  soffit  which  spans  it,  not 


DESCRIPTION   OF  THE   SPOT.  223 

more  from  its  immense  size,  than  from  the  apparent  impossi- 
bility of  removing  it  from  the  place  which  it  occupies,  held  in 
its  position  by  its  own  weight,  and  supporting  the  pressure  of 
the  mass  above  it.  (A  similar  contrivance  we  noticed  in  the 
gate-way  of  the  temple  of  Jupiter  at  Baalbek.)  <  The  remains 
of  copper  nails  in  the  walls  of  the  larger  apartment,  indicated 
that  it  had  been  sheathed  with  copper  plates,  while  the  inner 
chamber  may  have  been  coated  with  marble.' 

Here,  after  having  examined  the  ruin,  we  lunched  and  again 
mounting  our  horses,  proceeded  to  view  the  celebrated  '  Lions ' 
of  Mycenae,  once  the  site  of  the  royal  palace  of  Agamemnon — 
itself  a  ruin  in  the  time  of  Homer — its  foundation  going  back 
to  an  almost  dateless  antiquity.  The  ruins  of  Mycenae  are,  in 
many  respects,  unequaled  in  interest  by  any  object  in  Greece. 
Their  position  is  fortunate ;  there  is  no  habitation  near  them. 
The  traveler  ascends  from  the  open  plain  to  the  deserted  hill 
on  which -they  stand.  The  walls  of  the  citadel  may  still  be 
traced  in  their  entire  circuit,  and  on  the  western  side  they  rise 
to  a  considerable  height.  Only  a  few  foundations  of  ancient 
buildings  remain,  and  one  or  two  cisterns  hewn  in  the  rocky 
soil,  and  lined  with  cement.  Such  is  the  present  state  of  the 
Acropolis  of  Mycenae.  Two  gates,  one  on  the  northeast,  the 
other  on  the  northwest,  both  guarded  by  a  tower,  gave  en- 
trance into  the  city.  The  two  gates  and  tower  seem  to  have 
been  connected,  and  illustrate  the  military  architecture  pre- 
sented to  our  notice  in  the  Iliad.  The  '  Lions'  are  represented 
in  high  relief,  rampant,  headless,  their  feet  resting  on  a  pedes- 
tal which  is  a  Doric  column  reversed,  carved  out  of  a  block  of 
gray  limestone.  By  whom  erected,  or  for  what  purpose,  must 
ever  remain  a  mystery.  Perhaps  the  simplest  explanation  is 
the  best,  that  they  denote  the  *  courage  leonine,'  and  were 
heraldic  badges  upon  the  national  escutcheon  of  Mycenae.  We 
clambered  over  the  walls  of  the  ruined  palace  of  Agamemnon, 
on  the  hill-side  we  came  across  several  pieces  of  antique  pot- 
tery, which  we  have  preserved.  To  make  the  illusion  more 
complete,  while  we  were  exploring  the  ruins,  a  fierce,  wolfish, 
shepherd-dog,  the  only  guardian  of  the  place,  in  a  field  below, 


224  THE   CITY   OF  MYCEN-ffi. 

kept  up  a  loud,  persistent  barking,  which  ceased  not  till  we 
had  left  the  spot/ 

It  is  perhaps  too  soon,  in  the  present  imperfect  state  of  the 
excavations  at  Mycenae,  to  form  a  true  estimate  of  their  value, 
as  related  to  the  authenticity  of  the  heroes  of  Homer.  How- 
ever, we  will  give,  as  far  as  that  is  possible,  from  the  reports 
of  Dr.  Schliemann  himself,  a  review  of  the  wonderful  things 
which  this  great  sapper  and  miner  has  brought  to  light : 

The  city  of  Mycena3  must  have  been  wonderfully  beautiful. 
Homer  calls  it  "the  city  rich  in  gold  and  broad  of  streets,"  at 
the  time  when  the  ruler  of  Mycenae,  Agamemnon,  assisted  the 
Greeks  against  Troja,  with  one  hundred  ships,  and  a  great 
number  of  men,  for  which  service  he  was  elected  their  com- 
mander-in-chief.  He  fell,  at  his  return,  by  the  faithlessness  of 
his  wife,  and  with  him  the  glory  of  the  city  was  gone.  Only 
rarely  we  find,  in  history,  traces  of  her  unimportant  existence. 
About  the  middle  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.,  she  was  destroyed 
by  the  Argivi,  and  her  inhabitants  dispersed. 

The  ruins  were  never  taken  away,  and  they  were  only  for 
archaeologists  of  antiquity  and  of  the  modern  times,  an  object 
of  interest. 

The  "  gate  of  lions  "  of  Mycenae,  which  has  been  built  in 
over-old  Grecian  style,  has  been  known  long  ago;  it  gave 
entrance  to  the  bourg;  Pausanias,  who,  while  traveling  in 
Greece,  two  centuries  after  Christ,  visited  the  old  city  of 
Atreus,  probably  found  the  gate  in  a  far  better  condition  than 
it  is  at  the  present  date ;  it  was,  for  him,  an  object  of  the 
highest  interest,  and  he  was  of  opinion  that  the  Cyclops  "them- 
selves had  builded  the  gate  and  walls.  Further,  he  relates : 
"  Under  the  ruins  of  Mycenae,  is  a  well,  and  the  under-earthly 
apartments  of  Atreus  and  his  descendants,  which  served  them 
as  treasuries.  There  are  also  tombs;  in  the  first  place,  that 
of  Atreus,  and  then  all  the  graves  of  those  who  returned  with 
Agamemnon  from  Troja,  and  who,  like  he,  were  murdered 
by  Aegisthus.  Only  Clytemnestra  and  Aegisthus  have  not  been 
deemed  worthy  of  being  buried  there ;  their  graves  are  outside 
of  the  wall." 


THE   TOMB   OF   AGAMEMNON.  225 

Dr.  Schliemann,  reading  this  account  of  the  archaeologist 
of  antiquity,  had  not  the  slightest  doubt  but  that  the  history 
of  Greece  was  more  than  a  mere  tradition,  and  how  wonder- 
fully have  his  presentiments  been  fulfilled ! 

When  we  enter  the  bourg  by  means  of  the  "  gate  of  lions," 
we  are  soon  enabled  to  continue  on  our  way  through  a  corri- 
dor, which  is  formed  by  a  well-preserved  stone  wall  which 
surrounds  a  circular  plain  of  about  fifty  feet  in  diameter;  the 
wall  reaches  nearly  to  the  height  of  a  person's  breast.  On  this 
plain,  Dr.  Schliemann  commenced  his  excavations;  already  at 
a  small  depth  they  found  the  first  traces;  several  slabs  of  a 
yellowish  lime,  adorned  with  ancient  reliefs,  and  showing  that 
they  once  had  served  as  slabs  on  graves.  On  taking  them 
away,  they  saw  a  broad  shaft  in  the  earth,  twenty  feet  long, 
and  ten  feet  deep;  a  second,  parallel  to  the  first,  followed,  and 
afterwards,  three  others  were  found  behind  the  smaller  sides 
of  the  first  two.  Of  course,  Dr.  Schliemann  was  bound  to 
penetrate  to  the  extreme  depth  of  these  shafts,  and  while  dig- 
ging, he  found  earthenware,  and  small  objects  manufactured 
of  gold. 

At  last,  they  came  to  the  extreme  depth  on  a  hard  floor, 
and  here  three  skeletons  were  lying,  at  a  little  distance  from 
each  other,  surrounded  by  innumerable  weapons  and  objects 
of  luxury,  partly  of  gold,  and  partly  of  silver;  one  of  these 
corpses  was  distinguished  by  exceedingly  well-preserved  teeth. 

This  was  the  tomb  of  Agamemnon  and  his  faithful  warriors. 

Dr.  Schliemann,  in  his  correspondence  to  the  London  Times, 
describes  the  treasures  which  he  found  lying  around  the  bodies, 
in  the  following  manner: 

"Among  the  most  interesting  objects  of  this  sepulchre  I 
reckon  the  magnificently  ornamented  golden  buttons.  Twelve 
are  in  form  of  a  cross,  and  one  of  them  is  two  and  one-fifth 
inches  large,  and  three  inches  long;  three  are  somewhat 
smaller,  and  the  remaining  eight  are  of  a  still  less  size.  Of 
splendidly  ornamented  round  gold  buttons  were  found,  in  all, 
two  hundred  and  sixteen,  two  of  which  are  two  inches  in 
diameter,  seven  are  of  the  size  of  a  five  franc  piece,  and  two 


226  DB-  SCHLTEMANN'S  ACCOUNT. 

hundred  and  seven  are  still  smaller.  All  these  buttons,  the 
lower  part  of  which  consists  of  a  bone  button  in  form  of  our 
shirt  buttons,  must  have  served  on  the  clothes  of  the  deceased, 
whereas  all  which  show  only  a  flat  piece  of  bone  or  wood,  have 
evidently  served  t0  decorate  the  sheaths  of  swords,  lances, 
etc.,  to  which  they  had  been  soldered  with  tin,  or  otherwise 
fastened.  There  were  in  all  found  in  the  tomb,  twenty-five 
two-edged  bronze  swords,  sixteen  of  which  are  in  a  perfect 
state  of  conservation ;  four  of  them  had  handles  plated  with 
gold  and  richly  ornamented.  There  were  also  found  with  the 
swords,  five  large  handle-buttons,  four  of  which  are  of  alabas- 
ter, and  one  of  wood ;  all  of  them  are  ornamented  with  golden 
nails.  Further,  two  golden  shoulder  belts,  which  were  worn 
on  the  shoulder  across  the  breast ;  both  are  four  feet  long,  and 
one  and  three-fifths  inches  broad.  There  were  further  found 
two  large  girdle-belts  ornamented  with  circles  and  flowers; 
one  of  them  is  composed  of  two  pieces.  There  was  also  found 
a  part  of  a  similar  belt,  and  a  child's  golden  girdle-belt,  only 
one  foot  four  inches  long,  and  two  and  one-fifth  inches  broad. 
Further,  a  splendidly  ornamented  golden  handle,  probably  of 
a  scepter.  It  terminates  in  a  dragon's  head,  whose  scales 
seem  to  have  been  imitated  by  square  pieces  of  rock  crystal, 
which  are  inlaid  like  mosaic.  This  is  an  object  of  marvelous 
beauty,  of  which  Homer  would  have  said,  'A  wonder  to  look 
upon.'  There  were  also  found  seven  large  and  one  small 
golden  diadems — one  of  the  former  is  ornamented  with  golden 
leaves.  All  of  them  show  splendid  ornaments  of  circles  and 
spiral  lines.  Further,  four  golden  ornaments  of  the  greaves, 
almost  in  form  of  a  bracelet:  one  comb  of  bone,  in  a  large 
handle,  or  casing  of  gold,  of  the  usual  form,  as  ladies  wear  it; 
one  enormous,  most  magnificently-ornamented,  massive,  gold 
bracelet,  weighing  three  hundred  and  sixty  grammes.  In  the 
center  of  the  ornamentation  of  this  bracelet  is  soldered  a 
separate  piece  of  gold,  representing  the  sun  with  his  rays. 
The  size  of  this  bracelet  is  so  enormous  that  the  person  who 
has  worn  it  must  have  had  gigantic  arms.  Quite  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  size  of  the  bracelet  are  two  massive  golden  seal 


WONDERFUL   GEMS.  227 

rings,  the  opening  of  which  is  so  small  that  they  would  only 
fit  a  child  of  ten  years.  I,  therefore,  suppose  that  they  may 
have  been  used  as  seals  only.  One  of  the  seals  represents 
two  warriors  on  a  two-wheeled  chariot  with  two  horses,  which 
seem  to  run  at  full  gallop ;  one  of  the  warriors  is  holding  a 
bow  in  his  hand,  and  has  just  shot  an  arrow  at  a  stag.  The 
stag  is  wounded,  and  in  anguish  turns  his  head.  The  other 
seal  ring  represents  a  warrior  who  has  just  vanquished  his 
three  enemies,  and  is  in  the  act  of  giving,  with  his  uplifted 
sword,  a  last  blow  to  one  of  them,  wounded,  and  kneeling 
before  him  on  one  knee ;  the  latter  tries  to  parry  the  blow 
with  his  uplifted  hands  and  with  a  lance,  which  he  holds  in 
his  right,  and  seems  to  throw  at  his  opponent.  Another 
seems  to  be  mortally  wounded,  for  he  lies  on  the  ground,  lean- 
ing on  both  his  hands.  The  third,  who  alone  of  all  the  four 
warriors  has  a  helmet  with  a  crest  on  his  head,  is  flying  under 
the  cover  of  an  enormous  shield  which  reaches  from  his  neck 
to  his  heels ;  but  still  he  turns  his  head  towards  his  victorious 
enemy,  and  is  in  the  act  of  throwing  a  lance  at  him.  The 
anatomy  of  all  the  men  is  so  well  observed,  their  posture  is  so 
faithful  to  nature,  and  everything  is  executed  with  so  much 
art,  that  when  I  brought  to  light  these  rings,  I  involuntarily 
exlaimed :  <  The  author  of  the  <  Iliad '  and  the  <  Odyssey '  can 
only  have  been  born  and  educated  in  a  civilization  which  could 
produce  such  wonders.  Only  a  poet  who  had  master-pieces  of 
art  like  these  continually  before  his  eyes  could  compose  those 
divine  poems.' 

"At  the  head  of  one  of  the  bodies  was  found  a  large  and 
heavy  golden  helmet,  but  it  had  been  much  crushed,  and 
had  become  nearly  flat  under  the  ponderous  weight  which 
pressed  upon  it.  In  its  present  state,  it  is  difficult  to  describe 
it.  On  its  forepart,  the  openings  for  the  eyes  and  mouth,  as 
also  a  protuberance  ornamented  with  small  stars,  are  distinctly 
visible,  as  also  on  the  top  of  the  helmet,  the  tube  for  the  crest. 
The  back  part  is  beautifully  ornamented  with  an  imitation  of 
the  hair.  The  face  of  the  same  body  was  covered  witli  one  of 
the  golden  masks  which  we  frequently  met  with.  It  seems  to 


228  DR.  SCHLIEMANN'S  REPORT. 

have  been  the  custom  with  the  ancient  Greeks,  to  cover  the 
faces  of  their  beloved  dead,  with  masks  of  gold  which  exactly 
represent  the  outline  of  the  features ;  probably  they  did  so  to 
preserve  the  face.  We  find  this  custom  back  in  the  wooden 
masks  of  the  Egyptian  mummies.  The  breast  and  sides  were 
covered  by  a  one-foot  eight-inch  long,  and  one-foot  broad,  thick 
plate  of  gold,  which  was  no  doubt  intended  to  represent  the 
coat  of  mail.  There  were  further  found  one  hundred  leaves 
of  gold,  either  of  circular  or  of  cross-like  form,  with  impressed 
ornamentation,  consisting  either  of  spiral  lines,  or  of  circles. 
Further,  three  very  heavy  golden  breast-pins,  of  which  the  one 
is  five  and  one-half,  the  other  five,  and  the  third  four  and  one- 
half  inches  long.  The  last  is  crowned  with  a  ram,  the  two 
others  with  an  ornament  in  shape  of  a  helmet,  and  the  heads 
of  all  the  three  breast-pins  are  perforated,  probably  to  put  in 
a  flower.  There  were  further  found  two  masterly  ornamental 
objects  of  massive  gold  in  the  form  of  crosses;  also  a  large 
golden  vase  weighing  one  and  seven-eighths  kilogrammes :  it 
has  two  handles,  a  large  foot,  arid  ornamented  with  three 
upper  and  two  lower  parallel  lines,  between  which  is  a  row  of 
fourteen  stars ;  further,  a  large  golden  vase  with  one  handle, 
and  an  ornamentation  representing  seven  beautiful  flowers; 
another  golden  vase  with  two  handles;  further,  a  splendid 
little  golden  cenoehoe,  or  wine  can,  with  an  ornamentation  of 
spiral  lines.  Further,  six  golden  drinking  cups,  one  of  which 
is  a  drinking  cup  with  two  handles,  on  each  of  which  is  a 
pigeon,  each  of  the  two  handles  being  joined  to  the  foot  by  two 
separate  golden  blades.  This  goblet  reminds  us  of  Nestor's 
goblet,  which  was  also  ornamented  with  pigeons  (see  *  Iliad,' 
XI,  682,  635).  One  of  the  other  goblets  is  ornamented  with 
parallel  flutings.  There  were  further  found  two  small  golden 
vessels;  also,  eight  silver  vases,  three  of  which  are  admirably 
conserved ;  one  of  the  other  has  its  bottom  and  the  mouth  of 
bronze;  below  its  bottom  were  found  one  hundred  of  the 
aforesaid  golden  buttons.  I  further  found,  in  this  tomb,  thir- 
teen large  bronze  vessels.  This  kind  of  vessel  was  in  high 
esteem  in  the  heroic  age,  and  we  see  them  continually  men- 


DR.   SCBLIEMANN'S  REPORT.  231 

tioned  by  Homer  as  prizes  in  the  games.  I  suppose  that  to 
each  hero  were  given  in  the  grave  the  goblets  and  other  objects 
which  were  dear  to  him  in  his  life-time,  having  been  won  by 
him  in  the  games,  or  having  been  given  to  him  by  his  host  as 
a  pledge  of  hospitality  and  friendship.  There  was  also  found 
a  large  quantity  of  small  perforated  amber  balls  of  necklaces, 
and  a  bronze  or  copper  fork  with  three  teeth,  which  had  proba- 
bly served  on  the  funeral  pyres.  There  were  further  found 
thirty-five  arrow  heads  of  obsidian.  Nothing  could  give  a 
better  idea  of  the  great  antiquity  of  these  tombs  than  these 
stone  arrow-heads,  for  the  '  Iliad '  seems  to  know  only  arrow- 
heads of  bronze  (e.g.,  'Iliad/  XIII,  650  and  662).  Probably 
there  had  also  been  deposited  bows  and  quivers  in  the  tomb, 
but  they  would  have  been  of  wood,  and  would  have  rotted 
away.  To  my  greatest  regret,  among  thousands  of  gold  orna- 
ments, there  is  not  even  a  single  sign  resembling  writing,  and 
it  therefore  appears  certain  that  the  sepulchres  belong  to  an 
epoch  which  preceded  the  introduction  of  the  Phoenician 
alphabet.  Had  the  latter  been  known,  the  Mycenaean  gold- 
smiths, whose  continual  efforts  appear  to  have  been  directed 
to  the  invention  of  a  new  ornamentation,  would  have  been 
very  ambitious  to  show  the  novelty  of  the  alphabet.  A  second 
proof  of  the  immense  antiquity  of  these  tombs,  is  the  entire 
absence  of  any  vestige  of  either  iron  or  glass,  or  of  any  pot- 
tery made  on  the  potter's  wheel.  But  the  hand-made  pottery 
had  reached  a  high  degree  of  perfection,  such  as  has  never 
been  attained  here  in  later  times  by  the  pottery  made  on  the 
wheel." 

The  doctor,  enthusiastic  as  he  is  with  his  new  discoveries, 
had  the  mortal  remains  of  the  immortal  heroes  taken  from 
their  graves,  and  the  great  departed  ones  received  the  unprece- 
dented honor  to  have  their  portraits  painted  by  an  artist  of 
our  day.  Of  course,  the  golden  mask  was  used  for  that 
purpose. 

The  greatest  scientific  importance  of  the  discoveries  at 
Mycena3,  lies  in  the  fact  that  we  now  make  acquaintance  with 
a  kind  of  art  which  very  nearly  approaches  oriental  repre- 


232  GRECIAN  ART   IN  MYCEN.E. 

sentation  and  oriental  technique.  It  can  easily  be  seen,  from 
the  works  of  art  found  by  the  excavations,  that  the  artists  of 
that  remote  time  did  not  care  so  much  to  give  true  representa- 
tions of  real  existing  things,  but  to  procure  to  dead  things,  as 
much  as  possible,  a  living,  graceful  form. 

Among  the  treasures,  a  golden  plate  was  found,  upon  which 
Heracles  is  engraved,  struggling  with  a  lion.  This  last 
engraving,  above  all  others,  may  serve  as  a  scientific  guide, 
through  the  labyrinth  of  the  treasures  of  Mycenae.  The 
struggles  of  Heracles  with  the  monsters  of  the  earth,  are  the 
property  of  Grecian  tradition;  hence,  we  have  not  to  deal 
with  Asiatic  or  India-European  art,  but  with  real,  purely 
Grecian  art. 

The  most  precious  objects  found  at  Mycenae,  are  collected  at 
Athens,  with  those  formerly  found  by  the  doctor  among  the 
treasures  of  Priamus,  and  are  preserved  in  the  vaults  of  an 
Ionian  bank. 

It  is  proper  that  we  should  allude  to  Dr.  Schliemann's 
heroic  wife,  of  whom,  as  his  most  valuable  and  sympathetic 
assistant  in  his  labors,  he  speaks,  as  is  most  fitting,  in  words 
which  constitute  her  highest  eulogy.  The  story  of  their  union 
reads  like  a  romance.  "  Mrs.  Schliemann  is  the  only  woman 
in  Greece  who  knows  the  Odyssey  by  heart.  The  Dr.  once 
said,  before  a  party  of  Athenians,  that  he  would  marry  the 
first  lady  who  could  recite  the  Odyssey.  A  fair  Greek  girl 
appeared  one  day,  unintroduced,  and  asking  if  the  promise 
was  genuine,  recited  Homer,  and  secured  her  home.  She  also 
secured  a  wife's  share  of  $1,000,000.  The  two  have  been 
faithfully  burrowing  among  its  ruins  themselves,  and  as  will 
be  seen  from  the  portrait,  she  is  proud  of  the  accomplishments 
of  her  husband,  and  wears  one  of  the  trophies  of  his  glory, 
the  head  apparel  of  queen  Helena,  whose  elopement  with 
Paris,  the  son  of  Priamus,  caused  the  Trojan  war. 

It  is  known  that  the  archaeological  society  of  Athens,  under 
whose  direction  Dr.  Schliemann  is  now  excavating  at  Mycenae, 
and  from  whom  he  has  met  with  no  little  opposition,  besides 
the  difficulties  arising  from  the  nature  of  the  ground,  which 


Si'ATUARY  AND   ARCHITECTURE.  233 

would  seem,  to  a  less  resolute  spirit,  almost  insurmountable, 
have  of  late  made  some  valuable  discoveries  at  Athens.  They 
have  cleared  away  the  debris  on  the  south  side  of  the  Acropo- 
olis,  and  have  discovered  the  temple  of  ^Esculapius,  where 
they  have  found  many  bas-reliefs  representing  the  goddess  of 
health,  and  two  very  beautiful  marble  heads,  nearly  perfect ; 
also,  some  inscriptions  of  great  historical  value.  They  have 
also  found  a  Byzantine  cave  under  the  rock.  This  circum- 
stance reminds  me  of  some  exquisite  specimens  of  sculpture 
seen  by  me,  while  in  Athens,  in  my  visit  to  the  Acropolis. 
From  these  we  return  to  the  recent  excavations  at  Olympia. 
These  are  carried  on  by  a  commission  from  the  German  and 
Greek  governments.  The  latest  discoveries  announced  are 
those  made  on  the  site  of  the  celebrated  temple  of  Jupiter, 
consisting,  among  others,  of  a  Doric  capital,  with  its  abacus 
in  excellent  preservation,  considered  as  belonging  to  one  of 
the  columns  supporting  the  eastern  pediment  of  the  temple, 
fragments  of  bronze,  and  terra-cotta  objects,  also,  of  the  mar- 
ble tiles  described  by  Pausanias  as  composing  the  roof;  and  a 
magnificent  torso,  supposed  to  be  the  statue  of  Jupiter,  one  of 
the  group  of  figures  adorning  the  pediment  of  the  temple. 
On"  the  last  day  of  the  year,  however,  a  telegram  was 
received  by  the  king  from  Dr.  Demetriades,  announcing  a 
discovery  which  has  filled  Athens  with  joy.  The  statue  of 
Nike*  (Victory),  one  of  the  group  in  the  pediment,  has  been 
found  imbedded  in  the  soft,  alluvial  soil,  in  an  almost  perfect 
condition — as  if  it  had  only  yesterday  been  taken  down  from 
its  lofty  pedestal.  It  is  said  to  be  a  figure  of  unmatched 
beauty  and  grandeur,  and  what  gives  it  a  higher  value  is  that 
the  name  of  Praxitiles  himself  is  engraved  on  it.  Thus  much 
is  as  yet  known,  but  details  are  eagerly  waited.  Archaeologi- 
cal discovery  is  eagerly  pursued  in  every  part  of  the  land,  of 
which  it  may  be  said  that  not  a  spadeful  can  be  turned,  with- 
out revealing  some  new  treasure  of  its  most  glorious  epoch. 
The  objects  found  by  Dr.  Schliemann  have  been  forwarded 
to  England,  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  National  Bank. 
They  have  been  placed  under  the  care  ef  that  institution  for 


234  THE   SECOND  TREASURY. 

safety,  and  will  remain  there  in  the  strong  room,  until  a  suitable 
museum  ean  be  provided,  when  they  will  all  be  labeled,  and 
will  be  exposed,  in  proper  cases,  for  the  public  to  see  them. 

It  is  a  fact  not  generally  known,  that  Dr.  Schliemann  is  not 
assisted  by  any  fellow-enthusiast  in  the  cause  of  archaeology, 
nor  is  he  in  the  employ  of  any  society.  He  defrays  the 
expenses  all  himself,  and  we  may  be  assured  that  they  are 
very  heavy. 

It  is  but  proper  that  we  should  allude  here  to  the  fact  that 
Mrs.  Schliemann  is  most  ably  and  energetically  assisting  her 
husband  in  the  discovery  of  the  treasures  of  the  ancients. 

The  dome  of  the  Second  Treasury  was  broken  in,  a  long 
time  ago,  and  therefore  it  is  better  known  to  antiquari- 
ans; but  Mrs.  Schliemann  has  now  thoroughly  excavated, 
and  explored  the  whole  building.  While  her  husband  was 
excavating  within  the  walls  of  the  Acropolis,  she  undertook 
the  excavation  of  this  relic  of  the  past,  and  the  approach  to  it, 
which  was  formerly  completely  concealed,  is  now  laid  bare. 
Its  position  is  close  to  the  Gate  of  Lions,  and  it  is  found  to 
differ  only  in  slight  details  from  the  other  one,  known  as  the 
Treasury  of  Athens.  The  lintel  over  the  doorway  is  the 
largest  stone  in  the  building.  It  is  twenty  feet  long,  seven 
feet  wide,  and  eighteen  inches  deep,  and  a  course  of  large 
stones  of  the  same  depth  is  carried  all  around  the  walls,  on 
the  same  level.  The  diameter  of  the  dome  is  a  little  less 
than  that  of  the  Treasury  of  Athens,  but  as  there  is  an  opening 
in  the  top,  by  which  the  light  enters,  the  view  is  not  so 
impressive.  The  inhabitants  of  Mycenae  did  not  seem  to  be 
acquainted  with  the  principle  of  the  arch,  as  the  dome  is  con- 
structed with  courses  placed  horizontally.  Dr.  Schliemann, 
pretending  that  Agamemnon  was  buried  here,  calls  it  the 
Tomb  of  Agamemnon;  others  have  named  it  the  Tomb  of  Cas- 
sandra. 

The  Treasury  of  Athens  shows  the  most  perfect  condition 
of  building  of  the  ancients.  The  second,  third,  and 'fourth 
treasuries  (there  are  four  in  all),  gradually  decrease  in  archi- 
tectural skill,  and  we  might  almost  say  of  the  fourth,  that  it 


HECTOR'S  TOMB.  235 


is  nothing  but  an  excavation  made  in  the  soil,  speedily  covered 
with  rough  stones.  It  is  covered  in  such  a  way  that  a  person 
entering  it  has  to  creep  on  all  fours. 

For  what  purpose  these  buildings  were  created,  remains  a 
mystery.  In  the  Homeric  age,  tombs  are  always  described  as 
"piled,"  or  "  heaped  up;"  they  are  always  mounds,  and  the 
fact  of  the  earth  covering  these  so-called  "treasuries,"  is  a 
strong  evidence  of  their  sepulchral  character;  but  the.  mag- 
nificently built  accessories  would  lead  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
belongs  to  a  period  posterior  to  the  Ilrad  and  the  Odyssey. 

Hector's  tomb  is  described  as  the  "  hollow  grave."  This 
was  the  primitive  cell,  which  became  developed  into  an 
unarched  dome.  Of  this,  many  examples  are  found  in  the 
tumuli  near  Kertch,  some  of  them  of  a  very  large  size,  and, 
though  different  in  construction,  they  afford  a  good  illustrative 
parallel.  In  the  structures  just  described,  we  find  a  developed 
architecture  which  seems  to  have  been  rich  with  metallic  deco- 
ration. Here  all  resemblance  to  the  simple  cell  of  the  hollow 
grave  has  been  lost,  and  now  the  foot  or  two  feet  of  earth, 
heaped  on  the  top,  is  nearly  all  that  is  left  to  remind  us  of  the 
original  mound,  from  which  this  style  of  tomb  had  its  origin. 


XY. 

MEXICO  AND  ITS  MINES. 

THE  USES  OF  SILVER — COIN  AND  ITS  ABUNDANCE — PUZZLES  OF  POLITICAL 
ECONOMISTS — WONDERFUL  SKILL  OF  THE  SILVER-WORKERS — THE  SILVER 
PRODUCT— THE  MINES  OF  MEXICO — THEIR  EXTENT  AND  RICHNESS— GUA- 
NAJUATO AND  ITS  MINES — THE  VETA.  MADRE— VISIT  TO  THE  SERRANO 
MINE — UNDERGROUND  PYROTECHNICS — THE  VETA  GXANDE—TUE  PACHUCA 
MINE — AN  OFFER  TO  THE  KING — THE  GROUND  PAVED  WITH  SILVER — 
SULPHUR  MINERS — ASCENT  OF  A  MEXICAN  MOUNTAIH. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  the  metals  is  the  one  known 
as  silver.  All  the  civilized  nations  use  it  for  the  manufacture 
of  coin  as  a  circulating  medium,  and  the  consumption  of  the 
metal  for  this  purpose  alone  is  very  great.  Political  econo- 
mists have  busied  themselves  with  the  problem  of  the  immense 
annual  waste  from  the  wearing  away  of  gold  and  silver,  but 
thus  far  they  have  met  with  no  success.  For  large  amounts, 
bank  notes — either  of  the  government  or  otherwise — are  in 
use,  and  have  many  advantages  over  coin.  But  for  small 
amounts,  gold  and  silver  have  not  been  replaced,  and  there  is 
little  probability  that  they  will  be.  Their  jingling  makes  an 
agreeable  sound,  but  unfortunately  it  reduces  the  weight  of 
the  coin,  and  wears  away,  particle  after  particle,  which  cannot 
be  saved  by  any  process  yet  invented. 

Silver  has  long  been  used  in  the  Arts,  and  its  whiteness  ren- 
ders it  particularly  desirable  for  this  purpose.  Of  late  years, 
it  has  taken  a  very  prominent  place,  especially  in  America, 
and  the  productions  of  the  silver-workers  border  on  the  mar- 
velous. At  the  Philadelphia  Exhibition,  the  display  of  silver 
ware  in  the  American  section 'was  such  as  to  attract  large 
crowds  at  all  hours  when  the  place  was  open  to  the  public, 
and  there  were  few  visitors  who  did  not  confess  themselves 


THE   SPANISH   MINERS.  237 

astonished  at  what  they  beheld.  There  was  an  endless  variety 
of  silver  work,  from  very  small  articles  up  to  very  large  ones. 
Down  to  a  few  years  ago,  the  English  and  other  people  over 
the  Atlantic  had  almost  a  monopoly  of  silver  work,  and  were 
justly  entitled  to  a  claim  for  superiority.  But  at  present,  the 
American  workmen  are  equal  to  any  competition,  and  some  of 
the  ornamental  pieces  they  have  recently  turned  out  cannot 
be  surpassed  anywhere  else  in  the  world. 

The  impetus  given  to  this  branch  of  Art  is  due,  to  some 
extent,  to  the  abundance  of  silver  in  the  Rocky  Mountains 
and  the  Sierra  Nevadas,  and  the  desire  to  make  as  much  use 
of  it  as  possible.  Some  have  feared  that  the  opening  of  so 
many  silver  mines  would  cheapen  the  metal,  and  cause  a  great 
shrinkage  in  the  value  of  that  now  on  hand,  but  up  to  the 
present,  no  such  result  has  been  reached.  Silver  has  taken 
the  place  of  gold,  for  many  uses,  and  if  matters  go  on  in  the 
future,  as  they  have  gone  in  the  past,  the  demand  will  long- 
continue  to  equal  the  supply. 

One  of  the  foremost  silver-producing  countries  in  the  world 
is  Mexico,  and  its  fame  extends  a  long  distance  into  the  past. 
The  metal  was  known  to  the  ancient  Aztecs,  and  was  worked 
by  them,  with  exquisite  skill,  into  numerous  ornamental  and 
useful  articles,  but  among  the  vast  mineral  treasures  of  Mon- 
tezuma,  the  quantity  of  silver  was  small  compared  with  that 
of  gold,  and  gave  little  promise  of  the  argentiferous  mines  of 
his  territories. 

The  Spaniards  had  a  keen  eye  for  valuable  things,  and  no 
sooner  did  they  find  what  the  country  contained  in  mineral 
wealth,  than  they  proceeded  at  once  to  develop  it. 

They  opened  mines  wherever  there  were  indications  of 
silver,  and  so  fast  did  they  progress  that  it  was  estimated,  at 
the  beginning  of  this  century,  that  operations  were  going  on 
in  from  four  thousand  to  five  thousand  localities,  which  might 
all  be  included  in  about  three  thousand  distinct  mines.  These 
were  scattered  along  the  range  of  the  Cordilleras  in  eight 
groups,  the  principal  of  which,  known  as  the  central  group, 
contains  the  famous  mining  districts  of  Guanajuato,  Catoree, 
13 


238  THE  ORE  IN  THE  MINES. 

Zacatecas,  and  Sombrerete,  and  furnished  more  than  half  of 
all  the  silver  produced  in  Mexico. 

The  great  vein,  or  Veta  Madre,  is  referred  to  elsewhere, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  deposits  anywhere  known. 
It  is  contained  chiefly  in  clay  slate,  and  crosses  the  southern 
slope  of  the  hills  in  a  northwest  and  southeast  direction,  dip- 
ping with  the  slates  (the  range  which  it  follows)  from  forty- 
five  to  forty  eight  degrees  toward  the  southwest.  The  width 
averages  a  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and  the  depth  is  unknown. 
It  has  been  traced  about  twelve  miles,  but  its  most  productive 
portion  thus  far,  or  rather,  the  portion  operated,  is  only  about 
a  tenth  of  that  distance. 

The  mines  of  Zacatecas,  opened  in  1548,  are  also  upon  a 
single  vein,  called  the  Yeta  Grande,  averaging  in  thickness 
about  thirty  feet.  The  formation  is  of  green  stone  and  clay 
slate,  the  former  the  most  productive.  The  veins  of  Catoree 
are  in  limestone,  supposed  to  be  of  carboniferous  age. 

The  greatest  proportion  of  silver  in  every  mining  district  of 
Mexico  is  obtained  from  the  sulphuret  of  silver,  an  ore  of  gray 
color,  disseminated  through  the  quartz  matrix  in  minute  par- 
ticles, arid  more  or  less  combined  with  other  metals.  The 
other  varieties  of  argentiferous  ores  are  numerous,  but  com- 
paratively small  in  quantity ;  they  are  the  chloride  of  silver, 
ruby  silver,  native  silver,  argentiferous  pyrites,  and  argentifer- 
ous galena. 

The  comparative  quantities  of  these,  at  the  different  mines, 
is  vory  variable,  and  few  of  the  miners  are  able  to  determine 
them  with  exactness.  Notwithstanding  the  antiquity  of  the 
silver  mining  business  in  Mexico,  the  processes  which  are 
employed  are  still  far  from  perfect,  and  greatly  behind  those 
of  the  Nevada  and  other  mines.  The  ore  in  Mexico  is  so  rich 
that  it  has  not  been  considered  worth  while  to  practice  any 
economy  or  to  bring  science  to  the  miner's  aid. 

Col.  Albert  S.  Evans,  who  made  a  journey  through  Mexico, 
a  few  years  ago,  gives  a  graphic  account  of  a  visit  to  the  Ser- 
rano mine,  in  the  vicinity  of  Guanajuato.  He  was  invited, 
with  several  others,  to  a  pyrotechnic  display  in  the  mine,  and 
thus  describes  it: 


THE   SERRANO    MINE.  239 

"  The  mine  is  situated  in  the  hill  below  the  Buffa,  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  city.  Five  hundred  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren are  employed  at  this  mine,  getting  out  the  ore,  breaking 
it  up,  and  sorting  it.  The  men  generally  work  in  small  gangs, 
for  a  share  of  the  sales  of  the  ore  they  take  out.  The  amount 
of  silver  mined,  weekly,  is  about  five  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  expenses  one  thousand  dollars,  leaving  a  net  profit  of  four 
thousand  dollars.  The  great  tiro  is  about  nine  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  in  depth. 

A  horizontal  tunnel  penetrates  the  hill  from  a  level  with 
the  hacienda,  cutting  the  tiro,  or  perpendicular  shaft,  at  four 
hundred  feet  from  the  surface.  This  tunnel  may  be  about 
fifteen  hundred  feet  in  length ;  a  railroad  track  runs  through 
it,  and  lying  down  in  the  cars,  we  were  carried  in  to  the  edge 
of  the  tiro. 

This  tiro  is  thirty  feet  in  diameter,  and  six  sided,  laid  up  in 
cement,  like  that  at  the  Yalenciano. 

The  necessity  for  this  is  seen  in  the  fact  that  a  rock,  weigh- 
ing many  tons,  was  displaced  from  a  station  near  the  bottom 
of  the  shaft,  a  few  days  pre  ious  to  our  visit,  and  falling  upon 
the  miners  beneath,  killed  and  maimed  a  large  number  of 
them. 

Standing  here,  four  hundred  feet  below  the  surface  of  the 
earth,  and  six  hundred  feet  above  the  bottom  of  the  shaft, 
with  a  patch  of  pale  blue  sky  far  above  us,  and  inky  darkness, 
almost  palpable  to  the  touch,  around  us,  and  filling  all  the 
depths  below,  we  witnessed  the  most  wonderful  scene  on  which 
we  gazed  in  Mexico. 

Men  were  sent  up  to  the  top  of  the  tiro  at  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  and  told  to  discharge  rockets  down  it.  This  they  did, 
and  the  hissing  and  explosions  of  the  fiery  messengers  caused 
the  most  deafening  echoes  and  re-echoes,  while  the  sides  of 
the  shaft,  dripping  with  ooze  and  slime,  were  revealed  with 
startling  distinctness  by  the  momentary  glare. 

But  this  was  nothing  to  what  followed ;  balls  of  the  fiber  of 
the  maguey,  or  aloe  plant,  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  steeped 
in  pine  pitch  or  resin,  were  swung  out  over  the  mouth  of  the 


240         DOWN  TO  THE  BOTTOM  OF  THE  MINE. 

shaft,  and  set  on  fire.  When  the  first  was  in  full  blaze,  it  was 
detached,  and  allowed  to  fall  into  the  abyss.  Like  a  great 
comet  with  body  of  molten  metal,  and  long  tail  of  flame, 
rushing  on  a  doomed  planet,  the  monster  projectile  came  down 
from  the  dizzy  height  above  us,  and  passing  the  mouth  of  the 
tunnel  in  which  we  stood,  with  a  roar  more  deafening  than 
the  loudest  thunder,  went  bounding  and  crashing  into  the 
depths  below,  illuminating  everything,  for  a  moment,  with 
the  blinding,  lurid  glare,  followed  by  a  darkness  and  silence 
more  profound  than  before.  As  soon  as  the  tremendous 
echoes  which  were  awakened  by  the  first,  had  died  away,  a 
second  was  sent  down,  and  others  followed  in  quick  suc- 
cession. 

Most  of  our  party  were  unable  to  control  their  nerves  suffi- 
ciently to  enable  them  to  approach  the  edge  and  look  up  and 
down  the  tiro,  holding  by  ropes  to  prevent  them  from  becom- 
ing dizzy  and  falling  headlong  into  the  depths,  but  those  who 
could  do  so,  beheld  a  scene,  the  awful  sublimity  and  grandeur 
of  which  beggars  all  the  powers  of  language. 

The  remainder  of  the  party  now  left,  and  I,  in  company 
with  the  superintendent,  clothing  myself  in  a  miner's  suit,  to 
keep  off  the  water  and  mud,  descended  to  the  bottom  of  the 
mine,  one  thousand  feet  and  more  from  the  surface. 

We  went  down  ladder  after  ladder,  along  gallery  after  gal- 
lery, through  chambers  like  great  churches  in  size,  and  others 
in  which  we  could  not  stand  erect,  down  steps  cut  in  the  rock, 
and  so  slippery  with  dripping  water  and  soft  clay,  as  to  compel 
us  to  use  an  iron-shod  staff  to  support  ourselves,  and  through 
many  a  winding  turning,  until  we  stood  at  the  bottom  of  the 
tiro,  wet  through  with  perspiration,  and  trembling  with  ex- 
haustion. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  tiro  is  a  great  pond  of  water,  the  res- 
ervoir into  which  all  the  drainings  of  the  mine  are  gathered, 
and  the  buckets  on  the  great  cables,  worked  by  the  malacates 
at  the  top,  were  constantly  coming  and  going  between  it  and 
the  end  of  the  tunnel  six  hundred  feet  above.  These  buckets 
will  hold  three  to  four  hogsheads  of  water,  and  are  made  of 


PRIMITIVE   APPLIANCES   FOR  MINING.  241 

rawhide,  in  the  form  of  an  ordinary  Mexican  water  jar.  An 
iron  ring  distends  the  mouth  of  the  bucket,  and  when  the 
vessel  descends,  the  wet  hide  flattening  down  allows  the  water 
to  rush  in,  and  as  the  lifting  commences,  it  falls  back  into  its 
original  form,  filled  to  the  brim  with  the  dirty  fluid.  When 
the  bucket  reaches  the  level  of  the  tunnel,  it  is  hauled  into 
the  opening,  and  as  the  cable  is  slackened  up,  it  flattens  down 
again,  and  the  water,  escaping  over  the  rim,  runs  off  down  the 
side  of  the  tunnel. 

But  there  are  still  lower  depths.  We  went  down  nearly 
two  hundred  feet  more,  and  at  the  bottom  of  the  last  level, 
found  men  at  work  taking  out  ore.  The  dripping  of  the  water 
at  this  point  is  very  considerable,  and  two  plans  are  made  use 
of  to  get  rid  of  it.  A  part  of  the  water  is  carried  up  to  the 
reservoir  in  pig  skins  on  the  backs  of  naked  and  sweating 
Indians,  and  a  part — the  larger  part — is  pumped  up  to  that 
point  by  hand. 

The  pumps  are  mere  straight  logs,  thirty  feet  long,  with  a 
bore  of  three  inches,  and  a  piston  and  bucket,  pulled  and 
pushed,  back  and  forth,  by  two  stalwart  Indians  sitting  on 
either  side,  working  by  main  strength,  without  even  a  lever 
purchase  to  help  them  along.  There  are  stations  or  reservoirs 
at  the  end  of  each  pump,  and  all  must  be  kept  continually 
working,  night  and  day.  The  Indian  pumpers  sit  down  to 
their  work  upon  the  wet  rock,  and  are  as  naked  as  when  born ; 
the  great  heat  and  want  of  ventilation  at  this  depth,  rendering 
clothing,  if  they  had  it,  a  superfluity. 

They  get  fifty  cents  each,  per  day,  and  work  twelve  hours  at 
a  shift.  In  all  my  mining  experience,  I  have  never  seen  such 
a  waste  of  power,  and  such  thoroughly  primitive  appliances 
for  mining. 

I  went  through  many  of  the  galleries  and  drifts,  and  exam- 
ined the  vein  carefully.  The  main  vein  is  five  to  twelve  feet 
wide,  quite  irregular,  and  runs  in  a  generally  southwestern 
and  northeastern  direction,  dipping  to  the  southwestward  as 
it  descends. 

It  carries  metal  in  a  very  unequal  degree  in  different  por- 


242  THE  BESCATA. 

tions,  and  though  presenting  rich  specimens,  and  bunches  of 
almost  pure  silver  in  spots,  is  not  generally  very  rich. 

In  one  chamber,  I  saw  a  number  of  mules  and  horses  feed- 
ing, a  thousand  feet  below  the  surface.  These  poor  creatures 
are  let  down  in  slings,  from  the  surface,  through  the  tiro,  and 
never  go  out  again  alive.  They  turned  their  glazing  eyes 
upon  us  with  evident  pain  as  we  passed  with  lighted  torches, 
and  appeared  to  regard  us  with  mournful  interest,  as  in  some 
way  connected  with  the  world  above,  of  which  they  still 
retained  some  dim  recollection,  but  which  they  were  never  to 
look  upon  again. 

In  another  chamber,  I  saw  women  and  children  cooking 
food  for  their  husbands  and  parents.  They  appeared  to  live 
here,  altogether,  probably  returning  to  the  light  of  day  only 
at  long  intervals.  Utterly  worn  out,  at  last  we  climbed  our 
way  back  to  the  tunnel, -emerging  into  daylight  just  as  the 
sun  was  setting,  swallowed  a  liberal  allowance  of  brandy,  to 
protect  ourselves  against  taking  cold,  mounted  our  horses,  and 
galloped  back  to  the  city. 

The  weekly  sale  of  ores  at  the  several  mines,  is  called  the 
rescata.  One  at  the  Serrano,  I  attended.  The  ore  is  placed 
on  the  ground,  each  miner's  work  in  a  separate  lot,  and  the 
buyers  sample  it  before  the  sale.  It  is  sold  in  the  lump,  by 
guess,  not  by  weight,  the  buyer  taking  his  chances  on  the 
amount.  The  auctioneer  stands  silent,  under  an  umbrella, 
while  the  miners  who  have  a  small  interest  in  the  sales,  over 
and  above  their  wages,  volubly  shout  the  praises  of  the  lot  in 
turn.  As  each  lot  is  put  up,  the  buyers  singly  whisper  their 
bids  in  the  ear  of  the  auctioneer,  and  when  all  have  bid,  he 
announces  who  bid  the  highest ;  the  other  bids  are  not  named. 

The  chances  for  collusion  seem,  to  me,  to  be  very  great. 
Some  lots  brought  as  high  as  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the 
aggregate  sales  exceeded  six  thousand  five  hundred  dollars,  at 
\      this  rescata.     This  -ended  our  sight-seeing  in  Guanajuato.'* 

The  silver  mines  of  Northern  Mexico,  near  the  boundary  of 
the  United  States,  are  supposed  to  be  of  great  value,  also,  but 
their  development  has  been  retarded  by  the  hostility  of  the 


THE   REAL   DEL   MONTE.  243 

Apache  and  Comanche  Indians,  who  hold  possession  of  por 
tions  of  the  territories. 

Mining  operations,  however,  have  been  undertaken,  of  late, 
upon  the  Rio  Grande,  and  also  over  the  American  line  in  Ari- 
zona territory,  the  products  of  which  are  already  reaching  the 
United  States.  Central  America  possesses  no  silver  mines 
that  are  worked  to  much  extent,  but  rich  ores  are  known  to 
exist  in  Honduras,  Nicaragua,  and  Costa  Rica. 

A  very  rich  mine  in  Mexico  is  the  one  known  as  the 
Pachuca,  in  the  group  of  the  Real  del  Monte,  and  it  has  been 
worked  almost  from  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  the  country 
by  Cortes.  The  most  successful  operator  was  Pedro  Terreras, 
a  muleteer,  who  found  a  shaft  something  more  than  a  hundred 
years  ago.  He  made  so  much  money  from  it  that  he  gave  the 
King  of  Spain  two  ships  of  war,  and  promised  him,  if  he 
would  visit  the  country,  he  should  have  the  ground  paved  with 
silver,  and  should  not  be  required  to  put  his  royal  foot  on  the 
plebeian  earth.  The  king  did  not  come,  but  he  made  the 
enthusiastic  Terreras  a  member  of  the  nobility  under  the 
name  of  Count  of  Regla.  The  mines  yield  about  four  million 
dollars  annually,  and  the  Regla  family  is  one  of  the  richest 
in  Mexico.  The  ore  yields  about  a  hundred  dollars  a  ton,  and 
the  miners  are  carefully  searched  every  time  they  come  up 
from  their  work.  They  wear  only  the  lightest  possible  gar- 
ments, which  are  changed  and  shaken  whenever  the  gangs  are 
relieved. 

An  interesting  feature  of  mining  life  in  Mexico  is  the  search 
for  sulphur  in  the  craters  of  volcanoes.  Popocatapetl  and 
Orizaba  are  the  principal  mountains  where  this  substance  is 
sought,  and  an  extensive  business  is  carried  on.  The  sulphur 
rises  in  the  form  of  vapor,  and  is  condensed  around  the  crater 
of  the  volcano'.  It  requires  several  years  for  an  accumulation 
sufficiently  tbick  to  pay  the  expense  of  collection,  and  some- 
times the  work  is  very  dangerous.  Men  are  let  down  by  ropes 
into  the  interior  of  the  mountain,  and  sometimes  they  are 
killed  by  the  heat  and  noxious  gases.  The  miners  are  a  hardy 
race,  and  seem  to  enjoy  their  venturesome  occupation. 


244  ASCENT  TO  THE  CRATERS. 

The  ascent  of  these  mountains  is  at  all  times  difficult  and 
fatiguing,  and  very  few  persons,  other  than  the  miners,  ever 
attempt  it.  Sometimes  an  adventurous  traveler  happens  along, 
and  is  not  satisfied  till  he  has  made  the  ascent  of  one  or  both 
of  the  mountains,  but  he  generally  accumulates  enough  fatigue 
to  last  him  several  months. 

Of  this  number  is  Mr.  D.  S.  Richardson,  United  States  Sec- 
retary of  Legation,  who,  in  February,  1877,  climbed  the  peak 
of  Orizaba,  or  Citlatepetl,  as  it  is  called  by  the  Aztecs,  the 
star  mountain  of  the  Anahuac.  He  had  previously  climbed 
to  the  top  of  Popocatepetl,  and  from  its  summit  had  gazed  out 
over  a  sea  of  clouds  to  the  frozen  top  of  its  mighty  rival,  and 
now  the  position  was  reversed.  Mr.  Richardson  was  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Eustace  Morphy,  who,  with  indomitable  pluck, 
held  out  to  the  last.  The  point  from  which  the  ascent  of  Ori- 
zaba is  generally  undertaken  is  San  Andres  Chalchicomula,  a 
pleasant  little  town,  which  lies  directly  under  the  great  vol- 
cano, at  its  southwestern  base.  Here  the  sulphur-miners  and 
the  ice-cutters  come  down  to  sell  the  products  of  their  hazard- 
ous industry.  The  time  selected,  February  5th,  was  not  at  all 
favorable  for  the  ascent.  The  miners  and  guides  had  all  come 
down,  and  reported  the  ascension  impossible  for  several  days 
to  come ;  there  had  been  no  such  storm  in  fifty  years,  they 
said,  and  to  attempt  to  go  up  was  simply  madness. 

Richardson  and  his  companion  yielded  to  their  advice,  and 
for  a  few  days  engaged  in  a  hunting  expedition — which,  how- 
ever, was  a  failure  in  so  far  as  finding  game  was  concerned. 
They  saw  one  rabbit,  and  heard  wolves  and  coyotes  howling ; 
but  that  was  all.  They  were  high  up  the  mountain  side,  the 
weather  was  pleasant,  and,  as  they  had  plenty  of  provisions, 
and  no  thought  of  care,  they  enjoyed  the  interval  with  a  sense 
of  absolute  freedom.  It  was  cold  sometimes,  and  at  night  the 
little  stars  would  look  down  freezingly  through  the  tops  of  the 
pines,  as  if  in  derision  of  their  foolishness ;  but  these  discom- 
forts were  as  nothing  compared  with  subsequent  ones. 

At  one  o'clock  on  the  10th  of  February,  they  began  their 
climb  up  the  mountain.  For  several  hours  their  path  wound 


THE   ASCENT   OF  THE  ORIZABA.  245 

up  through  the  desolate  ravines  which  separate  the  Sierra 
Negra  from  the  peak.  Great  masses  of  volcanic  rock  were 
observed  in  fantastic  shapes  on  every  side,  and  on  the  entire 
face  of  the  country,  half  covered  with  snow,  could  be  read  the 
signs  of  the  savage  convulsions  which  some  day  must  have 
shaken  the  mountains  to  their  foundations.  On  the  morning 
of  the  llth,  the  party  resumed  their  march  "at  two  o'clock, 
and  the  ascent  is  thus  described  by  Secretary  Richardson : 

"We  were  six,  all  told,  four  Indians,  Morphy,  and  myself. 
No  party  ever  tried  an  ascent  with  better  fellows  for  guides. 
They  knew  every  inch  of  the  ground,  were  strong  and  good- 
natured,  and  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  success  of  our  enter- 
prise. As  we  were  the  first  to  go  up  after  the  heavy  storms, 
we  went  prepared  to  have  a  tough  climb.  The  Indians  said 
we  would  reach  the  top  by  ten  o'clock,  which  was  giving  us 
seven  hours  to  do  it  in.  Under  ordinary  circumstances,  and 
when  the  snow  is  in  the  best  condition,  the  sulphur  miners  go 
up  in  five  or  six  hours  from  the  cave,  but  on  the  present  occa- 
sion they  had  underestimated  the  difficulties.  The  snow  was 
low  down  and  very  heavy,  and  long  before  the  sun  peeped  up 
over  the  murky  horizon,  we  were  hopelessly  launched  upon 
the  long,  glistening  slant,  one  end  of  which  seemed  reaching 
out  to  touch  the  stars,  and  the  other  shot  far  below  us  into  a 
bank  of  clouds. 

"  Sunlight  found  us  on  the  soutn  side  of  the  mountain,  on  a 
level  about  equal  to  the  height  of  the  Sierra  Negra.  The 
ascent  now  began  to  be  very  laborious,  and,  for  the  first  time, 
we  began  cutting  foot-steps  in  the  ice  in  order  to  proceed. 
When  half  way  up  the  mountain,  the  route  usually  taken  is 
along  a  ledge  of  rocks  which  reaches  up  out  of  the  snow  like 
the  dorsal  fin  of  a  shark,  and  runs  clear  to  the  top.  In  this 
respect,  Orizaba  differs  very  much  from  its  kindred  peak,  Popo- 
catapetl.  Sharp,  jagged  points  of  rock  stick  out  all  over  its 
surface  like  the  spines  of  a  porcupine,  while  the  summit  of 
Popocatapetl  is  a  clean,  unbroken  cone.  These  rocks  on  the 
slopes  of  Orizaba  are  one  of  the  principal  sources  of  danger 
in  the  ascent,  as  they  often  come  tumbling  down  in  great 


246  THB  ASCENT  OF  THE  ORIZABA. 

quantities;  but  at  the  time  of  our  adventure,  they  were  all 
held  fast  by  the  unusually  heavy  fall  of  snow.  This  was  a 
point  in  our  favor;  but  if  we  did  not  have  to  dodge  rocks, 
there  was  no  lack  of  active  operations  in  other  respects.  The 
higher  we  went  the  more  abrupt  became  the  ascent,  and  the 
more  uncertain  the  foothold.  Ten  o'clock  came  around,  and 
the  summit  was  still  far  above  us. 

"  Every  step  now  had  to  be  cut  out  of  the  solid  ice,  and  the 
fatigue  and  light  air  were  beginning  to  tell  on  our  uninitiated 
muscles.  At  eleven  o'clock,  we  were  at  the  foot  of  what  is 
known  as  the  r%oeks  of  the  arrepentimiento.  This  is  the  last 
grand  pull,  the  home-stretch,  and  it  could  not  be  more  appro- 
priately named.  It  is  probably  not  over  three  hundred  yards 
to  the  top,  but  it  is  almost  a  perpendicular  wall  of  ice,  and  as 
it  is  reached  when  the  adventurer  is  already  fainting  and  about 
ready  to  give  up,  it  is  a  formidable  obstacle.  We  were  three 
hours  in  getting  over  it,  and  then,  almost  fainting,  and  com- 
pletely exhausted,  we  threw  ourselves  down  on  a  little  shelf 
of  sand  at  the  top  of  the  peak." 

It  was  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  they  reached  the 
summit,  just  eleven  hours  after  their  departure  from  the  Cave 
of  Santa  Cruz,  which  is  itself  no  less  than  thirteen  thousand 
feet  above  the  sea.  Two  of  their  Indians  left  the  party,  pre- 
ferring to  climb  the  mountain  the  next  morning,  to  spending 
the  night  on  its  top.  Mr.  Richardson  says  that  that  was  the 
most  horrible  night  he  ever  hopes  to  pass.  He  says: 

"  Shortly  after  our  arrival,  a  cold  wind  came  up  that  struck 
us  to  the  very  bone.  There  was  no  shelter  to  be  obtained,  as 
the  descent  into  the  crater  was  impossible,  and  the  excavations 
from  which  the  Indians  take  sulphur  were  covered  deep  with 
ice  and  snow.  The  bald,  naked  peak  presented  but  one  point 
where  it  was  possible  to  spend  the  night.  A  little  below  the 
lip  of  the  crater,  on  the  southern  side,  a  little  steam  escapes 
through  a  bed  of  sand,  and  here  the  snow  is  melted  off  a 
spot  about  a  rod  square.  Into  this  sand  we  scratched  a  hole, 
and,  pulling  our  blankets  over  us,  laid  down.  We  had  no  eyes 
for  the  magnificent  panorama  which  was  spread  out  before  us, 


TfiiS   CRATER  OF  THE   ORIZABA.  247 

or  the  sun,  which  was  going  down  blood-red  in  the  west ;  we 
were  too  utterly  miserable  and  cold. 

"  I  do  not  think  any  of  us  slept  a  wink  all  night.  Our 
blankets  froze  stiff  as  boards,  and  all  attempts  to  light  a  little 
spirit  lamp  and  make  coffee  were  fruitless.  We  could  not 
even  drink  our  wine,  for  it  had  turned  to  ice  in  the  bottles. 
Thus  hour  after  hour  of  the  longest  night  1  ever  spent  dragged 
by,  and  at  length  signs  of  day  began  to  creep  up  slowly  from 
the  east.  Almost  too  stupefied  and  stiff  to  move,  we  were 
only  induced  to  crawl  out  from  our  holes  by  the  stern  realiza- 
tion of  our  desperate  situation.  The  wind,  too,  now  began  to 
go  down  somewhat,  and  after  moving  about  a  little  we  felt 
better.  Making  our  way  up  to  the  topmost  pinnacle,  we 
planted  our  flagstaff  and  unfurled  our  blood-red  banner  to  the 
breeze. 

"  The  crater  of  Orizaba,  which  is  much  smaller  than  that  of 
Popocatapetl,  is  still  an  awful  chasm,  and  is  probably  not  far 
from  two  miles  in  circumference.  We  could  not  take  meas- 
urements of  it,  as  all  the  instruments  were  down  the  mountain 
with  the  other  party.  It  shows  no  signs  of  life,  and  with  the 
exception  of  the  heated  sand  on  which  we  passed  the  night, 
we  failed  to  notice  any  evidences  of  volcanic  action  still  going 
on.  But  what  a  contrast  this  awful  stillness  to  the  great  con- 
vulsions of  which  this  mountain  has  once  been  the  center. 
We  had  a  magnificent  view/  for  about  an  hour  after  sunrise, 
and  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  peak  after  peak  of  lesser 
magnitude  told  the  story  of  its  volcanic  birth.  By  a  queer 
coincidence,  I  had  brought  The  Last  Days  of  Pompeii  with  me 
to  read  in  leisure  moments,  and  as  I  looked  out  over  the  world 
at  my  feet,  and  thought  of  Bulwer's  vivid  description  of  the 
last  days  of  that  doomed  city,  the  thought  suggested  itself, 
'who  knows  how  many  Pompeiis  are  buried  beneath  these 
hoary  hills,  and  what  tales  might  these  rocks  repeat  if  they 
would?'" 


XVI. 

CORAL  REtFS  AND  CAVES  IN  THE  PACIFIC. 

THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  PACIFIC — HOW  THEY  HAVE  BEEN  FORMED — WHAT  THE 
CORAL  IS — THE  WONDROUS  ARCHITECTS  OF  THE  SEA — WHAT  A  UNITED 
STATES  STEAMER  SAW — HOW  THE  CORAL  IS  FISHED  FOR — ROMANTIC  STORY 
OF  A  CAVERN — HOW  IT  WAS  DISCOVERED — AN  ELOPEMENT  AND  EXERCISE 
IN  DIVING — LOVE  AND  TURTLES— A  BATTLE  IN  THE  WATER— KILLED  BY 

SHARKS — A   MAIDEN'S   GRIEF — THE    PERIL    OF    A    LOVER — SURPRISING    A 

FATHER-IN-LAW — END  OF   A   SUBMARINE    COURTSHIP. 

The  waters  of  the  Pacific  ocean  contain  thousands  of  islands 
far  away  from  the  coast.  Their  presence  is  recognized,  long 
before  they  become  visible,  by  clouds  directly  above  them  in 
the  otherwise  clear  sky.  The  land  absorbs  the  heat  of  the 
sun,  and  accumulates  it  faster  than  the  water ;  soon  an  ascend- 
ing current  of  warm  air  is  formed,  carrying  up  moisture  into 
the  colder  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  where  it  is  condensed 
and  forms  clouds.  A  similar  phenomenon  is  observed  in  our 
western  plains,  where  the  sky  is  frequently  clear  enough  in 
the  morning,  but  by  ten  or  eleven  o'clock,  enough  heat  has 
been  accumulated  to  cause  the  formation  of  clouds. 

The  islands  of  the  Pacific  are  of  two  kinds,  called  the  higher 
and  the  lower.  The  lower  rise  but  seven,  ten,  and  rarely  as 
high  as  one  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea ;  while  the 
higher  islands  reach  an  elevation  of  10,000, 12,000,  and  even 
15,000  feet.  There  is  no  transition  between  them.  The  most 
remarkable  are  the  lower  islands.  Their  appearance  is  very 
peculiar.  In  the  first  place,  the  eye  is  arrested  by  a  white 
beach;  then  comes  a  line  of  verdure,  due  to  tropical  trees; 
then  a  lagoon  of  quiet  water,  of  a  whitish  or  a  yellowish 
color,  then  another  line  of  verdure,  and  finally,  beyond  all, 
the  dark,  blue  waves  of  the  ocean.  Whitsuntide  Island  is  a 
remarkable  model  of  the  structure  of  these  islands: 


THE  ISLANDS  OF  THE  PACIFIC.  249 

It  is  a  ring  rising  seven  or  eight  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
enclosing  a  lagoon,  and  presenting  the  characteristics  just 
described.  The  lagoon  inside  is  but  a  few  fathoms  deep ;  but 
on  the  outside  of  the  island,  the  water  is  fifteen  thousand  feet 
deep.  Here,  then,  we  evidently  have  a  tower-like  structure 
reaching  up  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea,  and  having  a  depres- 
sion in  its  summit.  Some  of  these  lower  islands  are  fifty 
miles  across,  but  most  of  them  are  not  so  large.  In  some  the 
ring  is  broken  at  several  points,  and  these  are  designated  by 
the  Malay  word  atoll. 

The  island  of  Tahiti,  the  principal  one  of  the  Society  Islands 
is  a  good  example  of  the  second  class  or  higher  islands.  It 
rises  seven  thousand  to  eight  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  has  no  lagoon  in  its  center,  but  a  crater,  and  the 
water  around  it  is  very  deep.  It  may,  in  fact,  be  considered 
as  a  mountain  rising  to  a  height  of  some  eighteen  thousand 
feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Outside  of  it  is  a  double 
girdle  of  low  islands,  one  near,  which  Darwin  calls  a  fringing 
reef,  and  one  further  out,  to  which  he  gives  the  name  of  a 
barrier  reef. 

On  examining  these  reefs,  and  the  lower  islands,  their  struc- 
ture will  be  found  made  up  entirely  of  animal  remains,  genera- 
tion after  generation  having  left  their  homes,  consisting  of 
limestone,  to  accumulate  there.  On  the  top,  we  find  these 
animals  living  and  growing,  in  all  colors,  shapes,  and  sizes. 
The  highest  islands,  on  the  contrary,  except  those  near  the 
continent,  like  Borneo,  Sumatra,  etc.,  are  entirely  volcanic, 
and  do  not  contain  sandstone,  granite,  or  gneiss,  like  the 
mountains  of  the  continent. 

The  limestone  of  the  lower  islands  is  not  due  to  sedimental 
deposits  from  the  ocean,  but  is  the  work  of  the  coral  animal, 
the  great  architect  of  the  sea. 

The  great  savant,  Prof.  Agassiz,  describes  them  as  follows : 

"  These  animals  are  but  a  sac,  like  the  finger  of  a  glove,  only 
more  leathery.  Around  the  mouth  is  a  series  of  tentacles, 
formed  by  a  prolongation  of  the  skin.  They  are  all  skin,  in 
fact,  and  have  no  special  organs,  yet  they  digest  food  with 


250  WHAT  THE  CORAL  IS. 

tremendous  rapidity,  absorbing  it  directly.  It  makes  no  differ- 
ence if  you  turn  them  inside  out ;  they  will  digest  just  as  well 
as  before.  You  cannot  kill  them  by  dividing  them ;  for  they 
live  all  over,  like  a  plant.  For  this  reason  they  have  been 
called  zoophytes.*  If  you  cut  one  into  eight  parts,  each  part 
will  live  and  set  up  in  business  for  itself.  Like  all  other 
animals,  however,  they  grow  out  of  eggs.  The  eggs  are 
formed  within  the  skin,  which  is  double,  and  divided  into  cells 
by  partitions  or  septa.  When  mature,  they  detach  themselves, 
move  about  in  the  water  until  they  find  a  favorable  place,  and 
then  establish  a  new  colony.  They  do  not  contribute  to  the 
growth  of  their  parent  colony,  which  is  effected  in  another 
way. 

"  On  examining  a  piece  of  coral,  it  is  seen  to  be  full  of  little 
holes,  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  places  for  the  stomachs  of 
the  animals,  but  this  is  not  so,  at  all ;  the  coral  animal  does 
not  form  a  secretion  around  it  like  the  mollusks,f  but  inside, 
between  the  two  folds  of  its  skin.  Coral  is,  therefore,  the 
bones  and  not  the  skull  of  the  animal.  As  before  stated, 
these  animals  work  in  societies  or  colonies,  and  their  tendency 
is  to  repeat  the  forms  peculiar  to  each  species ;  thus  we  have 
corals  shaped  like  a  hand,  like  the  branches  of  trees,  like 
mushrooms,  like  a  brain,  with  its  convolutions.  They  grow 
and  multiply  in  these  societies  by  budding  or  gemmation. 
The  side  of  the  animal  begins  to  bulge  out,  and  the  protuber- 
ance so  formed  develops  into  a  new  mouth,  which  soon  cats 
and  digests  for  itself,  but  does  not  separate  from  its  parent. 
This  process  goes  on  symmetrically,  and  produces  the  variety 
of  regular  shapes  just  described. 

"  Some  distance  below  the  surface,  we  no  longer  find  these 
beautiful  shapes,  but  a  dense,  solid,  coral  rock.  Take  for 
instance,  the  coral  reefs  of  Florida.  Beginning  one  hundred 

*  The  term  Zoophyte  is  applied  to  simple  polyps  and  compound  individuals 
consisting  of  many  polyps  united  together,  as  in  most  corals.  They  often  branch 
like  vegetation,  and  the  polyps  resemble  flowers  in  form. 

t  Molluaks  are  invertebrate  animals,  haying  a  soft,  fleshy  body,  which  is  inar- 
ticulate, and  not  radiate  internally. 


WHAT  THE  CORAL  IS.  251 

and  twenty  feet  below  the  surface,  we  first  find  about  thirty 
feet  of  massive  rock,  then  the  astraea,*  then  the  meandrina,t 
and  about  ten  feet  below  the  surface  the  palmata  or  hand- 
shaped  coral.  In  the  shallow  mud  between  the  reefs  and  the 
continent,  there  are  multitudes  of  branching  corals  of  the  most 
beautiful  forms,  colors,  and  delicacy  of  structure.  The  pro- 
duction of  coral  rock  is  explained  partly  by  the  mechanical 
action  of  the  waves,  and  partly  by  the  destruction  of  the  coral 
insect  by  the  sea  urchin  and  other  animals  that  feed  on  it. 
The  waves  disintegrate  the  structure  formed  by  the  animal, 
and  then  roll  back  the  coral  sand,  thus  produced  upon  it,  where 
it  undergoes  a  process  of  induration  in  the  course  of  time. 

"  It  is  an  interesting  question  how  the  structure  ever  rises 
above  the  water  level,  seeing  that  the  animal  which  makes  it 
cannot  live  out  of  the  water.  The  little  architects  retain 
enough  sea  water  to  last  them  over  until  the  next  tide,  and 
are  so  enabled  to  work  up  to  the  highest  watermark.  Actinia 
have  been  observed  all  closed  up  on  the  rock  at  low  water, 
and  then  suddenly  opened  like  magnificent  flowers,  five  and 
six  inches  in  diameter,  when  the  tide  rose." 

So  far,  what  Mr.  Agassiz  says  of  them ;  now  let  us  try  and 
look  at  them  ourselves.  In  the  hot,  summer  months,  when 
the  waters  are  bringing  forth  the  moving  creature  that  has 
life,  millions  of  diminutive,  jelly-like  spawn  are  thrown  out  by 
the  parent  animal.  For  a  while,  they  enjoy  their  freedom, 
and  seem  to  luxuriate  in  the  exercise  of  their  powers  of  loco- 
motion, which  they  are  never  hereafter  to  recover;  but  soon 
they  become  weary,  and  settle  down  upon  some  firm,  stationary 
body.  At  once  they  begin  to  change  their  form ;  they  become 
star-like,  the  mouth  being  surrounded  by  tentacles,  very  much 
as  the  center  of  a  flower  is  surrounded  by  its  leaves.  After 
some  time,  each  one  of  these  ray-like  parts  pushes  out  exten- 
sions, which  in  their  turn  assume  the  shape  of  tiny  stars,  and 
establish  their  own  existence  by  means  of  an  independent 
mouth.  In  the  meanwhile,  lime  has  been  deposited  at  the 

*  Astraea,  a  coral  in  the  shape  of  a  star. 

tMeandrina,  a  genus  of  corals  with  meandering  cells,  as  the  brain-stone  coral. 


252  WHAT  THE   CORAL  IS. 

base  of  the  little  animal,  by  its  own  unceasing  activity,  and 
forms  a  close-fitting  foot,  which  adheres  firmly  to  the  rock. 
Upon  this  slender  foundation  arises  another  layer,  and  thus  by 
incessant  labor,  story  upon  story,  until  at  last  a  tree  has 
grown  up  with  branches  spreading  in  all  directions.  But 
where  the  plants  of  the  upper  world  bear  leaves  and  flowers, 
there  buds  forth  here,  from  the  hard  stone,  a  living,  sensitive 
animal,  moving  at  will,  and  clad  in  the  gay  form  and  bright 
colors  of  a  flower. 

This  flower  is  the  animal  itself,  seen  only  in  its  native  ele- 
ment, and  unfit  for  air  and  light.  What  we  call  coral  is  its 
house,  outside  of  which  it  prefers  to  live,  rather  than  within. 

How  they  build  their  dwelling,  human  eye  has  never  seen. 
We  only  know  that  the  tiny  animals,  by  some  mysterious 
power,  absorb  without  ceasing  the  almost  imperceptible  par- 
ticles of  lime  which  are  contained  in  all  salt-water,  and  deposit 
them,  one  by  one,  in  the  interior.  This  is  done,  now  more, 
now  less  actively;  and  the  denser  the  deposit  is,  the  more 
valuable  the  coral.  Gradually  this  substance  hardens  and 
thickens,  until,  in  the  precious  coral,  the  Isis  Noliles  of 
science,  a  large  tree  is  formed,  which  often  reaches  the  size 
of  a  man's  waist.  It  is  perfectly  solid  and  compact,  and 
adorned  on  the  surface  with  delicate  parallel  lines.  Thus,  on 
the  tree-shaped  limestone,  grows  the  life-endowed  body  of  the 
polypus;  it  moves,  it  feeds,  it  produces  others,  and  then  is 
turned  again  into  stone,  burying  itself  in  its  own  rocky  house, 
whilst  on  its  grave  new  generations  build  unceasingly  new 
abodes. 

This  is  the  so-called  blood-coral,  the  favorite  of  antiquity, 
and  the  fashion  of  our  day — next  to  the  pearl,  the  most  pre- 
cious jewel  of  the  deep. 

It  is  not  easy  to  obtain  a  piece  of  living  coral,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  studying  its  wondrous  structure,  and  admiring  its 
exceeding  beauty.  The  great  depth  at  which  the  mysterious 
little  animals  dwell  in  the  ocean,  secures  them  against  the 
mere  amateur  fisherman ;  and  the  professional  coral-fisher  in 
the  Mediterranean,  the  son  of  superstitious  races  of  Southern 


CORAL   FISHING.  253 

Italy,  is  even  extremely  reluctant  to  admit  outsiders  into  the 
secrets  of  his  trade.  However,  they  seem  only  to  seek  very 
superficially.  As  a  proof  of  this  assertion,  we  cite  the  follow- 
ing example : 

The  United  States  Steamer  Gettysburg,  while  on  her  way 
from  Fayal  to  Gibraltar,  recently  made  a  discovery  of  consid- 
erable importance,  in  the  shape  of  an  immense  coral  bank 
(hitherto  totally  unknown),  in  latitude  30°  30',  longitude  11° 
28'.  Partial  surveys  were  made,  and  the  least  depth  of  water 
noted  was  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet,  which,  in  mid-ocean, 
is  very  significant.  Twenty  miles  west  of  the  bank,  the 
sounding  line  marks  sixteen  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  and 
between  the  bank  and  Cape  St.  Vincent,  twelve  thousand  feet. 
The  commander  of  the  Gettysburg  believes  that  in  some  por- 
tions the  coral  rises  to  the  surface.  How  such  a  reef,  in  a  part 
of  the  ocean  which  is  constantly  traversed  by  vessels,  can 
have  remained  undiscovered  is  almost  inexplicable.  It  is  also 
stated  that  the  bank  is  rich  in  valuable  coral  of  light  pink 
shades  of  color. 

The  coral  fishing  is  done  in  this  way:  a  large  net  is  fastened 
by  a  stout  rope  to  the  stern  of  the  vessel.  At  the  end  of  this 
rope  hangs  first  an  iron  cross,  consisting  of  two  hollow  tubes, 
laid  cross-wise,  through  which  strong  ash  poles  have  been 
thrust,  and  to  this  are  fastened  a  number  of  old  sardine-nets, 
no  longer  fit  for  their  first  purpose,  and  countless  ends  and 
bits  of  wide-meshed  pieces  of  rope,  as  thick  as  a  finger — the 
whole  apparatus  a  mass  of  rags  and  rotten  net-work.  But 
the  more  such  wretched-looking  pieces  of  net-worK  the  fisher 
can  fasten  to  his  iron  cross,  the  better  arc  his  chances.  When 
the  sea  is  perfectly  quiet,  he  lets  them  sink  down  to*  a  depth 
of  sixty  or  even  a  hundred  fathoms,  where  they  slowly  spread 
and  unfold  themselves  over  a  vast  extent.  Now  the  vessel 
proceeds  slowly  on  in  the  manner  of  our  trolling,  and  as  soon 
as  the  skilled  hand  of  the  fisher  observes  that  the  rope  pulls, 
and  consequently  something  is  fastened  to  the  net,  he  pulls  it 
slowly  up,  and  the  treasure,  if  any  there  is,  is  heaved  on 
board  with  great  care,  and  now  comes  the  task  of  picking  out 


254  HOW  TO   EXAMINE   THE   CORAL. 

the  precious  treasure  from  the  meshes  of  the  net-work,  and  to 
loosen  them  from  the  fragments  of  stone  on  which  they  are 
growing. 

The  only  way  to  examine  the  living  animal  is  to  seize  the 
little  fragment  of  rock,  or  the  shell  to  which  the  mysterious 
creature  is  fastened,  at  the  very  moment  that  it  appears  near 
the  surface,  and  to  dip  it,  if  possible,  without  exposing  it  to 
the  air,  immediately  into  a  vessel  with  salt-water,  which  you 
hold  ready  for  the  purpose.  At  first,  there  is  nothing  to  be 
seen  but  a  vague,  indistinct  mass  of  grayish  substance.  You 
suspend  the  animal  and  its  tiny  abode  by  a  string  in  the 
middle  of  the  glass  globe,  and  carry  it  to  a  dark  place ;  for 
the  coral  will  not  display  its  beautiful  form  and  colors  in  the 
gleaming  light  of  the  day.  It  takes  hours,  often,  before  the 
obstinate  little  creature  condescends  to  give  a  sign  of  life. 

At  last  the  club-shaped  extremity  of  the  dingy  red  substance 
begins  to  wrinkle  up  into  little  rings  here  and  there.  Looking 
now  with  a  magnifying-glass  you  perceive  with  joy,  that  the 
eight  star-shaped  identations  assume  a  white  tinge,  and  the  red 
grows  every  moment  to  a  more  lively  hue.  The  lines  widen, 
and  soon  the  whole  resembles  a  beautiful  flower  of  eight  leaves. 

We  have  seen  that  those  wondrous  little  animals  in  length  of 
time  have  built  mountains  to  a  height  of  fifteen  thousand  feet. 
The  coral  islands  and  reefs  are  but  just  above  the  surface  of 
the  water,  except  in  cases  where  they  have  been  lifted  by  earth- 
quakes or  other  internal  action,  after  the  little  architect  of  the 
sea  had  done  his  work.  Many  of  these  coral  islands  arc  of  cir- 
cular form,  with  an  opening  which  will  admit  the  passage  of 
boats,  and  sometimes  of  ships.  The  waves  break  on  the  outer 
edge  with  that  long,  steady  swell  peculiar  to  the  Pacific,  but  on 
the  inside  the  water  is  as  calm  and  peaceful  as  that  of  a  moun- 
tain lagoon.  Sometimes  the  coral  reefs  have  been  formed 
around  the  volcanic  islands  so  as  to  encircle  them  completely, 
except  at  a  single  opening.  In  such  cases,  they  make  excellent 
harbors  between  the  reef  and  the  island:  the  harbor  of  Tahiti 
is  a  splendid  specimen  of  this  kind  of  work.  The  reef  sur~ 
rounds  the  island  in  such  a  way  as  to  make  a  lagoon  of  still 


/<* 


AQUATIC  SKILL  OF  THE  FEEJEEANS.          255 


water,  like  the  moat  around  a  castte::::;::^^£6iffrance  is  deep, 
and  sufficiently  wide  to  admit  ships  of  every  size. 

On  many  of  the  volcanic  islands  there  are  caverns,  some  of 
them  of  considerable  size,  and  often  of  great  depth.  Runaway 
sailors  frequently  hide  in  these  caverns,  and  they  are  also 
resorted  to  by  the  natives  in  times  of  warfare.  There  is  a 
javern  in  the  Island  of  Hoonga,  one  of  the  Tonga  Islands, 
tfhich  has  a  romantic  histor}7  from  the  use  that  was  made  of  it 
by  the  man  who  discovered  it. 

One  day  a  young  chief  of  Hoonga  was  out  on  a  fishing  ex- 
cursion, and  caught  sight  of  a  large  turtle.  The  turtle  dived, 
and  so  did  the  chief,  leaving  his  canoe  floating  on  the  surface 
of  the  water.  The  natives  of  nearly  all  the  Pacific  islands 
can  swim  like  seals  ;  they  are  in  the  water  and  learn  to  swim 
about  as  soon  as  they  learn  to  walk.  It  is  commonly  said  that 
a  Feejee  baby  will  swim  instinctively,  like  a  puppy  or  a  kitten  ; 
but  this  is  not  strictly  true.  The  natives  think  nothing  of 
swimming  a  mile  or  two  at  a  time,  and  they  frequently  get  up 
swimming  matches,  in  which  they  show  great  speed  and  en- 
durance. The  accomplishment  is  not  confined  to  the  sterner 
sex;  girls  and  women  swim  as  well  as  boys  and  men,  and 
frequently  the  girls  carry  away  the  prizes  in  the  swimming 
matches.  It  is  proper  to  say  that  they  are  not  as  elaborately 
dressed  as  the  young  ladies  of  New  York  and  Paris  ;  on  some 
of  the  islands  nobody  wears  any  clothing  whatever,  except  a 
little  oil  rubbed  over  the  skin,  to  keep  out  the  water.  Since 
the  missionaries  settled  in  the  South  Pacific,  more  attention  is 
paid  to  dress  than  formerly  ;  but  the  quantity  worn  is  sur- 
prisingly small,  and  would  not  admit  the  wearers  to  a  fashion- 
able party  in  America. 

The  young  chief  dived  for  the  turtle,  and  the  two  had  a 
lively  race.  The  turtle  went  into  a  hole  in  the  rocky  shore, 
and  the  chief  went  after  him.  The  turtle  disappeared,  and 
the  chief  rose  to  the  surface  of  the  water  to  regain  his  boat. 
But  instead  of  finding  himself  in  the  open  air,  he  was  in  a 
cavern,  a  hundred  feet  wide  and  twice  as  long,  with  a  dome 
as  high  as  the  roof  of  an  ordinary  church.  It  was  lighted  from 


256  WHAT  A  PAIR  OF  LOVERS  DID. 

the  water  and  from  a  few  crevices  in  the  rock,  where  nobody 
could  reach  them.  On  one  side  there  was  a  floor  of  solid  rock, 
smooth  as  the  best  sidewalk  of  a  city,  and  evidently  the  resort 
of  the  turtles  of  that  neighborhood.  He  explored  the  cavern, 
and  concluded  that  he  had  hit  upon  a  good  thing,  and  would 
keep  it  to  himself.  Taking  a  new  twist  in  his  neck-tie,  ad- 
justing his  collar,  and  seeing  that  his  diamond  pin  was  well 
fastened,  he  dived  into  the  water,  swam  outside,  and  rose 
near  his  canoe.  With  his  thumb  on  the  side  of  his  nose,  he 
paddled  home,  lighted  his  gas,  and  sat  down  in  his  easy-chair. 

He  was  not  a  married  man,  but  he  had  hopes  in  the  direc- 
tion of  matrimony.  He  loved  the  daughter  of  an  old  chief 
whose  tribe  was  then  at  war  with  his  own,  and  as  long  as  the 
war  lasted  there  was  no  hope  for  their  union.  His  tribe  was 
preparing  for  an  assault  upon  the  other,  and  the  economical 
custom  prevailed  there  of  eating  all  who  were  killed  or  made 
prisoners.  His  tribe  was  more  powerful  than  the  other,  and 
if  the  battle  should  be  on  the  side  of  the  stronger  party,  they 
would  have  the  pleasure  of  devouring  the  vanquished  ones. 
He  had  no  particular  objection  to  eating,  or  seeing  his  friends 
eat,  the  body  of  his  father-in-law,  and  especially  that  of  his 
mother-in-law,  —  many  a  married  man  in  America  can  under- 
stand his  feelings,  and  sympathize  with  them,  —  but  he  did 
object  to  seeing  his  bride  roasted  or  fricasseed ;  so  he  studied 
out  a  plan  to  save  her  from  the  gridiron  or  stewpan. 

He  managed  to  communicate  with  her  the  next  day,  and 
told  her  to  meet  him  at  a  certain  place  on  the  shore,  at  an 
appointed  time,  where  he  would  be  ready  with  his  canoe.  He 
was  there  on  time,  and  she  came,  with  her  waiting-maid,  who 
carried  their  entire  wardrobe  in  an  old  bottle.  A  quart  of 
cocoa-nut  oil  was  sufficient  to  dress  her  for  several  days,  and 
it  did  not  take  long  to  pack  up.  They  entered  the  canoe,  and 
the  chief  paddled  them  to  the  cave,  which  they  reached  just 
as  the  sun  was  rising. 

"  Dress  yourself,  my  dear,"  said  he,  as  he  ceased  paddling, 
"  and  have  your  maid  do  likewise." 

She  poured  out  a  handful  of  the  oil,  and  rubbed  it  over  hei 


THE  HAPPY  COUPLE  IN  A  TURTLE  CAVE.        257 

porphyry-colored  shoulders,  so  that  she  could  slip  easily 
through  the  water.  Her  maid  followed  her  example,  and  then 
fastened  the  bottle  to  a  string  around  her  neck. 

"  Now,  if  you're  ready,"  said  the  lover,  "  follow  me." 

"  Ready,"  was  the  response. 

He  went  overboard,  and  mistress  and  maid  went  after  him. 

Down  they  dived  like  three  dolphins,  the  princess  keeping 
close  at  his  heels,  and  the  maid  following  the  princess. 

The  lady  had  some  misgivings  when  they  entered  the  hole 
in  the  rocks,  but  she  concluded  that  her  lover  knew  what  he 
was  about,  and  therefore  she  asked  no  questions.  In  fact,  she 
could  not  talk  at  that  time,  as  any  one  familiar  with  efforts  at 
subaqueous  conversation  can  testify. 

They  rose  in  the  cavern,  and  clambered  out  upon  the  solid 
floor,  disturbing  half  a  dozen  turtles,  and  capturing  one  of 
them  just  as  he  was  sliding  off  into  the  water. 

The  princess  was  delighted,  and  so  was  the  maid,  who 
thought  the  place  one  of  the  jolliest  she  had  ever  seen.  They 
talked  about  the  best  plan  to  arrange  the  house,  and  laughed 
to  think  what  a  commotion  her  absence  from  home  would 
create.  After  an  hour  or  so  he  left  her,  promising  to  bring 
some  furniture,  and  fit  up  the  establishment,  so  that  they  might 
start  at  housekeeping  in  good  style. 

There  was  a  precious  row  in  Oklingee's  palace  when  he 
found  that  his  daughter  had  disappeared.  He  searched 
through  his  village,  but  could  find  no  trace  of  her;  and,  after 
several  hours  of  fruitless  endeavor,  he  came  home,  and  for 
the  first  time  discovered  that  she  had  taken  the  bottle  of 
cocoa-nut  oil,  and  then  he  knew  that  she  wouldn't  return  in  a 
hurry,  and  that  her  absence  was  premeditated.  He  did  not 
know  that  anybody  was  in  love  with  her,  but  very  naturally 
suspected  that  she  had  eloped  with  some  young  man.  His 
rage  was  great,  and  he  ordered  all  the  youths  of  the  tribe  to 
be  sent  before  him. 

All  came,  and  were  closely  questioned.  None  of  them 
knew  anything  about  the  princess  and  her  flight,  and  all  were 
able  to  prove  where  they  were  the  night  before.  His  anger 


258  A   HOME   UNDER  WATER. 

was  partially  appeased  when  some  one  brought  in  a  prisoner 
freshly  caught,  who  was  immediately  killed  and  served  up  for 
dinner. 

Oklingee's  wrath  turned  to  grief,  and  he  determined  to 
bring  on  a  great  battle  at  once,  by  way  of  distracting  his  sad 
thoughts.  Moreover  he  suspected  that  his  daughter  had  been 
stolen  by  some  of  his  foes,  though  his  spies  brought  him  word 
that  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  in  the  camp  of  the  enemy. 

Meantime  the  lovers  were  happy  in  their  new  home,  though 
the  visits  of  the  young  chief  were  never  of  long  duration. 
He  carried  her  a  liberal  supply  of  mats  for  bedding,  and  kept 
the  place  well  stocked  with  cocoa-nuts  and  other  things  good 
to  eat.  Anything  that  would  be  injured  by  the  water  was 
carefully  wrapped  in  a  shark's  skin  before  it  was  taken  to  the 
cave,  and  as  the  skin  was  quite  water-proof,  the  articles  did 
not  suffer  in  transit.  It  was  no  easy  work  for  the  youth  to 
dive  and  swim  into  the  cavern  with  a  bundle  fastened  ^to  his 
neck ;  but  love  gave  him  strength,  and  he  was  ready  to  under- 
go any  hardship  for  the  sake  of  his  heart's  idol.  She  recipro- 
cated his  kindness,  and  arranged  all  the  mats  and  other 
furniture  so  that  the  house  was  quite  comfortable,  and  even 
luxurious. 

The  turtles  did  not  approve  of  the  invasion  of  their  home, 
and  made  up  their  minds  not  to  live  in  the  society  of  the 
moonstruck  couple  and  their  servant.  As  the  latter  showed 
no  disposition  to  leave,  the  former  abandoned  the  place, 
though  now  and  then  one  made  his  way  there  and  climbed 
upon  the  rocky  floor.  When  the  splashing  of  the  water  denot- 
ed the  approach  of  a  turtle,  the  princess  and  her  maid  would 
quietly  slip  aside,  and  leave  him  to  pick  out  the  spot  he 
wanted  and  go  to  sleep.  They  would  then  stealthily  approach 
him,  and  turn  him  on  his  back,  where  he  would  be  helpless. 
Cutting  off  his  head  was  the  next  step,  and  by  the  time  the 
chief  made  his  appearance  the  turtle  would  be  ready  to  take 
home.  He  was  thus  able  to  account  to  his  friends  for  his 
absence,  as  he  took  a  turtle  home  nearly  every  day,  and  was 
greatly  praised  for  his  skill  in  the  chase. 


FATE   OF  A  SPY.  259 

One  day  a  fellow  who  had  been  unfortunate  in  turtle 
hunting,  and  taken  nothing  for  a  fortnight,  determined  to 
follow  the  chief,  and  find  out  where  he  had  so  much  good 
luck.  He  paddled  his  canoe  silently  along,  keeping  some 
distance  in  the  rear,  so  that  he  was  not  noticed  by  the  lover. 
The  latter  reached  the  cave,  and  was  so  intent  on  seeing  his 
lady  love  that  he  did  not  think  to  look  around.  Taking  a  bag 
of  cocoa-nuts,  he  dived  and  rose  as  usual.  The  other  waited 
a  long  time  for  his  reappearance,  and  at  last  was  rewarded  by 
seeing  him  come  up  dragging  a  turtle,  which  he  lifted  into 
the  canoe.  Just  as  he  was  picking  up  his  paddle,  he  discov- 
ered the  spy,  and  knew  that  his  secret,  or  at  least  a  part  of  it, 
had  been  found  out. 

The  other  laughed,  but  his  laugh  was  brief,  as  the  lover 
went  for  him,  and  there  was  every  promise  of  a  fight.  The 
canoes  met  with  a  crash,  and  the  men  grappled  and  fell  into 
the  water.  Their  struggle  was  long,  as  neither  had  any 
weapons  or  clothing,  and  their  oily  skins  did  not  offer  good 
holding-ground  for  their  hands.  At  last  the  chief  had  the 
spy  by  the  throat,  and  at  the  same  time  struck  him  a  violent 
blow  on  the  nose,  so  that  the  blood  spurted  out. 

The  waters  of  the  South  Pacific  swarm  with  sharks.  Some 
of  these  grow  to  a  considerable  size,  and  are  strong  enough  to 
seize  a  man  and  kill  him.  They  rarely  attack  the  natives; 
there  seems  to  be  a  friendliness  among  the  sharks  and  the 
natives,  as  the  latter  can  swim  among  them  with  almost  com- 
plete safety,  while  a  white  man  would  be  caught  in  a 
moment.  It  sometimes  happens  that  a  group  of  natives  will 
be  bathing  and  frolicking  in  the  water  with  sharks  all  around, 
as  inattentive  as  though  nothing  were  near  them.  But  let  a 
white  man  join  the  party,  and  he  will  instantly  attract  the 
sharks.  A  white  cloth  thrown  into  the  water  will  bring  them 
around  :  anything  white  seems  to  draw  them  and  receive 
their  attention.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  sailors  who 
have  incautiously  put  their  naked  hands  or  feet  into  the 
water  over  the  sides  of  a  boat  have  had  them  bitten  off  by 
sharks. 


260  FOOD   FOR  SHARKS. 

Blood  also  attracts  them,  and  where  there  is  blood,  they 
make  no  distinction  between  natives  and  foreigners.  In  the 
present  instance,  the  lover  had  drawn  blood  from  his  antag- 
onist, and  it  instantly  occurred  to  him  that  both  their  lives 
were  in  danger  if  any  sharks  were  around.  He  released  his 
hold,  dived  under  his  canoe,  and  swam  away  a  hundred  feet 
or  more,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  vicinity  of  the  blood  he  had 
drawn. 

As  he  rose  to  the  surface  and  looked  around,  he  saw  that 
the  spy  was  just  recovering  from  the  force  of  the  blow.  His 
head  was  above  the  water,  and  his  hands  were  moving  as  if  he 
were  slowly  swimming  towards  the  rocks.  Suddenly  he 
gave  a  shriek,  and  disappeared  as  if  drawn  under,  and  the' 
lover  then  knew  that  his  expectations  were  not  incorrect. 
But  with  a  taste  of  blood  the  sharks  would  be  likely  to  attack 
him,  and  he  therefore  swam  farther  away,  and  climbed  upon  a 
small  reef  just  even  with  the  surface. 

Fortunately  a  light  wind  came  up  and  blew  his  canoe 
towards  him.  When  it  was  near  the  reef  he  swam  out  and 
reached  it,  and  then  paddled  home  with  his  turtle.  For  two 
days  he  did  not  go  out  again ;  partly  through  fear  that  the 
sharks  might  be  around  the  spot  where  his  antagonist  was 
killed,  and  partly  in  order  to  allay  any  suspicions  that  his 
previous  movements  might  have  aroused. 

When  he  next  visited  the  cavern,  he  found  his  princess 
greatly  distressed,  and  almost  dead  with  grief.  Soon  after 
his  last  visit  her  maid  took  it  into  her  head  to  go  outside. 
She  dived  into  the  water,  and  rose  close  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff. 
The  lover  had  been  gone  an  hour  or  more,  but  an  empty  canoe 
was  floating  not  far  away,  and  near  it  a  dozen  sharks  were 
quarrelling  over  something  which  she  naturally  supposed  was 
the  body  of  the  owner  of  the  bark.  Of  course  she  thought 
that  the  canoe  must  belong  to  the  young  chief;  and  when 
she  returned  and  told  her  story,  it  is  no  wonder  that  the 
princess  went  into  hysterics.  On  the  next  day  he  came  not, 
and  they  then  knew  that  he  was  lost.  Their  grief  had  been 
great,  and  so  were  their  surprise  and  relief  at  his  return. 


A   CANNIBAL   WEDDING.  2t>3 

He  went  and  came  safely.  Next  day  the  warriors  went 
out  to  battle,  and  the  stronger  tribe  was  victorious.  The 
slain  were  eaten,  and  the  prisoners  were  reserved  to  be 
killed  whenever  wanted.  Among  the  latter  was  Oklingee. 
The  young  chief  had  shown  great  courage  in  battle,  killing  two 
of  the  fattest  and  tenderest  warriors  with  his  own  hand,  and 
his  people  were  consequently  inclined  to  do  the  handsome 
thing  by  him.  Oklingee  was  old  and  lean,  and  the  young 
chief  easily  persuaded  his  people  to  let  the  patriarch  live. 
The  old  fellow  was  gratified  at  being  saved  from  the  hash- 
mill  for  the  present,  and  asked  the  youth  what  he  could  do 
for  him. 

"  Give  me  the  hand  of  your  daughter/'  said  the  young  man, 
respectfully. 

"  Certainly,  my  dear  boy,"  said  Oklingee ;  "  not  only  her 
hand,  but  her  entire  self,  provided  you  can  find  her.  She  has 
eloped,  and  I  don't  know  where  she  is." 

"  I  will  show  you,"  said  the  youth,  as  he  led  his  prospective 
father-in-law  to  his  canoe,  and  seated  him  on  a  mat  in  the 
bottom.  Then  he  summoned  his  friends,  and  together  they 
paddled  their  light  canoes  in  a  gay  procession  over  the 
water.  Near  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  they  halted,  and  the 
chief  jumped  overboard. 

While  all  were  wondering  at  his  strange  behavior,  he  reap- 
peared with  his  tawny  princess  at  his  side.  Everybody  was 
surprised,  arid  the  old  man  gave  the  happy  couple  his  blessing. 
The  wedding  was  appointed  for  the  following  Sunday ;  cards 
were  issued  to  all  the  relatives,  the  prisoners  that  had  been 
held  over  were  killed  and  roasted,  and  everybody  was  happy. 


XVII. 

BURGLARS    AND    BURGLARIES. 

REMARKABLE  BURGLARIES.  —  UNDER  GROUND  FOR  DISHONEST  PURPOSES.  — 
WONDERFUL  ADROITNESS  OP  BURGLARS.  —  A  REMARKABLE  ROBBERY.  — 
OCCUPATION  OF  A  LAWYER'S  OFFICE. — LABOR  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. — A 
TROUBLESOME  POLICEMAN.  —  STRANGE  SCENE  IN  COURT. — THE  CULPRIT'S 
REPLY. — ROBBERY  BY  COUNTERFEIT  POLICEMEN. — THE  OCEAN  BANK  ROB- 
BERY.—  RAPID  AND  THOROUGH  WORK. — AN  ASTONISHED  WATCHMAN. — 
BAFFLING  THE  POLICE. 

LABOR  underground  may  be  performed  for  a  bad,  as  well  as 
for  a  good  purpose.  It  may  be  for  dishonest  gain,  or  it  may 
be  to  secure  a  place  of  concealment  for  stolen  treasures, 
or  for  those  who  steal  them.  In  the  performance  of 
this  kind  of  labor,  men  will  frequently  display  ability  and 
enterprise  sufficient  to  insure  them  a  good  living  and  ulti- 
mate independence  in  an  honest  calling.  They  overcome 
obstacles  of  great  magnitude ;  constantly  risk  their  lives  and 
liberty,  and  frequently  fail  to  obtain  any  reward ;  their  enter- 
prises are  hazardous ;  and  where  they  promise  great  returns, 
they  very  often  fail  to  redeem  the  promise.  Men  who  plan 
great  robberies  frequently  show  the  qualities  that  would 
make  them  prominent  in  an  honest  pursuit ;  they  may  spend 
half  their  lives  in  prison,  when  they  might  be  honored  and 
respected  if  they  chose  to  be  so;  but  they  deliberately 
decide  that  honesty  is  not  the  best  policy,  and  accept  the 
career,  which  is  certain  to  cover  them  with  dishonor. 

Some  j^ears  ago  there  was  a  skilful  and  successful  robbery 
of  a  jewelry  store  in  Manchester,  England.  The  store  was 
entered  between  Saturday  afternoon  and  Monday  morning ; 
the  safe  was  opened  and  goods  to  a  great  value  were  taken : 
the  occupants  of  the  store  had  bought  their  safe  only  a  few 


A  BURGLAR   ON  THE   WITNESS  STAND.  265 

months  before ;  it  had  been  warranted  fire  and  burglar  proof, 
and  they  at  once  brought  suit  against  the  makers  of  the  safe 
to  recover  the  value  of  the  goods  that  were  stolen. 

When  the  trial  carno  on,  one  of  the  counsel  stated  that  a 
man,  then  in  prison  for  another  offence,  had  acknowledged  to 
a  share  in  the  robbery  of  the  jewellers.  With  the  consent  of 
both  parties  the  man  was  brought  into  court  to  testify  to  the 
robbery,  and  say  how  it  was  performed.  As  he  entered  the 
room  everybody  became  silent,  and  all  eyes  were  turned 
towards  him. 

They  had  expected  a  low,  mean-looking  fellow,  with  the 
face  of  a  bull-dog,  and  the  general  appearance  of  a  brute. 
Instead  of  such  a  man,  they  saw  one  whose  bearing  was  erect, 
and  whose  face  denoted  intelligence.  He  took  his  place  in 
the  witness  box,  and  when  everything  was  ready  he  began 
his  story.  He  gave  the  history  of  the  robbery  at  length,  and 
detailed  each  step  of  the  proceedings.  His  manner  was  capti- 
vating, and  at  times  he  displayed  enthusiasm  and  eloquence 
that  would  have  fitted  him  for  the  position  and  honors  of  an 
advocate. 

"  We  watched  the  store  for  more  than  a  month,"  said  he 
"  so  as  to  learn  the  habits  of  everybody  around  it.  We  found 
they  shut  up  Saturday,  and  no  one  went  near  the  place  till 
Monday  morning,  and  so  we  fixed  on  Saturday  night  and  Sun* 
day  as  the  best  time  to  work.  There  was  a  lawyer's  office 
over  the  store,  and  the  lawyer  went  away  about  three  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  and  didn't  come  back  till  ten  the  next  morn- 
ing. Sunday  he  didn't  come  at  all,  and  so  we  were  sure  of 
him. 

"  We  went  into  his  office  every  day  for  a  week  before  we 
went  to  work  ;  but  of  course  we  didn't  touch  anything.  We 
laid  out  all  our  plans  in  his  office,  and  smoked  his  cigars,  and  I 
will  do  him  the  credit  to  say  they  were  excellent.  As  soon  as 
he  was  gone  that  Saturday,  we  went  into  his  office,  took  up 
the  carpet,  and  then  lifted  the  boards  in  the  floor.  We  made 
a  hole  three  feet  square  down  to  the  laths  and  plaster  of  the 
ceiling  of  the  jewelry  store.  Then  we  waited  till  the  store 


266  NEW   USE  FOB  AN  UMBRELLA. 

was  shut ;  and  it  hadn't  been  shut  five  minutes  before  we  had 
a  little  hole  in  the  ceiling  large  enough  to  push  down  a  tightly 
closed  umbrella. 

"  We  got  the  umbrella  down,  and  then  opened  it,  so  that  it 
would  catch  all  the  rubbish,  and  thus  prevent  our  making  any 
noise.  When  we  were  ready  to  go  into  the  store,  we  had  to 
arrange  things  so  as  to  work  systematically.  We  had  laid 
all  our  plans  for  this  beforehand. 

"  A  gas-light  was  kept  burning  in  the  store,  and  there  was 
a  hole  in  the  shutter,  so  that  anybody  could  look  in.  A  police- 
man passed  the  store  once  in  every  fifteen  minutes  ;  it  was 
his  duty  to  look  in  every  time,  and  I  can  say  for  him  that  he 
did  his  duty.  The  man  who  was  to  work  at  the  safe  had  to 
lie  on  his  side  in  full  view  of  the  peep-hole ;  but  by  rolling 
over  twice  he  could  get  under  a  counter  and  be  out  of  sight. 

"  There  were  five  of  us  in  all.  Or)e  was  to  work  at  the 
safe,  with  a  string  tied  to  his  toe.  This  string  was  held  by  a 
man  who  sat  on  the  edge  of  the  hole  in  the  lawyer's  office. 
Then  a  man  was  at  the  lawyer's  window,  and  another  was 
walking  up  and  down  the  opposite  side  of  the  street.  The 
fifth  man  took  turns  at  the  safe,  so  that  we  should  lose  no 
time  in  resting. 

"  When  the  policeman  was  coming,  the  man  in  the  street 
made  a  signal  to  the  man  at  the  lawyer's  window.  This  one 
signalled  the  fellow  at  the  hole,  and  pulled  the  string  gently. 
The  man  at  the  safe  then  rolled  under  the  counter;  he 
staid  there  till  the  policeman  had  looked  in  and  gone  along, 
when  the  signals  were  repeated,  and  he  rolled  out  and  went 
to  work  again. 

"  We  lost  five  minutes  out  of  every  fifteen  in  this  way,  and 
at  one  time  we  thought  we  should  have  to  give  up.  We  got 
into  the  safe,  though  a  little  after  midnight ;  and  then  it  didn't 
take  long  to  empty  it  of  all  we  could  carry.  We  were  out  of 
the  store  by  one  o'clock  Monday  morning,  and  took  an  early 
train  to  London." 

The  burglar  then  went  on  to  give  a  description  of  the  pro- 
cess of  opening  a  safe.  He  said  that  it  was  a  rule  with  skilful 


"BURGLAR  PROOF  SAFES."  267 

burglars  that  any  safe  could  be  opened,  provided  there  was  "a 
place  anywhere  for  the  insertion  of  a  wedge.  "  If  we  can  get 
a  wedge  in  anywhere,"  said  he,  "  the  safe  is  bound  to  open, 
even  though  the  first  wedge  is  no  thicker  than  the  blade  of  a 
knife. 

"  All  we  want  besides  proper  tools  is  plenty  of  time,  and 
there  never  was  a  safe  manufactured  that  cannot  be  opened 
if  you  give  us  time." 

He  then  described  the  advantages  and  disadvantages  of  the 
safes  made  by  different  manufacturers. 

"  A's  safe  can  be  opened  by  a  skilful  man  in  twenty  hours ; 
B7s  in  fifteen  hours;  C's  in  eleven  hours;  D's  in  nine  hours; 
and  as  for  E's,"  mentioning  one  that  had  recently  come  into 
notice,  "  we  consider  it  no  more  than  an  ordinary  trunk,  as  we 
can  open  it  in  half  an  hour. 

•/;  There  is  no  safe  made  that  cannot  be  opened  inside  of 
thirty  hours,  and  if  we  can  be  sure  of  not  being  disturbed  foi> 
that  time,  we  are  certain  of  our  game.  Any  safe  will  answer 
its  purpose,  provided  the  intervals  of  visiting  the  place  where 
it  is  kept  are  never  so  great  as  the  time  required  to  open  it." 

As  the  man  finished  his  story,  and  was  taken  from  the  court 
to  go  to  prison,  the  judge  asked  him  why  he  did  not  abandon 
burglary  and  live  honestly.  "  Your  story,"  said  the  judge, 
u  shows  that  you  possess  sufficient  intelligence  and  ability  to 
make  you  a  master  mechanic  in  a  very  short  time,  and  if  you 
would  lead  a  respectable  life  you  could  be  sure  of  a  good 
living." 

The  burglar  turned  to  the  judge,  and  replied  with  great 
earnestness,  "  I  am  as  proud  of  my  profession  as  you  are 
of  yours,  and  have  no  desire  to  leave  it.  I  stand  high  in 
it,  and  the  praise  and  admiration  of  my  associates  are  just  as 
dear  to  me  as  the  praise  and  admiration  of  a  shopful  of 
mechanics  would  be  to  their  master.  Besides,  we  nm  risks 
that  mechanics  do  not ;  we  must  have  the  skill  to  baffle  the 
police,  and  save  ourselves  from  arrest,  while  the  mechanic 
needs  nothing  of  the  kind.  The  greater  our  danger,  the 
greater  is  the  respect  shown  to  us ;  and  one  reason  why  we 


268  A  WELL-PLANNED   BOBBERY. 

love  our  profession  is,  because  there  is  so  much  danger  in  it. 
And  any  skilful  and  experienced  burglar  will  tell  you  so." 

The  man  went  back  to  prison  to  serve  out  his  sentence  for 
the  crime  of  which  he  was  convicted.  Doubtless  the  notoriety 
he  had  obtained  by  his  appearance  in  court  was  of  great 
assistance  in  consoling  him  for  his  imprisonment.  He  was 
proud  of  his  accomplishments  as  a  burglar,  and  seemed  to 
take  his  incarceration  more  as  an  honor  than  a  disgrace. 

In  this  country  there  have  been  several  robberies  of  the 
higher  sort,  such  as  entitle  the  perpetrators  to  great  praise  for 
their  skill,  although  it  was  shown  in  a  bad  cause.  Among 
these  may  be  included  the  famous  Philadelphia  Bank  robbery, 
a  few  years  ago,  where  the  burglars  actually  informed  the 
bank  officers  that  an  attempt  was  to  be  made  against  them. 
They'proceeded  in  this  wise  :  — 

One  afternoon,  a  little  .before  the  close  of  business  hours,  a 
man  in  the  uniform  of  a  policeman  entered  the  bank  and 
asked  for  the  cashier.  On  meeting  that  official,  he  stated 
that  he  had  been  sent  by  the  police  captain  of  the  precinct, 
whom  he  named,  to  warn  them  that  there  was  reason  to  sus- 
pect that  an  attempt  would  be  made  that  evening  to  rob  the 
bank.  He  said  an  extra  policeman  would  be  detailed  to 
watch  the  bank,  and  another  extra  man  would  be  placed  on 
the  beat.  The  cashier  thanked  the  man  for  the  information, 
and  told  him  to  give  his  compliments  to  the  captain.  The 
man  then  departed,  and  the  bank  officers,  after  notifying  their 
private  watchman,  closed  the  establishment  and  went  home. 

Of  course  the  private  watchman  was  on  the  alert,  and  kept 
a  sharp  lookout.  About  ten  o'clock  a  policeman  appeared, 
and  asked  if  there  had  been  any  suspicious  movements 
around  there.  The  watchman  said  there  had  been  none  ;  and 
while  they  were  talking  another  policeman  appeared,  and 
joined  them  in  conversation.  The  first  was  the  extra  to 
watch  the  bank,  and  the  second  was  the  extra  on  the  beat. 
The  watchman  opened  the  door  of  the  bank,  and  allowed  them 
to  enter,  so  that  they  could  see  the  approaching  thieves 
without  being  seen. 


THE    PHILADELPHIA    BANK   ROBBERY. 


AN  UNHAPPY  WATCHMAN.  271 

When  the  three  were  fairly  inside,  there  was  a  sudden 
change  in  the  state  of  affairs.  The  door  was  closed,  the 
watchman  was  knocked  down,  bound,  gagged,  and  carried 
to  the  president's  room,  where  he  was  seated  in  a  comfortable 
arm-chair.  One  of  the  men  drew  a  pistol  and  sat  in  front  of 
him ;  the  other  opened  the  outer  door,  blew  a  small  whistle, 
and  in  a  minute  half  a  dozen  men,  as  nearly  as  the  watchman 
could  judge,  entered  the  building.  The  door  was  closed 
behind  them,  and  the  party  went  at  work  to  open  the  safe. 

Swiftly,  and  as  silently  as  possible,  their  work  was  per- 
formed. The  watchman,  from  the  place  where  he  was  bound, 
could  not  see,  but  he  could  hear,  and  he  knew  they  were  at 
work  with  drills,  blow-pipes,  wedges,  and  the  other  imple- 
ments of  the  burglar's  trade.  Hour  after  hour  passed,  the 
watchman,  bound  and  gagged,  being  guarded  by  his  vigilant 
keeper.  In  telling  the  story  subsequently,  he  said  he  was 
civilly  treated  by  the  man  who  guarded  him.  At  his  request 
the  cords  that  held  his  arms  were  loosened,  and  the  gag  in 
his  mouth  was  placed  where  it  would  least  inconvenience 
him.  Whenever  he  complained  of  thirst,  his  keeper  gave  him 
a  glass  of  water  from  a  pitcher  in  the  room. 

An  hour  or  so  before  daylight  the  robbers  opened  the  safe, 
and  secured  their  plunder.  Hastily  packing  it  into  the  bags 
that  had  contained  their  tools,  they  departed,  leaving  their 
tools  behind,  and  leaving  the  watchman  securely  fastened  in 
his  chair.  He  was  ordered  not  to  stir  for  an  hour :  bound  as 
Le  was,  he  could  not  stir  until  some  one  came  to  his  assistance, 
so  that  the  parting  injunction  of  the  thieves  was  entirely 
superfluous.  The  amount  of  their  plunder  was  never  posi- 
tively made  known  to  the  public,  but  was  understood  to  be 
not  less  than  two  hundred  thousand  dollars  —  a  very  fair 
compensation  for  the  work  of  a  single  night. 

Of  the  many  successful  bank  robberies  that  have  taken 
place  on  this  continent,  the  Ocean  Bank  burglary  ranks  among 
the  foremost  for  its  ingenuity  and  skill,  and  for  being  a  com- 
plete puzzle  to  the  most  experienced  detectives  of  the  city 
of  New  York.  Although  an  investigation  by  the  police 


272  THE  OCEAN  BANK  ROBBERY. 

authorities  was  begun  within  a  few  hours  after  the  discovery 
of  the  robbery,  no  clew  was  ever  obtained,  or,  at  any  rate, 
given  to  the  public,  of  the  perpetrators ;  and  to  this  day  the 
whole  matter  has  been  involved  in  mystery,  and  probably  will 
ever  remain  so. 

The  maxim  of  war,  that  the  reduction  of  every  place,  how- 
ever strong,  is  possible,  must  be  equally  true  in  the  art  of 
thievery.  It  is  evident  that  no  vault  can  be  made  impreg- 
nable ;  no  lock  can  be  contrived  by  human  ingenuity,  with  all 
its  mechanical  appliances,  that  will  prove  superior  to  other 
human  ingenuity ;  no  system  of  watching  can  make  property 
entirely  safe  against  the  patience  and  acuteness  of  men  who 
give  good  faculties  to  the  science  of  stealing. 

The  premises  occupied  by  the  Ocean  Bank  were  at  the 
corner  of  Greenwich  and  Fulton  Streets,  New  York,  a  locality 
much  frequented  by  day  and  night.  One  would  imagine  that 
an  attempt  at  robbery  in  this  locality  must  be  detected  very 
quickly,  provided  the  policemen  and  the  watchers  employed 
around  the  neighboring  stores  performed  their  duty.  The 
robbery  occurred  between  one  and  three  o'clock  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  28th  of  June,  1869.  It  appears  that  there  was  no 
regular  inside  watchman  employed  by  the  bank,  but  they 
had  an  out-door  man  employed  to  watch  the  premises. 

It  is  supposed  that  the  robbery  was  planned  many  weeks 
before  it  took  place,  and  one  or  more  persons  familiar  with 
the  thorough  workings  of  the  bank  were  suspected  of  being, 
to  some  extent  at  least,  participators  in  the  enterprise. 

The  basement  of  the  premises  in  question  was  occupied  by 
a  Mr.  William  Okell,  a  gentleman  well  known  in  the  city,  and 
doing  business  as  a  broker.  Having  more  room  than  he  re- 
quired for  carrying  on  his  business,  he  rented  out  several 
small  offices  for  business  purposes.  In  the  early  part  of 
June,  a  man  giving  the  name  of  Charles  K.  Cole,  and  repre- 
senting himself  as  an  agent  for  an  insurance  company  in  Chi- 
cago, engaged  one  of  these  rooms ;  and  to  him  is  given  the 
credit  of  planning  the  robbery,  in  connection  with  others. 

Immediately   above    the    office    rented   to   Cole   was   the 


A   STARTLING   DISCOVERY.  273 

president's  private  office,  and  through  the  ceiling  of  this 
office  an  entrance  was  made  sufficient  to  admit  a  man's  body. 
From  the  subsequent  examination  by  the  detectives,  it  ap- 
pears that  holes  were  drilled  through  this  ceiling  from  above 
and  below,  as  the  Brussels  carpet  in  the  president's  room  con- 
tained no  holes,  which  would  not  have  been  the  case  had 
the  drilling  been  done  entirely  from  the  basement. 

It  was  urged  by  some  that  this  drilling  through  the  ceiling 
and  large  beams  must  have  occupied  weeks,  while  other  ex- 
perienced officers  asserted  that  it  could  have  been  accom- 
plished in  a  few  hours.  One  of  the  severed  beams  was  four 
inches  thick  by  fourteen  in  width.  Some  believed  that  an 
entrance  was  effected  through  the  side  door,  and  that  the  per- 
son or  persons  had  a  good  knowledge  of  the  employees, 
where  the  safes  were,  the  contents  of  the  vault  and  safes,  and 
the  key  to  the  combination  lock. 

The  discovery  of  the  robbery  was  made  by  the  colored  man* 
up  stairs,  on  Monday  morning,  when  he  opened  the  bank,,  in- 
his  usual  way,  to  clean  the  offices.  He  detected  a  strong- 
smell  of  powder,  and  went  into  the  rear  office  to  find  out  the 
cause  of  it.  There  he  was  astonished  at  the  view  which  met 
his  Ethiopian  eyes. 

On  the  floor  of  this  office  were  the  vaults  and  safes.  Here-- 
he observed  several  caps  of  different  descriptions,  six  or 
eight  in  number  ;  overcoats,  blouses,  and  overalls,  such  as  are* 
used  by  machinists  ;  oil-cloths,  rubber  shoes,  saws,  bits,  awls, 
jack-screws,  drills,  lanterns,  and  every  other  kind  of  imple- 
ment used  by  expert  thieves.  The  instruments  were  gath- 
ered together  and  taken  into  the  possession  of  the  police,  and 
a  cabinet  of  four  hundred  pieces  was  made  of  them. 

The  vault  and  safes  were  found  to  have  been  broken  open •;: 
United  States  bonds  were  lying  scattered  about,  as  well  as* 
large  quantities  of  coin  and  currency,  mixed  with  which  were- 
small  wedges,  railway  bonds,  copper  coin,  augers,  chisels,  flasks 
of  powder,  any  quantity  of  cigar  stumps,  which  showed  that, 
the  burglars  took  the  situation  very  coolly,  pieces  of  chilled: 
iron,  fuses,  gold  certificates,  and  other  valuable  securities. 
15 


274  FRIGHT   OF  A  PORTER. 

Just  outside  the  vault  was  placed  a  very  heavy  bag  of  gold, 
which  had  been  lifted  out ;  but  owing,  probably,  to  its  great 
weight,  it  was  abandoned.  Tin  boxes  had  been  burst  open 
and  thrown  in  all  directions,  as  well  as  the  securities  which 
they  had  contained,  and  everything  betokened  the  utmost 
recklessness  in  ransacking  the  safes.  When  all  this  disorder 
and  chaos  met  the  porter's  gaze,  he  became  half  bewildered, 
and  did  not  know  how  to  act ;  he  thought  he  might  be  ar-. 
rested  for  what  had  been  done  by  others,  and  for  a  few  minutes 
he  contemplated  flight.  He  had  been  through  the  rooms  at 
one  o'clock  A.  M.,  on  the  same  morning,  and  found  everything 
secure,  so  that  it  was  plain  the  robbery  had  been  done  in  a 
very  short  time.  He,  at  last,  raised  an  alarm  that  the  bank 
had  been  entered,  and  in  a  short  time  Captain  Steers,  of  the 
twenty-seventh  precinct,  took  possession  of  the  bank  until 
the  officers  arrived. 

When  the  robbery  became  known,  the  city  was  thrown  into 
intense  excitement,  as  it  was  rumored  that  over  one  million 
•of  money  and  securities  had  been  stolen.  The  bank  was 
quickly  besieged  by  depositors  and  other  interested  parties, 
together  with  the  usual  assembly  of  curiosity-seekers.  The 
•depositors  were  perfectly  uncontrollable  ;  and  at  one  time  it 
seemed  that  they  were  going  to  lay  hands  on  money,  or  secu- 
rities, found  outside  the  vault,  and  make  themselves  secure 
against  loss.  The  police,  however,  kept  them  at  bay,  and 
ikept  them  xnit  of  the  building.  At  length  the  bank  officials 
^appeared  on  the  scene,  in  company  with  the  bank's  legal  ad- 
viser ;  and  after  a  short  sime  they  issued  a  statement  that 
only  about  twenty  thousand  dollars  had  been  stolen. 

This  report  kept  down  the  excitement,  but  the  depositors 
really  did  not  know  whether  they  were  safe,  or  utterly  ruined. 
'The  detectives  took  charge  of  the  case,  but,  as  stated  at  the 
outset,  they  were  unable  to  cope  with  the  matured  plans  of 
the-thieves,  and  did  not  succeed  in  bringing  any  of  them  to 
•the  bar  of  justice. 

'The  vault  was  in  the  president's  room,  at  the  rear  of  the 
•premises.  It  was  defended  by  an  iron  door,  having  a  combi- 


BLOWING   OPEN   A  SAFE.  275 

nation  lock.  This  door  was  blown  open  with  the  gunpowder 
which  had  attracted  the  porter's  attention.  The  door  being 
opened,  everything  in  the  safe  was  accessible.  The  keys  to 
the  second  door  hung  on  the  inside  of  the  one  that  had  been 
thrust  open  by  the  action  of  the  powder,  and  it  is  hardly 
necessary  to  say  that  the  thieves  made  good  use  of  them. 

The  third  door  was  forced  open  with  a  powerful  screw,  the 
force  used  being  sufficient  to  depress  the  floor  under  the  door. 
Here  were  two  safes  j  one  contained  the  securities  of  the  de- 
positors, and  the  other  the  property  of  the  bank. 

The  boxes  of  the  depositors  appeared  to  be  the  principal 
attraction  for  the  thieves,  and  paper  securities  were  preferred 
to  the  gold  which  stared  them  in  the  face.  These  boxes 
were  completely  overhauled,  and  securities  to  the  amount 
of  about  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  were  abstracted  ;  one 
depositor  having  lost  as  much  as  fifty  thousand  dollars,  for 
which  the  bank  was  in  no  way  responsible. 

About  thirty  thousand  dollars  belonging  to  the  bank,  in 
checks  and  currency,  were  stolen.  The  thieves  overhauled 
some  thirty  thousand  dollars  in  Clearing  House  currency, 
which  could  have  been  negotiated,  as  well  as  thirty  thousand 
dollars  in  gold  coin  ;  but  which  they  did  not  touch. 

The  detectives  went  to  work,  and  it  was  said  that  one  or 
more  of  the  bank's  officials  were  suspected,  and  closely 
watched  for  some  time  subsequent  to  the  robbery.  Two  men, 
who  were  said  to  be  the  most  daring  and  accomplished  bank 
thieves  in  the  city,  were  suspected  ;  but  no  trace  could  be 
obtained  of  their  having  been  seen  near  the  Ocean  Bank. 
These  men  were  supposed  to  have  committed  a  robbery,  just 
previously,  at  the  National  Bank  of  New  Windsor,  of  some- 
thing like  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  A  number  of  ex- 
pert English  burglars  had  also  arrived  a  short  time  before  the 
robbery,  but  nothing  could  be  brought  against  them. 

Oil  the  third  day  after  the  burglary,  a  patrolman,  in  Eliza- 
beth Street,about  three  o'clock  A.  M.,  met  two  young  lads  whom 
he  knew.  Suspecting  they  were  up  for  no  good  at  that  hour 
of  the  morning,  he  spoke  to  them.  They  informed  him  that 


276  SECURITIES   RETURNED. 

there  was  a  large  trunk  standing  on  the  sidewalk,  opposite 
No.  8  Elizabeth  Street.  He  went  to  the  number  indicated, 
and  there  found  the  trunk,  as  they  had  described.  On  it  was 
a  card  directed  to  Captain  Jourdan  (late  superintendent  of 
police),  of  the  sixth  ward.  The  trunk  and  the  two  boys 
were  taken  to  the  station-house. 

When  Captain  Jourdan  was  summoned,  and  the  trunk  was 
opened,  it  was  found  to  contain  unnegotiable  securities,  to 
the  amount  of  three  hundred  thousand  dollars,  which  had 
been  stolen  from  the  Ocean  Bank.  The  property  consisted 
of  bonds,  checks,  securities,  and  currency,  together  with  legal 
documents,  such  as  conveyances  and  mortgages  ;  but  no  clew 
could  possibly  be  obtained  as  to  the  sender  of  the  trunk. 

The  total  loss  sustained  by  the  bank  proved  to  be  about 
twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  out  of  the  bulk  of  the  valuables 
and  money  stolen ;  but  as  the  property  returned  to  Captain 
Jourdan  principally  belonged  to  the  depositors,  their  loss  was 
estimated  to  be  something  near  half  a  million  of  dollars. 

The  various  implements  found  at  the  bank  were  valued  at 
two  thousand  dollars,  and  were  of  the  very  finest  finish  ;  some 
of  the  pieces  were  worth  as  much  as  two  hundred  dollars, 
and  three  hundred  dollars  each. 

Altogether,  it  was  one  of  the  most  skilful,  ingenious,  and 
well-planned  robberies  ever  committed  in  this  country.  The 
most  singular  part  of  the  robbery  is  that,  although  an  outside 
watchman  was  employed  to  guard  the  premises,  no  one  was 
seen  to  enter  the  bank,  or  the  basement  of  the  building; 
neither  was  any  one  seen  to  leave  the  premises  at  any  time 
of  the  night  or  morning  when  the  robbery  took  place. 


XVHI. 

THE  EARLIEST  EXCAVATIONS. 

GRAVES  AND  THEIR  CONSTRUCTION.  —  DIFFERENT  MODES  OP  BURIAL.  — 
TOMBS.  —  THE  MOST  EXTENSIVE  TOMBS.  —  OBJECT  OP  THE  PYRAMIDS  OF 
EGYPT.  —  A  VISIT  TO  THE  GREAT  PYRAMID  AND  ITS  DESCRIPTION.  — 
DIFFICULTIES  OF  CLIMBING.  —  THE  TOMBS  OF  THEBES.  —  A  FAT  AMERICAN'S 
ADVENTURE.  —  ENTERING  THE  TOMB  OF  ASSASSEEF.  —RECITING  POETRY 
UNDER  DISADVANTAGES.  —  SWALLOWING  A  BAT.  —  JACK'S  DISGUST.  —  FATE 
OF  A  FAT  MAN.  —  STUCK  IN  A  PASSAGE-WAY.  —  HOW  THE  ARABS  REMOVED 
HIM. 

THERE  is  little  or  no  reason  to  doubt  that  the  earliest 
excavations  ever  made  by  human  hands  were  for  purposes  of 
sepulture.  The  burial  of  the  dead,  or  rather  the  disposition 
of  their  bodies,  has  been  a  necessity  in  all  countries  and  all 
ages  since  the  days  of  the  Garden  of  Eden.  Some  nations 
have  practised  cremation,  and  there  are  many  arguments  in 
its  favor  ;  but  with  most  of  these  nations  it  was  the  custom  to 
gather  the  ashes  of  the  dead  into  urns,  which  were  buried 
with  much  formality.  Among  some  of  our  western  tribes  of 
Indians  the  bodies  of  the  dead  are  placed  on  scaffoldings  of 
poles  several  feet  high,  and  there  left  to  the  action  of  the  ele- 
ments. This  practice  had  its  origin  in  the  absence  of  all 
tools  suitable  for  digging  in  the  earth,  and  possibly  from  a 
vague  theory  that  the  body  of  the  deceased  should  be  raised 
towards  the  home  of  the  Great  Spirit  beyond  the  skies.  Some 
of  the  ancient  nations  had  a  theory  concerning  cremation, 
which  was,  that  the  flame,  rising  towards  heaven,  carried  the 
spirit  of  the  deceased  and  enabled  it  to  reach  the  mansions  of 
the  blest.  On  the  same  theory  the  Chinese  write  or  print 
their  prayers  on  paper,  and  then  burn  the  paper ;  the  flame 
carries  the  prayer  upward,  and  as  light  and  heat  come  from 


278  EARLIEST  FORM  OF  SEPULTURE. 

the  Controller  of  the  universe,  they  are  considered  the  proper 
vehicles  for  the  transmission  of  appeals  to  hfs  mercy,  his 
pity,  and  his  infinite  love. 

The  earliest  form  of  sepulture  was  in  the  grave,  a  simple 
trench  a  few  feet  in  depth.  With  the  dawn  of  civilization 
came  the  tomb,  rudely  constructed  of  stones  piled  together, 
or  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock.  The  most  elaborate  specimens 
of  the  latter  kind  of  tomb  are  in  Egypt ;  thousands  of  years 
ago  they  were  constructed,  and  to  this  day  they  remain,  and 
are  regarded  with  wonder  by  travellers  from  all  the  nations 
of  the  globe.  The  most  extensive  tombs  of  modern  times 
bear  no  comparison  to  those  which  are  found  in  the  lands  bor- 
dering on  the  Nile.  The  pyramids  of  Ghizeh,  immense  mounds 
of  stone,  and  constructed  with  the  greatest  care  and  engi- 
neering skill,  are  the  tombs  of  the  rulers  of  Egypt  in  the  days 
of  her  greatness  and  -prosperity.  The  pyramid  of  Cheops 
rises  to  a  height  of  nearly  five  hundred  feet,  and  is  of  pro- 
portional width  at  its  base.  Down  deep  in  its  centre  is  the 
coffin  of  the  man  whose  name  has  been  given  to  the  pyramid  ; 
thousands  of  years  have  passed  since  this  huge  tomb  was 
constructed,  and  it  will  doubtless  remain  for  thousands  of 
years  to  come.  No  tomb  of  modern  times  approaches  it  in 
grandeur,  or  gives  promise  of  outlasting  it. 

Though  the  opposite  of  underground  in  their  character,  and 
erected  rather  in  the  interest  of  death  than  in  that  of  life,  the 
great  pyramids  deserve  a  description  here.  Excavations 
were  made  for  their  foundations,  and  the  interior  chambers, 
where  rest  the  coffins  of  those  for  whom  they  were  erected, 
are,  for  all  practical  purposes,  as  much  underground  as  they 
would  be  in  the  deepest  coal  mine  of  England  or  America. 
The  pyramids  are  mostly  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Nile,  not 
far  from  Cairo ;  tourists  designing  to  visit  them  make  Cairo 
their  starting-point,  and  from  that  city  several  groups  are  in 
full  view.  Altogether  about  seventy  pyramids  have  been 
counted  in  this  region,  and  the  remains  of  many  others  are 
visible.  Decay's  effacing  fingers  are  constantly  at  work ; 
forty  centuries  have  passed  since  the  pyramids  were  erected, 


AUSTRALIAN    NATIVES    BURNING    THEIR    DEAD. 


AN   INDIAN   BURIAL   PLACE. 


CONSTRUCTION  OP  THE  PYRAMIDS.  281 

and  their  durable  character  can  be  readily  inferred  when  we 
remember  how  long  they  have  stood. 

A  sepulchral  chamber  was  first  excavated  in  the  rock,  and 
during  the  life  of  the  king  who  was  to  repose  within  it,  the 
work  of  building  the  pyramid  was  pressed  forward.  It 
was  generally  completed  before  he  died,  and  therefore 
he  had  the  consolation  of  knowing  that  he  would  not  be 
kept  waiting  around  for  his  tomb  to  be  constructed.  The 
structure  was  made  over  this  chamber,  an  elegant  coffin  of 
stone  being  first  placed  within  it.  A  passage-way  about  four 
feet  high  and  three  feet  wide  was  kept  open,  so  that  the  body 
of  the  king  could  be  carried  to  the  sepulchral  chamber  when 
the  proper  time  arrived  for  depositing  it  in  its  coffin.  The 
pyramid  was  practically  solid,  as  the  chamber  and  passages 
leading  to  it  were  the  only  hollow  spaces.  The  sides  of  the 
pyramids  were  directed  to  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass,  and  their  exactness  in  this  particular  leads  to  the 
supposition  that  the  ancients  were  acquainted  with  the  prin- 
ciples of  surveying  as  practised  by  modern  engineers. 

The  pyramids  were  constructed  of  red  granite  from  quar- 
ries at  Assouan,  and  other  points  of  the  Nile,  and  of  a  hard 
limestone  from  quarries  at  Makotam  and  Tourah.  The  blocks 
were  very  large,  and  it  must  have  required  a  vast  amount  of 
mechanical  power  and  engineering  skill  to  quarry  them  and 
move  them  to  the  places  where  they  are  now  found.  Many 
engineers  think  that  the  Egyptians  must  have  possessed 
some  mechanical  power  which  has  been  lost  and  become  un- 
known to  the  people  of  the  present  century.  Especially  is 
this  the  case  with  the  huge  stones  at  the  top  of  the  pyramids, 
where  the  number  of  persons  who  could  work  must  have 
been  very  small  for  want  of  room.  Other  engineers  say  that 
the  ordinary  derrick  on  a  large  scale  would  have  been  suffi- 
cient for  the  purpose,  and  it  is  pretty  certain  that  this  instru- 
ment was  used,  as  holes  have  been  found  in  the  stones,  where 
it  is  supposed  the  feet  of  the  derricks  were  placed.  Others 
think  that  the  blocks  were  moved  by  human  power,  of  which 
the  kings  had  an  unlimited  quantity  at  their  command.  One 


282  THE  PYRAMID  OF  CHEOPS. 

theory  is,  that  as  fast  as  the  courses  of  stone  in  a  pyramid 
were  laid,  the  earth  was  piled  around  it  so  as  to  form  an  in- 
cline, where  the  blocks  could  be  slowly  rolled.  When  the 
last  course,  at  the  top,  was  laid,  the  pyramid  would  have  the 
appearance  of  a  hill  with  gradually  sloping  sides.  The  earth 
could  then  be  removed,  and  when  it  was  all  carried  away  the 
pyramid  would  stand  as  it  was  intended  to  stand.  It  is  true 
that  this  mode  of  work  would  require  an  immense  force  of 
men  ;  but  what  did  the  kings  of  Egypt  care  for  the  toil  of  their 
subjects  ?  The  kings  owned  the  land  and  the  people,  and 
could  do  as  they  pleased  with  either. 

The  pyramid  of  Cheops,  known  as  the  Great  Pyramid,  was 
twenty  years  in  building,  and  it  is  said  by  Herodotus  to  have 
required  the  labor  of  a  hundred  thousand  men  during  that 
time.  Cheops  stopped  all  other  works  connected  with  reli- 
gious rites  until  the  pyramid  was  completed.  To  facilitate  the 
transportation  of  stone  from  the  Tourah  quarries,  a  causeway 
was  built  three  thousand  feet  long,  sixty  feet  wide,  and  fifty 
feet  high,  which  is  said  to  have  required  ten  years  for  its 
completion.  A  railway  engineer  of  the  present  day  would 
have  finished  this  causeway  in  a  month,  provided  he  could 
have  the  unlimited  supply  of  laborers  possessed  by  the 
Egyptian  kings. 

The  Great  Pyramid  covers  an  area  of  between  twelve  and 
thirteen  acres  ;  the  side  of  its  square  measures  seven  hundred 
and  forty-six  feet,  and  its  height  is  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet. 
It  was  originally  seven  hundred  and  sixty  feet  square  and 
four  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high ;  its  outer  portions  have 
been  removed  to  furnish  stone  for  building  purposes  in  Cairo. 
Originally,  it  was  a  perfect  pyramid ;  the  builders  began  at 
the  top  and  filled  in,  with  small  stone  and  cement,  the  angles 
formed  by  the  recession  of  each  layer  beyond  the  one  below 
it.  Each  side  was  thus  left  with  an  even  surface  sloping  at 
an  angle  of  51°  50'.  The  outer  casing  being  removed  has 
left  the  courses  of  stone  in  the  form  of  steps  nearly  four  feet 
high,  so  that  the  ascent  is  not  an  easy  one.  There  are 
always  plenty  of  Arabs  hanging  around  the  pyramid  ready  to 


THE  KING'S  CHAMBER.  283 

assist  a  traveller  who  wishes  to  ascend  to  tho  summit.  By 
pulling  and  pushing  him  over  the  steps,  they  get  him  up  at  a 
reasonably  rapid  rate;  but  the  exercise  is  of  such  a  nature, 
that  it  frequently  leaves  him  feeling  very  much  as  if  he  had 
been  passed  through  a  patent  clothes  wringer. 

The  pyramid  contains  about  eighty-two  millions  of  cubic 
feet  of  masonry,  and  the  total  weight  of  the  stone  used  in  its 
construction  is  estimated  at  more  than  six  million  tons.  The 
entrance  is  on  the  north  face,  fifty  feet  above  the  base,  and 
about  twenty-four  feet  from  the  central  line.  The  passage-way 
is  low  and  narrow,  and  extends,  in  a  downward  slope  of 
twenty-six  degrees,  three  hundred  and  twenty  feet  to  the 
sepulchral  chamber.  The  chamber  is  forty-six  feet  long, 
twenty-seven  feet  wide,  and  eleven  feet  high.  There  is  a 
branch  passage-way  leading  from  the  main  one,  which  termi- 
nates in  a  smaller  room,  called  the  Queen's  Chamber ;  it  is 
supposed  that  this  room  was  intended  for  the  resting-place 
of  the  queen's  body,  but  it  contains  no  sarcophagus. 

In  the  apartment  known  as  the  King's  Chamber,  the  walls 
and  roof  are  of  a  highly  polished  granite,  in  slabs  of  great  size. 
The  only  article  of  furniture  in  it  is  a  sarcophagus  of  red 
granite,  seven  and  a  half  feet  long,  three  feet  wide,  and  nearly 
four  feet  high.  It  is  too  large  to  be  moved  through  the  pas- 
sage, and  must  have  been  placed  in  the  room  before  the  roof 
was  covered.  It  is  supposed  that  it  contained  a  wooden 
coffin  with  the  mummy  of  the  king,  and  that  these  were  taken 
away  when  the  pyramid  was  first  opened  and  plundered.  In 
the  construction  of  the  pyramids,  arrangements  were  made 
for  closing  the  passages  with  blocks  of  granite,  which  have 
greatly  retarded  all  attempts  at  exploration.  It  is  supposed 
that  there  are  other  apartments  yet  undiscovered  in  the  Great 
Pyramid  ;  and  at  some  future  day  an  enterprising  and  patient 
explorer  may  be  rewarded  with  important  revelations. 

Nearly  a  thousand  years  ago,  the  Great  Pyramid  was  visited, 
and  plundered,  and  the  work  of  destruction  has  been  renewed 
at  various  intervals  since  that  time.  But  notwithstanding  the 
centuries  that  have  passed  since  the  first  visit,  new  apart- 


284  PREPARING  A  MUMMY. 

ments  and  passages  have  been  discovered  within  the  past 
thirty  years,  and  several  important  facts  in  the  history  of  the 
pyramids  have  been  obtained  from  the  hieroglyphics  on  the 
stones  of  the  interior.  Another  pyramid  near  the  great  one 
was  explored  in  1837;  a  sarcophagus  was  found,  and  with  it 
was  a  mummy  case  of  King  Menkure*,  but  the  mummy  was 
gone  where  the  woodbine  twineth,  or  somewhere  else. 
Near  the  pyramids  there  is  a  great  number  of  tombs,  some 
built  above  the  surface,  and  some  excavated  in  the  rock. 

The  Arabs  have  opened  nearly  all  the  tombs  and  plundered 
them  of  their  contents.  They  have  no  respect  for  dead  Egyp- 
tians, and  whenever  they  find  the  entrance  to  a  tomb  beneath 
the  sands  that  have  been  blown  from  the  desert,  they  quickly 
open  the  receptacle  and  search  it  for  articles  of  value.  The 
Egyptians  used  to  embalm  the  bodies  of  their  dead  with  the 
greatest  care.  Professors  of  the  art  of  embalming  were 
numerous ;  and  judging  by  the  extent  of  their  work,  they 
must  have  been  in  constant  practice.  The  first  step  in  the 
Egyptian  method  was  to  put  the  body  in  a  sort  of  spicy 
pickle,  where  it  was  kept  for  two  or  three  months.  The  vis- 
cera and  all  internal  organs  were  removed  to  give  a  better 
chance  to  the  pickle ;  and  when  the  work  was  sufficiently 
udvanced,  the  body  was  dried,  filled  with  preserving  gums 
and  spices,  and  properly  bandaged.  The  bandaging  of  a 
mummy  was  one  of  the  fine  arts,  and  sometimes  a  hundred 
yards  of  cloth  would  be  required  for  a  single  subject.  Every 
toe  and  finger  had  its  separate  bandage,  and  the  preserving 
articles  were  so  soaked  into  the  bandages  and  plastered  over 
them,  that  there  was  sometimes  more  gum  and  bandage  than 
body. 

A  close-fitting  case  or  coffin  was  put  outside  the  mummy, 
and  he  was  then  ready  to  be  packed  away  for  any  number  of 
centuries.  He  kept  well,  for  the  work  was  thoroughly  done ; 
and  mummies  are  constantly  found  in  good  preservation  after 
a  rest  of  four  or  five  thousand  years.  The  Arabs  rob  the 
tombs,  and  break  up  the  mummies  for  the  gold  and  silver 
which  were  concealed  about  them ;  and  many  a  mummy  has 


MUMMIES   BURNED    FOR   FUEL.  '285 

come  to  grief  in  consequence  of  attempting  to  take  his  money 
along  with  him.  After  the  mummy  is  broken  up  he  makes 
very  good  fuel ;  the  Arabs  occasionally  burn  him ;  and  in  the 
early  days  of  the  Cairo  and  Suez  Railway,  the  firemen  on  the 
locomotives  found  that  mummies,  cut  into  proper  lengths,  made 
a  very  good  substitute  for  wood  and  coal.  The  gums  and  rags 
that  preserved  the  mummy  are  combustible,  and  thus  facilitate 
his  destruction.  Arabs  and  railway  stokers  are,  like  the 
law,  no  respecters  of  persons,  especially  if  the  persons  have 
been  dead  forty  or  fifty  centuries.  It  amuses  and  benefits 
these  modern  Vandals  to  burn  mummies ;  and  it  is  proper  to 
say,  that  the  mummies  don't  appear  to  mind  it. 

The  subterranean  tombs  and  other  excavations  on  the  Nile 
are  numerous,  and  sometimes  of  great  extent.  Several  of  them 
are  so  large,  that  travellers  who  ventured  into  them  without 
proper  guides  have  been  lost,  and  have  perished  for  want  of 
food  and  light.  A  modern  visitor  sa}rs  that  after  going  through 
several  tombs,  he  felt  very  much  as  if  he  had  been  rolled  in  an 
iron  mill.  The  passages  leading  into  the  tombs  are  long  and 
dark;  sometimes  they  extend  hundreds  of  feet  in  an  indefi- 
nite sort  of  way,  and  not  by  a  straight  course,  as  a  respectable 
tomb  ought  to  have  its  entrance.  A  slender  man  can  get  along 
much  more  easily  than  a  fat  one ;  the  latter  gets  stuck  some- 
times, and  can  easily  fancy  himself  a  number  ten  gun-wad 
forced  into  a  number  eight  barrel.  An  acquaintance  of  mine 
once  vowed  that  not  for  the  whole  of  Egypt  would  he  ven- 
ture into  a  tomb  again,  and  that  he  had  done  with  explorations. 

"  Ask  him  about  the  tomb  of  Assasseef  at  Thebes,"  said  a 
mutual  acquaintance,  who  was  sitting  between  us.  We  were 
in  a  cafe  at  Rome,  and  whiling  away  an  evening  after  a  visit 
to  the  Coliseum,  and  the  ruins  in  its  vicinity. 

"  Hang  Thebes  and  all  it  contains,"  was  the  curt  reply. 
"  Well,  if  you  insist  upon  it,  you  shall  have  it  on  condition 
that  you  won't  speak  of  it  again." 

We  made  the  required  promise ;  and  after  taking  an  extra 
sip  of  brandy  and  water,  he  began. 

"  There  were  two  of  us,  and  we  were  making  the  journey 


286  DAHABIEHS  AND  DONKEYS. 

of  the  Nile  in  a  dahabieh.  You  know  what  beastly  things 
those  dahabiehs  are  generally,  though  sometimes  you  find 
orie  that  is  quite  comfortable.  Why  the  beggarly  Egyptians 
don't  call  them  boats,  and  be  done  with  it,  I  never  could 
understand.  We  landed  at  Luxor ;  and  after  looking  at  the 
ruins  there,  we  rode  to  the  tombs  of  the  kings,  seven  or  eight 
miles  away.  They  mounted  me  on  a  donkey  so  small,  that 
my  feet  dragged  on  the  ground,  and  I  had  to  take  a  reef  in 
my  legs  to  keep  from  wearing  away  my  boot  soles.  Jack,  my 
companion,  said,  that  if  I  wore  spurs,  I  would  have  to  buckle 
them  on  just  below  my  knee,  as  I  could  not  raise  my  heels 
without  having  them  so  far  aft,  that  they  would  not  reach  the 
animal.  There  was  no  necessity  for  spurs,  as  we  had  a  boy 
to  run  astern  of  the  donkey,  and  give  him  an  occasional  turn 
in  the  tail  to  help  him  along.  The  boy  kept  a  firm  hold  of  the 
tail  most  of  the  time,  and  was  helped  along  by  it  more  than 
the  donkey  was.  At  one  time,  when  we  were  on  the  edge  of 
a  little  ridge,  the  donkey  watched  his  chance,  and  let  his  heels 
fly  into  the  stomach  of  the  urchin.  A  prize-fighter  couldn't 
have  made  a  better  blow.  The  boy  went  rolling  down  the 
ridge,  and  I  thought  we  should  have  to  pay  for  him,  or  buy  a 
new  one. 

"  He  scrambled  up  again,  and  wasn't  hurt  at  all.  Evidently 
he  was  used  to  that  sort  of  thing,  but  I  don't  believe  he  liked 
it,  for  he  made  some  remarks  tljat  sounded  very  much  like 
swearing.  I  gave  him  half  a  franc,  and  he  appeared  satisfied, 
and  ready  to  be  kicked  again.  He  went  around  behind  the 
donkey,  and  got  into  position  ;  but  the  beast  wouldn't  respond 
for  an  encore,  and  so  the  thing  was  dropped.  But  you  can 
believe  the  boy  gave  that  tail  fits  for  the  rest  of  the  ride ; 
and  by  the  time  we  were  through,  it  looked  like  a  piece  of 
old  rope  with  half  the  strands  gone. 

"  Jack  was  poetic,  and  began  to  blow  and  recite  verses ; 
but  I  couldn't  think  of  anything  except  Old  Hundred,  and  the 
Last  Rose  of  Summer.  They  wouldn't  do  for  the  occasion, 
and  so  I  amused  myself  with  looking  around  at  the  sand  and 
rubbish,  and  wondering  why  people  came  there  to  see 


THE    TOMBS    OF    THE    EGYPTIAN    KINGS   AT    THEBES. 


HALL   IN    THE    TOMB    OF    ASSASSEEF. 


ASSASSEEF   AND    HIS    TOMB.  289 

them.  Thebes  must  have  been  a  nice  sort  of  a  city,  but  it  is 
very  much  out  of  repair  now.  It  is  very  good  as  a  ruin,  but 
wouldn't  be  worth  much  for  anything  else.  All  around  us 
there  were  the  remains  of  temples  and  palaces  that  must  have 
cost  a  great  deal  of  money  when  they  were  built.  Our  guide 
kept  talking  about  tombs  and  other  cheerful  subjects,  and  by 
and  by  he  took  us  to  the  tomb  of  Assasseef.  I  didn't  care 
much  about  going  in,  as  it  was  nothing  but  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  anyhow.  Jack  insisted,  and  so  we  tried  it. 

"  Assasseef  wasn't  a  king,  but  only  a  wealthy  old  priest,  who 
had  made  money  by  speculation  in  stocks  or  some  other  way, 
and  wanted  to  make  a  permanent  investment.  So  he  went 
into  the  tomb  business,  and  built  a  very  comfortable  one,  and 
larger  than  any  of  his  neighbors.  It  has  an  outer  court  a 
hundred  feet  long,  and  two  thirds  wide,  and  the  underground 
passages  run  nearly  a  thousand  feet  into  the  mountain.  It 
was  all  well  enough  as  long  as  we  were  above  ground,  but 
when  we  went  below  it  wasn't  so  comfortable.  The  walls 
were  black  and  dirty;  the  passages  were  narrow  and  dusty, 
and  sometimes  they  were  so  low  that  we  had  to  crawl.  The 
bats  had  a  pre-emption  claim  to  the  place,  and  didn't  like  to  be 
disturbed.  They  flapped  their  wings  in  our  faces,  and  flew 
around  in  a  way  that  wasn't  pleasant.  Jack  opened  his  mouth 
once  to  spout  a  verse  of  poetry,  and  got  a  number  three  bat 
between  his  teeth  before  he  finished  the  first  line.  I  used  to 
chaff  him  about  it  afterwards,  and  he  threatened  to  bat  me  in 
the  mouth  if  I  didn't  stop. 

"  There  were  so  many  bats  that  the  noise  they  made  in  the 
empty  vaults  and  passages  seemed  like  distant  thunder,  and 
I  began  to  think  the  mountain  would  tumble  in.  The  guide 
went  ahead ;  and  whenever  we  began  to  talk  of  giving  it  up, 
he  would  tell  about  some  wonderful  thing  a  little  farther  on. 

"  A  good  many  of  the  passages  were  so  low  and  narrow  that  I 
had  to  be  pulled  in  and  out  by  the  heels,  and  it  didn't  take  long 
to  disgust  me.  I  was  as  dusty  as  if  I  had  made  the  campaign 
of  Virginia  without  being  brushed,  and  the  dust  I  had  picked 
up  wasn't  of  the  best  kind  either.  It  consisted  of  pulverized 


290  STUCK  IN   AN  UNDERGROUND   PASSAGE 

mummy  and  other  relics  of  ancient  Egypt;  and  T  think  I 
should  have  made  a  very  good  show-piece  if  I  had  come  home 
in  just  the  condition  in  which  I  emerged  from  that  tomb. 

"  The  joke  kept  growing  worse,  till  they  got  me  in  a  place 
where  I  had  to  expel  all  my  breath  to  crawl  through.  We 
got  into  a  sort  of  room  where  an  Egyptian  named  something 
or  other  had  spent  thirty-five  or  forty  centuries  of  his  mummy 
existence ;  but  the  place  was  about  as  attractive  as  a  bath 
tub.  The  mummy  had  gone,  and  taken  his  baggage  with  him, 
all  but  the  bats,  which  kept  flying  around  and  making  them- 
selves uncomfortable.  But  when  we  went  to  get  out,  the  job 
was  serious.  The  passage-way,  as  we  came  into  this  tomb, 
was  a  descending  one,  and  I  got  into  it  by  going  stern  fore- 
most, as  a  ship  drops  down  a  current  to  pick  up  a  new  anchor- 
ing spot.  But  in  going  out  I  had  to  climb  up,  and  that  wasn't 
so  easy.  The  space  wasn't  large  enough  for  a  man  of  my  size 
to  crawl  well,  as  you  have  to  raise  your  body  a  little  every 
time  you  push  yourself  forward  with  your  hands.  For  the  same 
reason  I  couldn't  get  a  purchase  with  my  feet,  and- 1  hadn't 
gone  five  yards  before  I  stopped.  The  guide  and  one  of  our 
water-carriers  were  ahead,  while  Jack  was  behind  me,  and 
had  an  Arab  to  bring  up  the  rear.  I  yelled  out  that  I  couldn't 
get  farther,  and  the  train  came  to  a  stop. 

"  I  was  frightened,  and  that  made  me  swell  up  like  your 
finger  when  you  have  a  ring  on  that  is  a  size  or  so  too  small. 
I  filled  that  passage-way  as  a  cork  fills  the  neck  of  a  bottle,  and 
I  couldn't  stir  any  more  than  if  I  had  been  anchored.  The 
guide  got  hold  of  my  arms  and  pulled,  but  he  couldn't 
do  anything,  especially  as  the  place  wasn't  adapted  to  towing 
purposes.  What  was  to  be  done  I  couldn't  tell ;  and  I  began 
to  think  I  should  have  to  stay  there,  and  be  converted  into  a 
mummy  for  the  amusement  of  future  visitors. 

"  Jack  and  the  Arab  finally  pulled  me  back  by  the  heels,  and 
the  Arab  went  for  a  rope.  When  he  brought  it  we  arranged 
for  a  new  departure.  They  wanted  to  put  the  rope  around 
my  neck  and  pull  me  along;  but  I  objected  to  this,  as  it  might 
result  in  stretching  my  neck  a  little  longer  than  I  wanted 


CONDITION   OF  THE  MUMMY  MARKET.  291 

it.  I  looped  the  thing  around  me  just  below  the  arms ;  and 
then  the  guide  and  the  water-carrier  went  ahead,  and  towed 
me  along,  it  was  no  easy  work,  but  they  got  me  out  at  last 
into  the  larger  passages,  where  I  could  get  along  compara- 
tively easy.  The  guide  said  something  about  a  fine  tomb 
farther  in  the  mountain,  but  I  had  had  all  the  tombs  I  wanted 
for  that  day,  and  made  as  straight  a  course  as  I  could  for  the 
outside.  And  you  don't  catch  me  in  a  tomb  of  that  sort  again 
if  you  give  me  all  the  kings  in  Egypt. 

"  When  we  got  outside,  we  found  a  crowd  of  Arabs  with  frag- 
ments of  mummy  for  sale.  They  had  legs,  and  arms,  and 
heads  in  abundance,  but  the  market  was  rather  too  high  to 
suit  me.  In  fact  I  didn't  want  any  mummy,  and  told  the 
guide  to  set  the  fellows  adrift.  Jack  bought  a  dried  arm,  and 
took  it  back  to  the  boat,  but  I  believe  he  threw  it  overboard 
a  few  days  later.  After  that  adventure,  I  visited  a  good 
many  ruins,  but  only  went  where  I  had  daylight  to  guide  me. 
Whenever  they  told  me  of  a  beautiful  tomb,  and  the  wonders 
that  it  contained,  I  admitted  that  it  must  be  very  nice,  and 
took  everything  they  said  in  good  faith.  I  was  willing  to  see 
the  tombs  by  proxy ;  and  when  Jack  went  inside,  I  staid 
where  I  could  look  at  the  Arabs,  and  study  the  columns  of  the 
ruined  temples." 


XIX. 

EXPERIENCES  IN  WILD  LIFE. 

NECESSITIES  OF  TRAVELLERS  IN  WILD  COUNTRIES.  —  CONCEALING  DOG  FOOD.  — 

DEFENCES  AGAINST  WILD  ANIMALS.  —  HONESTY  OF  CERTAIN  NATIVES.  —  THE 
AUTHOR'S  EXPERIENCE  WITH  SIBERIAN  KORAKS.  —  CONCEALING  FOOD  IN  ICE- 
BERGS. —  BARON  WRANGELL  AND  DR.  KANE.  —  STORY  OF  BLANKETS  AND 
BLANKET  STRAPS. — A  CACHE. — WHAT  IT  IS. — AUTHOR'S  FIRST  ACQUAINT- 
ANCE WITH  ONE.  A  FRAUDULENT  GRAVE.  —  CACHE  OF  A  WHISKEY  KEG,  AND 

HOW  IT  WAS  MADE.  —  "TWO-BOTTLE  CAMP." — CONSOLATION  OF  A  HARD 
DRINKER.  —  AN  EXTENSIVE  CACHE.  —  HOW  THE  INDIANS  FOUND  IT,  AND  WHAT 
BECAME  OF  THEM.  — JIM  FOSTER  AND  HIS  TENDER  HEART. 

IN  all  sparsely  settled  or  wild  countries,  travellers  when  on 
journeys  are  frequently  obliged  to  carry  provisions  for  their 
entire  trip.  If  they  are  to  go  back  over  the  same  route  they 
follow  in  their  outward  course,  they  do  not  carry  their  provis- 
ions the  whole  distance,  but  leave  them  at  different  points, 
where  they  can  find  them  on  their  return.  Especially  is  this 
the  case  where  food  for  the  draught  or  riding  animals  must 
be  provided.  In  Northern  America  and  Asia,  and  in  Green- 
land, Spitzbergen,  and  other  arctic  countries,  dogs  are  used 
for  draught  purposes :  and  where  a  party  is  travelling  it  is 
always  necessary  to  carry  a  supply  of  dog  food.  The  favorite 
article  for  feeding  dogs  in  winter  is  dried  fish,  and  great 
quantities  are  prepared  in  the  summer  months,  and  stored 
away  where  they  can  be  safely  kept. 

An  expedition  starting  in  winter  for  a  journey  of  ten  days 
will  carry  ten  days'  supply  of  food  for  dogs  and  men.  If  the 
journey  exceeds  that  time,  the  allowance  must  be  reduced ; 
and  sometimes  the  party  will  be  on  the  point  of  starvation. 
At  the  end  of  each  day's  journey,  it  is  customary,  if  the  party 
is  to  return  by  the  same  route,  to  conceal  a  day's  supply  of 
food,  and  thus  lighten  the  load  as  much  as  possibly.  There 


CONCEALING   FOOD    IN   ICE.  293 

are  several  ways  of  making  these  deposits.  The  first  requisite 
is  generally  to  protect  the  food  against  wild  animals.  Poles 
eight  or  ten  feet  high  are  set  upright,  and  a  rude  box  is  made 
at  the  top,  where  the  food  can  be  placed.  Wolves  and  foxes 
are  the  principal  four-footed  thieves ;  they  cannot  climb,  and 
therefore  anything  protected  in  this  way  is  safe  from  their 
depredations.  Sometimes  a  hole  is  made  in  the  ground,  and 
the  deposit  is  placed  within  it.  This  can  only  be  safely  done 
in  winter,  as  the  soft  earth  in  summer  can  be  dug  up  by  the 
enterprising  and  keen-scented  animals  with  very  little  trouble. 
A  hole  in  winter  can  bo  made  secure  by  pouring  water  over 
the  replaced  earth,  and  allowing  it  to  freeze.  Wolves  and 
foxes  can  do  many  things,  but  they  have  not  yet  invented  any 
way  to  dig  through  frozen  ground.  They  are  wise  enough 
not  to  attempt  it,  as  they  would  need  a  new  set  of  paws  every 
half  hour  if  they  followed  digging  in  frozen  earth  as  a  means, 
of  livelihood. 

Baron  Wrangell,  Dr.  Kane,  and  other  arctic  explorers,  whea 
travelling  on  the  ice  of  the  Polar  Sea,  used  to  make  holes  in- 
the  bergs  and  hummocks,  and  sometimes  in  the  level  fee,, 
which  frequently  gets  a  thickness  of  eight  or  ten  feet.  After 
they  had  made  the  deposit  in  a  hole  of  this  sort,  they  would1 
fit  a  block  of  ice  as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  opening.  After 
inserting  the  block  they  poured  water  into  the  interstices,, 
and  allowed  it  to  freeze,  so  as  to  make  the  place  as  solid  and 
even  as  ever.  This  was  a  sufficient  protection  against  small' 
animals,  but  not  always  against  polar  bears.  These  huge* 
beasts  would  scent  out  the  food,  and  with  their  powerful  claws 
they  managed  to  dig  into  the  ice,  and  help  themselves.  Even: 
if  the  food  had  been  put  into  strong  boxes  before  it  was 
deposited,  the  beasts  did  not  seem  to  be  hindered  in  getting 
at  it,  as  they  would  break  the  boxes  as  easily  as  a  rat  would' 
open  an  egg-shell.  Dr.  Kane  once  tried  the  plan  of  sealing 
the  food  in  sheet  iron  cans  pointed  at  the  ends.  Sometimes« 
the  bears  tossed  these  cans  a  while,  and  then  abandoned  them  ;. 
but  they  generally  managed  to  throw  them  about  withe 
sufficient  violence  to  break  the  shell  and  reach,  the  contents.. 
16 


294  HONEST  ABORIGINALS. 

A  healthy  and  full-grown  polar  bear  is  a  powerful  beast,  and 
has  no  respect  for  the  laws  affecting  the  ownership  of 
property. 

In  the  extreme  north  deposits  of  food  are  in  much  greater 
danger  from  four-footed  beasts  than  from  men.  In  the  first 
place,  the  beasts  are  much  more  numerous  than  men,  and 
consequently  want  more  to  eat.  Men  are  not  very  likely,  in 
those  wild  countries,  to  come  near  the  deposits,  especially  in 
arctic  explorations ;  and  even  when  they  find  them  they  are 
not  generally  in  the  habit  of  stealing.  The  Esquimaux  of  the 
region  where  Dr.  Kane  made  his  explorations  are  somewhat 
thievish  when  they  have  the  opportunity,  but  the  natives 
of  Northern  Asia  have  a  high  reputation  for  honesty.  There 
are  some  tribes  that  have  never  learned  to  steal ;  they  have 
had  very  little  intercourse  with  white  men,  and  are  thoroughly 
uncivilized.  As  an  illustration  of  this  barbarous  honesty,  I 
will  give  my  own  experience  among  the  Koraks  of  North- 
'eastern  Siberia. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  them  was  on  the  shores  of  the 
'Okhotsk  Sea,  where  they  had  assembled  with  their  herds  of 
reindeer.  When  we  went  ashore  we  managed  somehow  to 
wet  our  blankets,  and  I  hung  mine  up  to  dry.  I  expressed 
my  fears  that  the  blankets  would  be  stolen  by  some  of  the 
Koraks,  but  was  told  that  everything  would  be  safe.  When 
we  camped  at  night,  my  blankets  were  dry,  and  I  slept  in 
them.  But  I  forgot  the  blanket-straps,  and  there  they  hung 
in  the  open  air  all  night,  and  all  the  next  day. 

Now,  it  is  a  moral  or  an  immoral  certainty  that  a  pair  of  leather 
.-straps,  new,  and  in  good  condition,  in  almost  any  other  country 
would  have  been  taken  in  hand  by  somebody  who  couldn't 
bear  to  see  them  unused.  But  when  I  finally  thought  of  my 
straps,  I  found  them  hanging  where  I  had  left  them  thirty 
hours  before,  in  full  view  of  a  dozen  or  more  natives,  who 
were  dressed  in  skins,  and  didn't  know  anything  more  about 
civilization  and  the  customs  of  fashionable  society  than  a 
Jiorse  knows  about  running  a  sewing-machine. 

On  our  western  plains  the  custom  of  concealing  articles  in 


EXPERIENCE  WITH  A  CACHE.  295 

the  ground  prevails  over  any  other  mode.  The  Indians  have 
long  practised  it,  and  they  manage  it  so  skilfully  that  it  is 
next  to  impossible  to  detect  them.  The  early  French  settlers 
and  explorers  learned  the  practice  from  the  Indians,  and  the 
name  they  gave  to  a  place  of  .concealment  — "  cache"  from 
cacher,  to  conceal  —  has  been  adopted  into  the  language  of  all 
plainsmen,  of  whatever  nationality.  So  well  is  this  word  known 
that  many  frontier  Americans  use  it  in  preference  to  words  in 
their  own  language  having  the  same  meaning.  A  frontiers-man 
will  speak  o-f  finding  a  place  where  a  squirrel  had  cached  a 
peck  of  nuts,  or  will  tell  you  that  he  cached  his  bowie  knife 
in  his  boot-leg  rather  than  carry  it  at  his  waist-belt. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  a  cache  on  the  plains  was  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fort  Kearney.  Our  party  was  camped  near 
a  half  dozen  men  who  were  returning  from  Salt  Lake  City, 
and  had  lost  three  of  their  oxen.  We  struck  up  an  acquaint- 
ance, and  in  the  evening  invited  them  to  sit  around  our  fire, 
where  we  exchanged  news  and  stories,  they  telling  us  of 
Utah,  and  we  telling  them  about  the  States  or  "  God's 
Country/'  as  one  of  them  called  it.  "  Stranger,"  said  he,  "  if 
ever  I  get  back  to  God's  Country,  and  you  catch  me  again  on 
these  yere  plains,  you  may  just  shoot  me  for  a  prairie  dog. 
I've  seen  all  I  want  of  this  yere  living,  and  don't  hanker  for 
no  more  of  it.  I'm  a  going  back  where  I  can  have  a  square 
meal  at  a  table,  and  drink  whiskey  that  wouldn't  burn  a  hole 
through  an  old  boot  in  five  minutes." 

We  were  not  bountifully  supplied  with  the  necessaries 
of  life,  but  we  felt  liberal,  and  ventured  to  offer  a  drink 
of  whiskey  to  each  of  the  strangers.  They  took  it  as  unhes- 
itatingly as  a  kitten  would  take  a  saucer  of  new  milk,  and  we 
became  friends  in  a  short  time.  When  we  separated,  one 
of  the  eastward-bound  travellers  said  ,  — 

"  May  be  you'll  run  short  of  flour  before  you  get  to  the 
mountains,  and  a  little  would  help  you  along.  Now,  we  had 
to  lighten  up  just  this  side  of  the  Platte  crossing,  where  we 
lost  two  of  our  oxen.  We  couldn't  find  anybody  to  sell  to, 
and  as  we  didn't  like  to  throw  things  away  altogether,  we 


296  HOW  TO  CONCEAL  FLOUR. 

cached  some  of  them.  Next  day  we  met  a  man  one  of  us 
knew,  and  we  sold  him  all  the  caches  but  one,  and  told  him 
where  to  find  them.  But  there  was  one  bag  of  flour  in  a 
cache  away  from  the  rest,  and  he  didn't  want  no  flour;  so  we 
didn't  tell  him  where  it  was." 

We  offered  to  buy  the  flour,  but  the  men  would  not  listen 
to  the  proposition. 

"  It's  Utah  flour,'7  said  one  of  them,  "  and  isn't  very  good. 
The  sack  is  small,  and  the  whole  lot  wouldn't  be  worth  a 
great  deal ;  but  you  can't  buy  it.  You've  treated  us  hand- 
some, and  we're  not  going  to  be  rattlesnakes.  We  want  you 
to  take  that  flour,  and  you  shan't  pay  for  it." 

We  thanked  them  heartily,  and  proffered  another  drink, 
which  was  accepted  and  swallowed. 

"  About  five  miles  this  side  of  the  old  crossing  of  the 
Platte,"  one  of  the  strangers  continued,  after  wiping  the 
drops  of  whiskey  from  his  lips,  "  you  will  come  to  a  dry 
creek.  There's  a  small  clump  of  willows  on  your  right  hand, 
and  mighty  small  willows  they  are  too ;  and  on  the  left  side,  a 
dozen  yards  off  the  road,  there  are  three  buffalo  heads  piled 
up,  with  a  sage  bush  sticking  in  the  top  one.  Now,  you  go  up 
the  creek  past  these  yere  buffalo  heads  about  fifty  yards,  and 
you'll  see  a  grave  with  a  little  board  at  one  end.  On  the 
board  are  some  words  which  we  cut,  that  says,  '  J.  MEANS, 
SALT  LAKE,  34  YEARS/  Now,  there  ain't  no  J.  Means  there, 
but  there  is  a  sack  of  flour,  and  you'll  find  it  by  digging." 

We  made  a  memorandum  of  the  direction,  and  soon  after 
retired  to  sleep.  In  the  morning  we  broke  camp,  and  con- 
tinued our  journey,  keeping  the  cache  constantly  in  mind. 
When  we  reached  the  spot  indicated,  we  opened  the  grave, 
and  found  the  sack  of  flour,  as  our  friends  of  a  night  had  told 
us  we  should  find  it.  The  soil  where  it  lay  was  quite  dry,  and 
the  flour  might  have  been  left  there  for  months  without 
serious  injury,  beyond  growing  a  little  musty. 

A  grave  is  regarded  with  respect  by  nearly  all  white  men 
and  by  most  savages.  Consequently  a  cache  is  frequently 
made  in  the  form  of  a  grave.  A  head-board  bearing  the 


DECEIVING   A   DRUNKARD.  297 

name,  residence,  and  age  of  a  fictitious  dead  man,  serves  to 
complete  the  deception,  and  is  likewise  useful  in  describing 
the  cache  so  that  it  can  be  found.  All  sorts  of  articles  can  be 
placed  in  the  grave,  provided  they  are  not  of  a  character  to 
attract  wild  animals  and  cause  them  to  dig.  In  certain  local- 
ities, the  animals,  when  hungry,  will  dig  into  a  real  grave,  and 
exhume  the  body  to  devour  it.  Thus  it  happens  that  the  fact 
that  a  mound  has  not  been  disturbed  by  beasts  sometimes 
reveals  its  character  to  a  keen-eyed  observer,  and  tells  him 
that  it  is  a  cache,  containing  something  else  than  the  remains 
of  a  luckless  traveller. 

In  a  journey  from  Denver  to  New  Mexico,  in  the  autumn 
of  I860,  our  party  contained  one  man  whose  appetite  for 
whiskey  was  of  the  keenest  and  most  insatiable.  In  making 
up  our  outfit,  we  had  left  a  portion  of  the  purchases  to  him, 
and  he  had  bought  about  six  times  as  much  fire-water  as  we 
really  needed.  On  the  first  and  second  day  he  managed  to  get  as 
drunk  as  a  Tammany  repeater  at  election  time,  and  was  neither 
ornamental  nor  useful.  On  the  second  night,  while  he  was 
sleeping,  and  possibly  dreaming  of  a  paradise  where  there 
were  rivers  of  pure  Bourbon,  and  no  charge  to  bathers  and 
drinkers,  we  arranged  a  plan  to  bring  him  to  grief.  We  took 
a  keg  of  whiskey  from  our  wagon,  and  cached  it  a  little  way 
from  camp.  We  threw  the  dirt  into  the  creek,  and  built  a 
fire  over  the  place  of  concealment,  so  that  there  was  no  trace 
of  what  we  had  done.  In  the  morning  we  kept  him  away 
from  the  wagon  until  we  were  several  miles  on  the  road,  and 
as  he  had  a  bottle  at  his  command  he  did  not  discover  the 
loss  until  night. 

But  when  he  did  discover  it,  there  was  trouble  in  the 
camp.  We  dared  not  tell  the  truth,  for  fear  he  would  insist 
upon  returning  to  recover  the  treasure.  So  we  feigned  igno- 
rance, thought  it  must  have  been  lost  on  the  road,  or  left  in 
Denver,  or,  possibly,  the  driver  had  stolen  it.  We  were  all 
certain  that  it  had  not  been  left  at  the  camp,  as  we  had 'fol- 
lowed the  universal  custom  of  emigrants  on  the  plains,  and 
carefully  examined  the  ground  after  the  wagon  had  started. 


298  TWO-BOTTLE   CAMP. 

To  console  himself,  he  went  into  a  condition  of  blind  drunk- 
enness, and  remained  in  it  till  morning.  At  this  camp  we 
cached  a  couple  of  bottles  of  whiskey,  and  then  solemnly 
averred,  next  morning,  that  he  had  swallowed  them.  To 
all  his  denials  we  were  incredulous,  and  we  narrated,  with 
great  minuteness,  how  he  drank  one  bottle  after  another, 
filling  a  pint  cup  at  a  time,  and  draining  it  at  a  gulp.  He 
finally  began  to  believe  that  we  were  right,  and  for  the  rest 
of  the  journey  he  kept  comparatively  sober. 

On  our  return,  two  weeks  later,  we  had  a  long  day's  journey 
before  us  to  reach  "Two-Bottle  Camp,"  as  we  had  named  it. 
In  the  morning  we  made  a  general  confession  to  the  old 
fellow,  and  owned  up  to  the  theft  and  concealment  of  the 
bottles.  His  rage  at  the  deception  practised  upon  him  was 
great,  but  it  was  not  equal  to  his  joy  at  knowing  there  was 
happiness  ahead.  Never  on  the  whole  journey  did  he  exert 
himself  more  than  on  that  day  to  keep  the  wagon  in  motion, 
and  enable  us  to  reach  the  whiskey-hunting  ground  by  sun- 
set. To  him  the  camp  of  the  Two  Bottles  was  like  a  harbor 
for  which  the  storm-tossed  mariner  hopes  and  prays  when  the 
gale  is  upon  him,  and  his  ship  is  lying  at  the  mercy  of  the 
wind ;  and  as  soon  as  we  reached  it,  he  made  a  rapid  break 
for  the  cache,  and  opened  it  before  the  wagon  was  fairly 
halted. 

He  forgave  us  everything,  and  for  that  evening  we  had  a 
millennium  on  a  small  scale.  We  compelled  him  to  retain  one 
bottle  for  the  festivities  of  the  next  evening,  as  we  wanted 
him  to  go  to  town  sober,  and  consequently  determined  to  ex- 
hume the  keg,  and  put  it  in  the  wagon  without  his  knowledge. 
Everything  was  lovely ;  the  keg  was  secured,  and  when  we 
reached  Denver,  we  pretended  to  discover  it  in  the  office 
whence  we  had  started. 

In  the  days  of  the  great  emigration  overland  in  1849  and 
?50,  the  emigrants  frequently  found  their  wagons  too  heavily 
burdened,  and  were  obliged  to  throw  away  or  cache  a  large 
part  of  their  loads.  When  they  cached  their  goods,  the  In- 
dians generally  found  them,  as  the  work  was  almost  always 


AN  EXTENSIVE   CACHE.  299 

done  carelessly  and  in  haste,  so  that  traces  of  it  could  be 
plainly  seen.  One  old  plainsman  once  described  to  me  a  cache 
which  was  made  by  a  party  to  which  he  belonged. 

"  We  found,"  said  he,  "  that  we  must  lighten  up  our  wagons ; 
and  so  we  concluded  to  stop  a  day  or  two,  make  a  cache,  and 
give  our  animals  a  chance  to  rest.  We  were  near  the  Wind 
River  Mountains,  and  Indians  were  not  abundant.  We  had 
seen  none  for  several  days,  and  thought  we  could  rely  upon 
doing  our  work  without  their  seeing  us.  We  were  in  camp 
when  we  decided  to  make  the  cache,  and  at  daylight  next 
morning  two  of  us  started  out  to  find  a  good  place. 

"About  three  miles  off  the  trail  we  found  a  bluff  that  was 
quite  steep  towards  a  small  river  that  we  named  Lost  Ox 
River,  because  one  of  our  oxen  afterwards  got  into  the  quick- 
sand and  was  drowned.  We  thought  this  bluff  would  be  a 
good  place  for  a  cache,  as  we  could  throw  the  dirt  into  the 
river  and  have  it  washed  away.  The  bluff  was  hard  and  dry, 
and  would  keep  things  from  spoiling. 

"  We  drove  the  train  into  the  valley,  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff, 
and  then  went  to  work.  We  made  a  hole  about  three  feet 
square,  and  as  many  deep,  and  then  we  hollowed  out  a  space 
as  large  as  a  good-sized  room.  We  did  not  drop  an  ounce  of 
dirt  around  the  opening,  but  threw  it  all  into  the  river.  We 
spread  blankets  and  sacks  all  around  the  opening,  and  laid  a 
row  of  them  from  the  hole  to  our  camp,  so  that  the  ground 
wouldn't  be  trodden  up. 

"  Then  we  lightened  our  wagons  of  everything  we  could 
spare.  There  were  bundles  of  goods,  extra  clothing,  saddles, 
chains,  boots,  and  everything  we  thought  it  possible  to  do 
without.  When  the  hole  was  full,  we  put  the  stump  of  a  tree 
into  the  opening,  and  scattered  leaves  and  rubbish  around  it, 
so  that  nobody  could  possibly  see  that  the  earth  had  ever 
been  disturbed. 

"  It  took  us  three  days  to  make  the  cache.  Our  mules  and 
oxen  had  gathered  strength,  and  we  moved  on,  with  a  good 
prospect  of  getting  through  to  California. 

"  But  things  grew  worse  instead  of  better.     When  we  got 


300  CAPTURING  A  SQUAW. 

into  the  alkali  plains  our  oxen  died  off  fast,  and  we  had  to 
throw  away  something  every  day.  With  so  much  bad  luck 
it  was  quite  natural  that  we  should  get  into  rows  among  our- 
selves, and  the  upshot  of  it  was.  that  we  separated.  Some 
of  us  were  discouraged,  a*nd  wanted  to  go  back  j  and  we  did 
go  back. 

"  Four  of  us  took  our  rifles,  and  each  picked  out  a  riding 
mule  to  carry  us  to  the  Missouri  River.  We  had  two  pack 
mules,  and  thought  we  could  somehow  manage  to  get 
through.  We  had  a  hard  time  of  it,  stranger,  and  didn't  get 
farther  than  Laramie,  where  we  broke  up,  and  concluded  to 
try  our  luck  at  anything  that  turned  up. 

"  When  we  got  to  where  we  left  the  trail  to  make  our 
cache,  I  told  the  boys  we  had  better  go  and  see  if  it  was  all 
right.  Three  of  us  went  there,  and  left  the  other  to  take  care 
of  the  animals. 

"  Somehow  the  Indians  had  found  out  the  whole  thing.  We 
don't  know  how  they  did  it,  but  it  was  most  likely  that  the 
wolves  and  foxes  went  to  digging  there  for  the  leather  in  the 
boots  and  saddles,  and  the  Indians  saw  where  they  dug,  and 
knew  something  was  hid.  All  around  there  were  tracks  of 
Indians,  and  they  had  taken  out  more  than  half  of  what  we 
had  put  there. 

"  While  we  were  talking  about  the  business,  and  cursing 
the  red  skins,  we  saw  five  of  them  coming  up  the  valley. 
There  were  four  bucks  and  one  squaw,  and  they  hadn't  seen 
us.  So  we  just  laid  low  and  waited  for  them.  They  stopped 
at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  and  the  bucks  marie  for  the  hole,  leav- 
ing the  squaw  to  take  care  of  their  ponies  and  keep  watch. 

"  The  squaw  sat  down,  with  her  back  against  a  tree,  about 
fifty  feet  from  where  we  were.  She  was  evidently  tired,  for 
she  dropped  her  head  forward,  and  didn't  keep  much  of  a 
watch.  Jim  Foster,  one  of  the  fellows  with  me,  was  an  old 
Indian  hunter,  and  knew  how  to  work.  He  crept  up  behind 
her,  slipped  the  belt  from  his  waist,  and  before  she  knew  what 
she  was  about,  he  had  the  belt  around  her  neck,  and  fastened 
her  to  the  tree.  As  soon  as  he  had  her  fast,  the  other  fellow 


A   CARELESS  PLAINSMAN.  301 

and  I  ran  to  the  cache,  picked  up  the  stump  that  had  been  in 
the  hole  originally,  and  put  it  where  it  belonged.  Then  we 
piled  logs  and  rubbish  on  top,  and  stopped  up  the  crevices, 
and  waited  a  couple  of  hours,  until  we  thought  they  had 
breathed  all  the  air  up  and  were  good  Indians." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  good  Indians  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Why,  don't  you  know,"  said  he,  "  that  all  good  Indians  are1 
dead  Indians  ?" 

I  saw  his  point,  and  after  he  had  terminated  the  smile  with 
which  his  axiom  was  delivered,  he  went  on  with  the  story. 

"We  made  sure  that  they  would  never  do  any  more  steal- 
ing. We  didn't  want  to  kill  them,  of  course,  but  we  thought 
it  would  be  no  more  than  right  to  cache  them  along  with  the 
property  that  was  left.  There  never  was  a  better  use  made 
of  an  Indian  than  to  cache  him.  As  soon  as  we  were  satisfied 
that  they  couldn't  get  out,  we  took  the  ponies  and  went  to 
where  our  fourth  man  was  waiting  with  the  mules.  We  dis- 
tributed our  loads  on  the  mules,  took  the  ponies  to  ride  on, 
and  you  may  believe  that  we  travelled  our  level  best  out  of 
that  region." 

"  And  the  squaw,"  I  asked  ;  "  did  she  go  with  you  ?  " 

"  0,  I  forgot  about  her.  Jim  was  a  careless  sort  of  a  fellow, 
and  he  pulled  that  strap  so  close  around  her  neck  that  she 
never  recovered.  Come  to  think  of  it,  she  didn't  live  long, 
not  more  than  five  minutes,  and  Jim  was  very  sorry.  He 
said  he  would  do  the  best  he  could  for  her,  and  seeing  she 
was  dead,  he  wouldn't  refuse  to  bury  her.  So  he  carried  her 
to  the  river,  where  there  was  a  good  bed  of  quicksand,  and 
dropped  her  in.  She  sunk  easy,  and  I  reckon  she's  some- 
where about  there  now.  She  had  a  lot  of  silver  ornaments 
about  her,  and  Jim  felt  so  bad  that  he  kept  them  to  remember 
her  by.  He  said  it  would  be  a  shame  to  waste  them,  as 
silver  was  scarce  in  that  country.  He  wanted  to  go  back,  and 
see  if  the  bucks  had  something  valuable  about  them ;  but  I 
thought  we  had  done  a  fair  morning's  work  in  hiving  the  po- 
nies, and  it  was  best  to  be  getting  away  from  there  before  any 
more  Indians  came  around.  And  we  up  and  travelled  lively." 


XX. 

THE  GKEEN  VAULTS  OF  DRESDEN. 

JTHE  HIGHEST  TREASURY  IN  THE  WORLD.  —  HOW  THE  SAXON  PRINCES  ACQUIRED 
IT.  -^  THE  DIFFERENT  CABINETS,  AND  WHAT  THEY  CONTAIN.  — WONDERUL 
CARVINGS,  MOSAICS,  AND  CURIOSITIES.  —  SPLENDID  GOLD  AND  SILVER  PLATE. 

—  MAGNIFICENT  ROYAL   REGALIA.  — A   LUXURIOUS    AND    GALLANT   MONARCH. 

—  HIS    ROMANTIC    ADVENTURES.  —  A    MARVELLOUS    TOY.  —  DAZZLING     EMER- 
ALDS, PEARLS,  RUBIES,  AND  DIAMONDS.  —  THE  LARGEST  AND  MOST  PRECIOUS 
GEMS  ON  THE  GLOBE.  —  INGENIOUS  AND  DESPERATE   ATTEMPTS    TO    ROB    THE 
VAULTS.  —  A  THIEF  WALLED  UP    ALIVE.  —  EFFECT    OF    EXPOSING    HIS    SKELE- 
TON.—  ARE    THE     PRICELESS     JEWELS     FALSE?  —  WHAT     AN     ENTERPRISING 
SCOUNDREL   MIGHT   ACCOMPLISH. 

THE  Green  Vaults  (Griine  Gewolbe)  of  Dresden,  as  they 
are  called  from  the  hue  of  the  hangings  which  once  covered 
them,  are  in  the  Zwinger,  a  group  of  buildings  erected  by 
Augustus  II.  as  a  vestibule  to  a  new  palace.  They  are  not 
tinder  ground  as  might  be  supposed  from  their  name,  and  from 
the  fact  that  they  contain  the  treasures  of  the  King  of  Sax- 
ony. They  are  vaulted  apartments,  eight  in  number,  stored 
with  rare  carving,  mosaics,  gold  and  silver  plate,  precious 
stones,  and  an  endless  variety  of  curious  and  invaluable  arti- 
cles. 

The  collection  is  the  richest  possessed  by  any  European 
monarch,  and  altogether  beyond  what  so  small  a  power  would 
be  thought  able  to  collect  or  keep.  The  Saxon  princes,  it 
must  be  remembered,  however,  were  of  far  more  consequence 
and  influence  in  the  past  than  they  are  in  the  present.  The 
Freiberg  silver  mines  alone  were  a  source  of  immense  rev- 
enue before  the  discovery  of  America,  and  Saxony  had  vari- 
ous means  of  acquiring  wealth  of  which  she  is  now  wholly 
deprived. 

I  have  examined  nearly  all  the  royal  treasuries  abroad,  and 
none  of  them  are  at  all  equal  to  the  collection  in  Dresden, 


WONDERFUL   WORKS    OP   ART.  303 

which  is  likely  to  create  an  agreeable  surprise  even  after  one 
has  heard  its  variety  and  value  extolled.  I  have  known  po- 
litical economists  to  regret  that  what  might  be  converted  into 
so  much  money  should  be  allowed  to  lie  idle,  and  I  have  met 
others,  again,  who  regarded  the  treasures  of  art  and  the  price- 
less jewels  gathered  there  as  so  many  baubles  unworthy  of 
serious  consideration.  Persons  of  cultivated  taste  and  lovers 
of  beauty,  however,  can  hardly  be  so  narrow  in  their  opinions, 
for  they  will  find  in  the  Green  Vaults  something  more  than 
capital  uninvested,  or  glittering  toys.  The  princes  deserve 
commendation  for  the  liberal  manner  in  which  they  expended 
their  wealth  for  the  aesthetic  benefit  of  those  to  come  after 
them. 

The  apartments  are  so  arranged  that  each  one  you  enter 
surpasses  the  last  in  interest  and  the  variety  of  its  contents. 
A  great  deal  of  space  would  be  required  to  enumerate  all  the 
articles,  though  the  principal  may  be  easily  set  down. 

The  first  apartment  is  devoted  to  bronzes  of  the  nicest  and 
most  curious  workmanship.  There  are  copies  in  miniature  of 
some  of  the  famous  statues,  that  cannot  be  fully  appreciated 
without  close  attention  to  detail  and  a  liberal  understanding 
of  art.  A  crucifix  by  John  of  Bologna,  and  a  small  dog, 
stretching  itself,  by  Peter  Visscher,  are  masterpieces  of  their 
kind. 

In  the  second  apartment  are  ivory  carvings  of  remarkable 
excellence  ;  among  them  a  number  of  beautiful  vases,  some 
quite  large,  cut  out  of  a  single  piece.  There  are,  also,  a  bat- 
tle scene  by  Albrecht  Dnrer,  a  crucifix  by  Michael  Angelo, 
and  a  marvellous  group  of  some  ninety  figures  carved  in  one 
piece  sixteen  inches  high,  representing  the  fall  of  Lucifer  and 
his  Avicked  angels.  Nothing  could  be  finer  or  more  exact 
than  these  figures.  Small  as  they  are,  they  are  perfect,  and 
plainly  show  what  extraordinary  patience  and  skill  the  artist 
must  have  had.  A  goblet,  of  stag's  horn,  cut  like  a  cameo,  in 
figures  portraying  the  chase,  is  admirably  wrought,  as  is  also 
a  cup  on  which  the  story  of  the  Foolish  Virgins  is  deline- 
ated. 


304  CUPS  OF  GREAT  VALUE. 

The  third  apartment  has  Florentine  mosaics,  engraved  shells, 
ostrich  eggs  carved  and  ornamented,  a  singular  chimney- 
piece  of  Dresden  china  set  with  precious  stones,  paintings  in 
enamel,  and  a  number  of  portraits  of  historic  characters,  the 
most  noticeable  of  which  are  Peter  the  Great  and  Augustus 
JI.,  surnamed  the  Strong. 

The  fourth  apartment  is  filled  with  the  gold  and  silver  plate 
formerly  used  at  the  banquets  of  the  Saxon  princes,  a  portion 
of  which  was  wont  to  be  carried  to  Frankfort  on  the  occasion 
of  the  coronation  of  the  German  emperors  by  the  electors  of 
Saxony,  who  held  the  hereditary  office  of  arch-marshal  at 
those  imposing  ceremonies.  Beyond  the  mere  value,  this 
plate  is  not  desirable.  If  it  were  mine,  I  should  melt  it  at 
once  into  the  coin  of  the  realm,  since  it  has  neither  grace  nor 
beauty  of  form.  It  may  seem  very  grand  to  eat  and  drink 
out  of  such  vessels,  b.ut  they  would  be  found  extremely  in- 
convenient for  practical  purposes.  The  china  of  our  day  is 
altogether  superior  to  all  the  gold  and  silver  plate  that  has 
ever  been  heaped  on  royal  tables. 

The  fifth  apartment  is  taken  up  with  agates,  crystals,  chal- 
cedony, lapis  lazuli,  and  other  varieties  of  semi-precious 
stones.  Some  cups  of  moss  agates  are  particularly  beautiful, 
and  two  goblets,  composed  entirely  of  cut  gems,  have  a  value  of 
ten  thousand  dollars  each.  An  equestrian  statue  of  Charles  II. 
of  England,  made  from  a  solid  piece  of  cast  iron,  represents 
him  in  the  character  of  St.  George,  and  is  skilfully  clone. 
The  eminent  sculptor,  Colin  of  Mechlin,  has  shown  the  cun- 
ning of  his  art  by  two  spirited  combats  of  knights,  though 
they  are  only  wooden  heads ;  wood  being  the  material  of 
which  the  carvings  are  made.  The  largest  enamel  painting 
known,  a  Magdalen  by  Dinglinger,  is  also  shown  there. 

The  sixth  apartment  abounds  in  figures  carved  in  ivory  and 
wood,  many  of  them  caricatures  of  men  and  animals,  which 
express  the  grotesqueness  of  the  German  mind.  Single 
pearls  of  extraordinary  size,  nearly  all  found  in  the  River  El- 
ster,  are  cut  into  odd  shapes,  some  of  them  representing  rus- 
tics, jesters,  and  elves.  A  pearl,  large  as  a  hen's  egg,  is 


ROMANTIC   STORIES   OF   A  KING.  805 

intended  to  portray  a  Spanish  court  dwarf,  and  is  superbly 
done.  Trinket  as  it  is,  it  could  not  be  purchased  for  twenty- 
five  thousand  dollars.  There  is,  besides,  any  number  of 
costly  trifles,  on  which  a  vast  deal  of  ingenuity  and  money 
must  have  been  expended,  and  which  are  interesting  from 
their  artistic  merit. 

The  seventh  apartment  is  radiant  with  the  splendid  regalia 
used  at  the  coronation  of  Augustus  II. 

Augustus  is  inseparably  associated  with  the  history  of 
Saxony,  and  the  antecedents  of  Dresden.  He  succeeded  his 
father,  John  George  III.,  as  Elector  of  Saxony,  though  not 
until  after  his  elder  brother's  death,  in  1694,  and  was  elected 
to  the  throne  of  Poland,  made  vacant,  two  years  later,  by  the 
decease  of  John  Sobieski.  The  Polish  nobles  were  unwilling 
to  be  ruled  over  by  anybody  but  a  Roman  Catholic,  and  Au- 
gustus, whose  theology  was  of  a  very  accommodating  quality, 
abandoned  Protestantism  for  the  sake  of  the  crown. 

Between  his  wars,  his  intrigues,  and  his  parades,  his  sixty- 
three  years  of  life  were  superlatively  busy.  He  was  highly 
educated  for  his  time,  and  so  much  interested  in  art  that  he 
began  the  collection  of  pictures  in  the  Dresden  Gallery,  and 
purchased  many  of  the  valuable  curiosities  now  in  the  Green 
Vaults.  His  reign  was  marked  by  luxury  and  splendor,  and 
his  court  was  the  constant  resort  of  artists,  alchemists,  and 
adventurers  of  both  sexes,  on  whom  he  lavished  countless 
favors.  The  celebrated  Countess  of  Konigsmark  was  one  of 
his  many  mistresses,  and  bore  him  a  son,  who  subsequently 
figured  so  prominently  in  French  history  as  Maurice,  Count 
de  Saxe. 

Augustus  was  such  a  prodigal  that  he  loaded  Saxony  with 
debt,  and  inspired  the  magnates  of  Poland  to  imitate  his  im- 
provident example  in  Warsaw.  Elegant,  accomplished,  dar- 
ing, and  unscrupulous,  he  made  war  on  men  and  love  to  wo- 
men to  the  end  of  his  days.  If  all  the  accounts  be  true,  he 
was  as  charming  as  Apollo  and  as  strong  as  l/ercules.  The 
archives  of  Dresden  attest  his  wonderful  muscle  to  such  a 


306  ROYAL   PASTIMES. 

degree  that  Samson  would  have  been  no  match  for  him. 
One  of  his  pastimes  was  to  become  enamoured  of  some  distin- 
guished lady  he  had  never  seen  ;  go  in  search  of  her ;  throw 
her  husband,  father,  or  brother,  just  as  it  happened,  over  high 
walls,  and  then  carry  her  off  in  his  arms  as  if  she  had  been  a 
feather  weight. 

These  tales  are  interesting,  but  there  are  too  many  of  them 
to  be  credible.  I  cannot  tell  how  large  the  Saxon  or  Polish 
women  were  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  but  I  will  lay  a  large 
wager  that  Augustus  could  not  carry  very  far  many  of  them 
I  have  seen  recently.  If  he  had  the  taste  ascribed  to  him,  I 
am  sure  he  would  not  make  the  attempt,  unless  it  should  hap- 
pen to  be  in  the  night,  when  darkness  reduces  beauties  and 
beldames  to  the  same  level. 

Persons  going  to  Dresden,  or  indeed  to  any  part  of  Saxony, 
will  spare  themselves  questions  by  presuming  that  Augustus 
has  done  nearly  everything  worth  doing  in  the  entire  king- 
dom. He  is  to  Saxony  what  St.  Patrick  is  to  the  south  of  Ire- 
land, King  David  to  Scotland,  or  Charles  Y.  to  Belgium. 

The  eighth  and  last  apartment  entirely  eclipses  all  the  others 
in  the  richness  and  magnificence  of  its  contents.  One  of  the 
wonders  of  this  cabinet,  called  the  Court  of  the  Great  Mogul, 
was  made  by  Dinglinger,  an  artist  justly  considered  the  Ben- 
venuto  Cellini  of  Saxony.  The  Court  represents  the  Emper- 
or Aurengzebe  on  his  throne,  surrounded  by  courtiers  and 
soldiers,  —  about  one  hundred  and  forty  figures,  —  in  pure  gold 
enamelled,  attired  in  costumes  appropriate  to  the  country  and 
the  time.  Each  figure  has  its  individual  expression  and  char- 
acter, as  will  be  perceived  by  close  observation. 

This  marvellous  toy,  which  is  really  a  work  of  the  highest 
art,  employed  Dinglinger  (he  was  the  court  jeweller  during 
the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century)  for  nearly  ten  years, 
and  cost  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Another  carving  of 
a  similar  character  portrays  different  artisans  with  a  fineness 
and  finish  which  no  one  would  expect,  considering  its  diminu- 
tive proportions.  There  are  also  other  specimens  of  his 


A  RARE  COLLECTION  OP  JEWELS.  307 

exceeding  skill  that  fully  entitle  him  to  the  fame  he  has 
achieved. 

A  specimen  of  uncut  Peruvian  emeralds,  bestowed  by  the 
Emperor  Charles  V.  on  the  Elector  of  Saxony,  is  one  of  the 
finest  in  the  world,  and  a  mass  of  solid  native  silver  from  the 
Himmelfiist  mine  of  Freiberg  so  well  illustrates  its  richness 
as  to  enable  me  to  believe  that  in  fifty  years  nearly  twenty- 
two  hundred  tons  of  silver  were  obtained  from  that  single 
mine. 

The  Saxon  regalia  there  exhibited  includes  the  sword  of 
the  elector,  carried  by  the  princes  at  the  imperial  corona- 
ations ;  the  decorations  of  a  miner's  uniform  made  for  the 
Elector  John  George  ;  a  great  number  of  chains,  collars,  and 
orders  of  the  Garter,  Golden  Fleece,  and  Polish  Eagle ;  and 
a  curious  antique  portrait  (a  cameo  of  onyx)  of  Augustus 
the  Strong.  A  sardonyx  six  and  a  half  inches  long,  and 
four  and  a  half  broad,  reputed  to  be  the  largest  extant,  at- 
tracts much  attention  from  its  oval  shape  and  beautiful  regu- 
larity. 

Two  rings  once  worn  by  Martin  Luther  appeal  not  a  lit- 
tle to  earnest  Protestants.  One  of  these,  an  enamelled  seal 
ring,  cut  with  a  death's  head,  and  the  motto  "  Mori  scepe  co- 
gita  "  (Reflect  often  on  death),  is  sufficiently  mournful  in 
suggestion  to  satisfy  the  most  dismal  of  theologians.  The 
other  ring  is  a  carnelian  bearing  a  rose,  and  in  its  centre  a 
cross. 

Then  comes  a  glass  case  of  the  rarest  and  costliest  jewels, 
the  first  division  containing  superb  sapphires,  the  largest  of 
them  uncut,  the  gift  of  Peter  the  Great.  The  second  division 
is  full  of  splendid  emeralds ;  the  third  of  magnificent  rubies 
(the  two  largest  weighing  forty-eight  and  sixty  carats) ;  the 
fourth  abounding  in  beautiful  pearls,  one  native  set  being  lit- 
tle inferior  to  the  Oriental ;  while  the  fifth  division  is  radiant 
with  diamonds. 

Such  another  collection  does  not  exist  anywhere  in  the 
world.  If  these  diamonds  were  sold  for  the  sum  they  would 
very  readily  bring,  they  would  more  than  pay  off,  it  is  said,  the 


308  DIAMONDS  IN  ABUNDANCE. 

entire  national  debt  of  Saxony.  The  diamond  decorations  for 
the  gala  dress  of  the  elector  consists  of  buttons,  collar,  sword 
and  scabbard,  all  incrusted  with  the  largest  and  most  valuable 
stones,  some  of  them  weighing  fifty  carats  each.  The  most 
remarkable  of  the  stones  is  a  green  brilliant,  weighing  one 
hundred  and  sixty  carats,  and  said  to  be  worth  two  millions 
of  dollars.  There  are  also  various  orders  studded  with  dia- 
monds and  many  single  gems,  yellow,  rose,  and  green  in  color, 
as  well  as  pure  white. 

Admirers  of  diamonds  can  have  an  ocular  banquet  there  ; 
for  the  collection  is  magnificent  beyond  description.  I  have 
seen  women  hang  over  them  until  their  eyes  fairly  watered 
(I  wonder  if  this  is  the  reason  they  are  called  gems  of  the 
first  water),  and  I  have  noticed  men  regard  them  with  a  pas- 
sion for  possession  that  savored  of  wildness.  As  mere  objects 
of  beauty,  they  are  deserving  of  all  admiration.  Those  price- 
less gems  are  constant  miracle-workers.  The  smallest  ray  of 
light  that  falls  upon  them  is  converted  into  a  glorious  sheen. 
They  make  the  very  atmosphere  brilliant,  emitting  from  every 
point  a  radiance  which  is  dazzling.  Hardly  any  conjuration 
of  rnagic  can  be  greater.  The  blaze  of  jewels,  when  the  sun- 
light touches  them,  is  almost  overpowering.  The  mines  of 
Golconda,  as  they  were  in  their  palmiest  days,  appear  to  be 
open,  and  all  their  glorious  treasures  to  be  flashing,  scintil- 
lating, coruscating  at  once. 

One  might  imagine  that  the  diamonds  and  many  of  the 
other  valuables  of  the  Green  Vaults  would  be  in  danger  from 
the  admission  of  strangers.  The  naturalness  of  this  opinion 
has  doubtless  given  rise  to  the  story  that  unseen  soldiers  have 
their  muskets  levelled  through  invisible  loopholes  in  the  walls 
at  the  head  or  breast  of  everybody  entering  the  royal  treas- 
ury. This  is  a  mere  romance,  never  having  had  the  smallest 
foundation  in  fact.  Such  precautions  are  not  at  all  necessary  ; 
for  nobody  could  steal  anything,  and  get  away  with  it,  even 
if  he  should  try.  The  costliest  objects  are  covered  with 
strong  iron  or  steel  wires,  not  sufficient  to  obstruct  the  view, 
bi}t  enough  to  prevent  their  seizure  by  any  designing  or  dis- 


PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST  THEFT.  309 

honest  person.  Moreover,  the  custodian,  who  conducts  you 
through  the  cabinets,  locks  and  bolts  each  door  after  him,  so 
that  the  thief  could  not  easily  make  his  escape  ;  and  if  he 
did  succeed  in  getting  beyond  the  walls,  an  alarm  would  be 
immediately  given,  which  would  almost  necessarily  insure  his 
capture. 

The  value  of  the  entire  collection  at  Dresden  it  is  almost 
impossible  to  give.  I  have  heard  it  estimated  at  from  twenty 
millions  to  twenty-five  millions  of  dollars,  and  even  as  high  aa 
fifty  millions.  Most  of  the  works  of  art,  as  well  as  the  jewels, 
are  actually  beyond  price ;  for  they  could  not  be  replaced. 
They  could  not  be  purchased  any  more  than  the  Raffaelles, 
Correggios,  and  Titians,  in  the  famous  Picture  Gallery  in  the 
same  city. 

It  is  said  that  numerous  efforts  have  been  made  during  the 
past  hundred  years  to  rob  the  Green  Vaults. 

One  of  these  was  by  two  Poles,  who  had  had  a  wide  experi- 
ence in  forgery,  burglary,  and  crimes  of  all  sorts,  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century.  They  had  at  first  designed  to 
secure  a  number  of  confederates,  but  afterwards  abandoned 
the  idea,  fearing  that  their  secret  would  be  unsafe  when  so 
many  persons  shared  it.  After  revolving  various  plans  in 
their  mind,  they  concluded  to  depend  upon  themselves  alone, 
and  accordingly  entered  the  vaults,  pretending  to  be  Protes- 
tant clergymen  from  Geneva,  in  company  with  a  large  party 
of  visitors,  composed  mostly  of  Englishmen  and  Americans. 
When  they  had  reached  the  last  cabinet,  and  while  one  of 
them  was  making  particular  inquiries  of  the  custodian,  and 
attracting  the  attention  of  the  party  by  his  large  fund  of  infor- 
mation (he  spoke  English  with  remarkable  facility),  his  com- 
panion contrived  to  hide  himself  in  something  closely  resem- 
bling a  bale,  the  material,  for  which  he  had  concealed  upon  his 
person.  A  quarter  of  an  hour  after,  one  of  the  supposed- 
to-be  clergymen  was  missed,  and  his  disappearance  was 
explained  by  the  positive  statement  of  his  confederate  that 
he  had  returned  to  his  hotel  while  they  were  in  the  third 
apartment,  having  an  engagement  that  demanded  his  pres- 
17 


310  CAUGHT  IN  THE  VAULTS. 

ence.  A  number  of  the  visitors  thought  they  had  seen  him 
a  few  minutes  before ;  but  the  disguised  Pole  was  so  posi- 
tive in  his  declaration,  that  they  naturally  fancied  themselves 
mistaken. 

The  party  at  last  went  out,  and  late  that  night  the  concealed 
villain,  who  was  prepared  with  matches  and  a  dark  lantern, 
crept  out  of  his  spurious  bale,  and,  with  instruments  provided 
beforehand,  got  into  the  cases,  cut  the  wires,  and  secured 
many  of  the  most  precious  diamonds.  He  then  attempted  to 
get  out  of  the  vaults,  but,  to  his  astonishment  and  consterna- 
tion, they  were  too  strong  for  him.  The  partner  of  his  guilt 
was  at  his  appointed  post  on  the  outside,  and  waited  in  vain 
until  daylight  for  the  robber  who  was  to  come  forth  at  a 
stated  hour  with  his  treasures.  The  other  Pole  had  secured 
his  great  wealth ;  but,  by  a  strange  shortsightedness  not 
uncommon  to  villains  of  his  class,  he  had  not  calculated  closely 
enough  upon  the  means  of  getting  away  with  it.  Finding 
that  the  vaults  were  his  prison,  he  tried  to  put  the  jewels 
back  in  such  a  shape  that  their  displacement  would  not  be 
noticed,  and  then  crept  once  more  into  his  bale.  The  cus- 
todian entered  with  a  number  of  sight-seers  about  noon  the 
day  following.  His  quick  eye  discovered  at  once  that  the 
diamonds  had  been  tampered  with,  and  this  fact,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  the  previous 
day,  confirmed  him  in  the  belief  that  a  robbery  had  been 
attempted,  and  that  the  robber  must  be  hidden  in  that  particu- 
lar apartment.  Consequently  he  ordered  a  guard,  and  a 
thorough  search  having  been  made,  the  thief  was  soon  exposed. 
The  scoundrel,  knowing  it  would  be  useless  to  deny  his  design, 
made  a  full  confession  in  respect  to  himself,  and  was  tried 
and  sentenced  to  prison  for  twenty-five  years,  equivalent  to 
life,  for  he  was  at  the  time  of  his  capture  more  than  fifty- 
five.  After  serving  ten  years  of  his  sentence,  he  made  his 
escape  by  bribing,  as  it  was  supposed,  some  of  the  officials, 
and  not  long  after  was  killed  in  Palermo  while  attempting 
to  break  into  the  house  of  an  English  resident  of  the  Sicilian 
city. 


MAN  ENCLOSED   IN  A   WALL.  311 

About  1798  some  twenty  Viennese  rogues  went  to  Dresden 
for  the  express  purpose  of  robbing  the  Green  Vaults  of  their 
most  valuable  jewels.  Their  plan  was  to  undermine  the 
treasury,  enter  it  by  night,  and  make  their  egress  by  the 
same  channel.  Their  scheme  was  bold,  and  might  have  pros- 
pered, beset  as  it  was  with  obstacles.  Any  and  all  re- 
sult was  frustrated,  however,  by  the  betrayal  of  the  gang 
by  one  of  its  number,  tempted  by  the  hope  of  a  liberal  re- 
ward for  his  treachery.  He  was,  it  is  asserted,  handsomely 
paid,  and  the  information  which  he  furnished  caused  the 
arrest  of  three  of  the  conspirators ;  the  rest  leaving  the  city 
suddenly,  and  placing  themselves  beyond  the  reach  of  the  law. 
Two  of  the  miscreants  were  sent  to  prison,  and  the  third,  who 
was  a  native  Greek,  and  reported  to  have  been  for  some 
years  a  brigand,  cheated  justice  by  poisoning  himself  in  his 
cell. 

About  fifty  years  ago,  as  the  story  is  told  in  Dresden,  cer- 
tain changes  were  made  in  the  Green  Vaults,  involving  the 
laying  of  a  new  interior  wall  of  brick.  This  intended  addition 
having  become  generally  known,  an  enterprising  rogue  in  the 
city  conceived  a  plan  of  robbing  the  treasury  by  concealing 
himself  in  a  part  of  the  wall  then  unfinished  ;  designing  to  get 
out  at  night,  after  the  workmen  had  gone  away,  and  carry  off 
whatever  was  lightest  and  of  most  value.  He  did  succeed  in 
concealing  himself,  as  he  had  wished ;  but  unfortunately  for 
him,  the  masons  worked  more  rapidly  than  he  had  supposed 
they  would,  and  enclosed  him  completely.  Whether  he  knew 
at  the  time  what  would  happen,  and  was  afraid  of  revealing 
his  presence,  or  whether  he  was  totally  ignorant  of  the  peril 
of  his  situation,  will  forever  remain  unknown.  As  may  be 
imagined,  the  thief,  being,  like  other  mortals,  unable  to  live 
without  air,  soon  succumbed  to  his  peculiar  surroundings, 
though  his  fate  was  a  secret  for  years  after. 

New  improvements,  then  making,  caused  the  removal  of  the 
brick  wall,  and  within  it  the  perfect  skeleton  of  a  man  was 
discovered.  Great  and  exciting  was  the  mystery  at  first ; 
but  diligent  inquiry,  and  vivid  recalling  of  the  date  when  the 


312  THE   GREEN   VAULTS   A  TEMPTATION. 

work  was  done,  solved  the  enigma  by  establishing  a  connec- 
tion between  the  finding  of  the  skeleton  and  the  disappear- 
ance of  a  certain  notorious  criminal.  The  skeleton  of  the 
thief  was  put  together,  and  for  some  time  occupied  a  conspicu- 
ous position  in  the  vaults,  as  a  warning  to  all  inclined  to  follow 
his  example.  But  it  served  as  an  example  instead,  as  was 
shown  by  the  fact  that  several  attempts  at  robbery  were 
made  there  within  six  months  after  the  grim  exposure.  The 
skeleton  was  then  removed  from  the  vaults,  and  as  is  popu- 
larly supposed,  has  been  transferred  in  a  multiplied  form  to 
the  private  closets  of  the  Dresdeners. 

Not  a  great  while  ago,  a  story  was  started  to  the  effect  that 
the  principal  diamonds  in  the  Green  Vaults  had  been  stolen 
by  some  of  the  officials  of  the  court,  and  replaced  with 
counterfeit  stones.  This  report  obtained  wide  currency, 
and  was  generally  believed  among  the  common  people.  It 
may  be  inferred  that  there  was  no  basis  whatever  for  the  tale, 
as  any  one  who  is  a  judge  of  jewels  may  easily  determine  for 
himself.  If  it  were  possible  to  make  such  excellent  counter- 
feits of  diamonds  as  are  those  now  at  Dresden,  genuine 
gems  would  certainly  lose  much  of  their  value,  since  there 
would  be  no  method  of  distinguishing  between  the  real  and 
spurious. 

The  contents  of  the  Green  Vaults  have  for  generations 
been  a  source  of  anxiety  to  the  Saxon  princes.  Again  and 
again,  during  the  troublous  times  in  Germany,  they  have 
been  compelled  to  carry  their  treasures  to  the  mountains  in 
the  region  along  the  Elbe,  known  as  the  Saxon  Switzerland, 
and  to  keep  them  there  for  security  until  the  peril  of  plunder 
had  passed.  This  sudden  transportation  of  the  royal  valuables 
was  very  frequent  during  the  Seven  Years'  War,  and  it  is  re- 
ported that  many  of  them  were  lost  in  the  haste  and  excite, 
ment  attending  their  removal. 

The  Green  Vaults  offer  a  constant  temptation  to  the  rogues 
of  the  old  world,  and  it  would  not  be  at  all  surprising  if  some 
man  or  men,  possessed  of  a  rare  genius  for  pilfering,  should 
yet  accomplish  what  has  so  frequently  failed.  Robbery  and 


CHANCE  FOB  A  BURGLAR.  313 

burglary  are  so  much  a  profession  nowadays,  and  so  much  real 
talent  is  employed  in  their  behalf,  that  those  who  have  been 
graduated  in  the  calling  will  be  inconsiderate  of  their  own 
interest  if  they  do  not  some  time  perfect  a  scheme  which  will 
result  in  plundering  the  greatest  and  richest  treasury  on  the 
globe. 

A  rich  reward  awaits  any  one  who  will  enter  the  Green 
Vaults  of  Dresden  and  carry  away  their  treasures,  or  so  much 
of  them  as  could  be  easily  carried  by  one  man.  Possibly  an 
American  or  English  burglar  will  yet  be  found  who  can  suc- 
ceed in  this  daring  enterprise. 


XXI. 

THE  CATACOMBS  OF  PARIS. 

THE  FAIR  CAPITAL  UNDERMINED.  —  HISTORY  OF  THE  VAST  GRAVEYARD.  —  SIX 
MILLIONS  OF  SKELETONS.  —  A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  CITY  OF  THE  DEAD. 
—  HORRIBLE  SENSATIONS  OF  BEING  LOST  THERE.  —  GHASTLY  DISPLAY  OF 
SKULLS  AND  BONES.  — TRAGIC  AND  COMIC  INCIDENTS.  — TERRIBLE  EXPE- 
RIENCE IN  THE  MIGHTY  CHARNEL-HOUSE.  —  SCENES  NEVER  TO  BE  FOR- 
GOTTEN. 

FEW  persons  think,  while  strolling  through  the  fashionable 
streets  of  Paris,  and  seeking  pleasure  in  its  charming  pre- 
cincts, that  they  are  wandering  over  a  vast  graveyard,  and 
that  only  a  thin  crust  of  earth  separates  them  from  the  burial- 
place  of  six  millions  of  human  beings.  Down  there  lie  the 
remains  of  a  third  as  many  people  as  the  entire  French  capi- 
tal contains.  A  large  part  of  the  beautiful  city  is  under- 
mined by  vaults,  and  these  vaults,  which  are  the  famous 
Catacombs  of  Paris,  contain  the  dead  of  centuries. 

The  Catacombs  of  Paris  are  not  used,  like  the  Catacombs 
of  ancient  Thebes,  Kome,  and  Naples,  as  places  of  original 
sepulture  ;  for  they  were  once  quarries  from  which  the  stone 
employed  in  building  the  city  was  taken.  The  quarries  were 
beneath  the  southern  part  of  the  town,  directly  below  the 
Observatory,  the  Luxembourg,  the  Ode'on,  the  Pantheon,  and 
many  of  the  well-known  streets,  such  as  St.  Jacques,  La  Harpe, 
Tournou,  Vaugirard,  and  others.  Their  extent  is  estimated 
to  be  about  three  millions  of  square  yards ;  and  long  before 
they  were  cemeteries,  they  served  as  refuge  and  shelter  for 
thieves,  incendiaries,  assassins,  and  all  the  desperate  criminals 
who  for  many  centuries  abounded  in  the  city.  It  is  only  a 
little  more  than  a  hundred  years  since  Paris  has  been  orderly, 
or  in  any  sense  secure.  During  the  middle  ages,  and  down  to 


RESORTS   OF  THIEVES.  315 

the  latter  half  of  the  past  century,  property  and  life  were 
extremely  unsafe.  Ruffians  stalked  abroad  by  day  as  well  as 
by  night,  and  bade  defiance  to  law  and  its  guardians.  In 
those  times  the  quarries  shielded  many  of  the  greatest 
villains  in  the  capital.  After  committing  robbery,  arson,  or 
murder,  they  fled  into  those  excavations,  and  the  men  whose 
duty  it  was  to  arrest  them  were  afraid  to  follow  where  they 
would  certainly  have  been  massacred.  Many  are  the  stories 
told  of  policemen  and  soldiers  meeting  their  death  in  the 
subterranean  vaults  at  the  hands  of  the  malefactors  they 
were  pursuing.  These  were  so  familiar  with  all  the  recesses 
and  windings  of  the  quarries  that  they  could  not  only  escape, 
but  they  could  lie  in  ambush,  and  fall  upon  the  officers  of  the 
law  with  terrible  vengeance.  So  numerous  were  the  murders 
committed  in  the  quarries  by  ruffians  of  the  olden  time,  that 
finally  none  of  the  king's  minions  could  be  found  bold  enough 
to  venture  into  those  abodes  of  mystery,  darkness,  and 
crime. 

In  1784  some  part  of  the  quarries  was  broken  through 
from  above,  and  as  there  was  imminent  danger  of  the  houses 
in  the  streets  falling  into  ruin  from  similar  accidents,  a  num- 
ber of  the  most  skilful  engineers  were  ordered  by  the  gov- 
ernment to  descend  into  the  quarries,  make  a  careful  investi- 
gation, and  render  them  in  future  altogether  secure.  While 
so  engaged,  M.  Lenoir,  lieutenant  general  of  the  police,  con- 
ceived the  idea  of  removing  to  the  vaults  the  remains  that 
had  been  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Innocents,  then 
standing  on  the  present  site  of  the  Halles  Centrales,  the 
principal  market  of  the  city.  Other  graveyards  within  the 
municipal  limits  needed  to  be  emptied,  and  it  was  determined 
that  the  contents  of  these  graves  should  also  be  transferred 
to  the  subterranean  region;  so,  on  the  7th  of  April,  1786,  a 
ibrmal  consecration  of  the  Catacombs  as  a  place  of  burial  took 
place  with  imposing  religious  rites  and  ceremonies.  The 
human  bones  were  borne  from  the  graves  at  night  in  funeral 
cars,  accompanied  by  priests  decked  in  their  sacerdotal  robes, 
carrying  torches,  swinging  censers,  and  chanting  the  Roman 


316  A  BONY   CONFUSION. 

Catholic  service  for  the  dead,  and  on  arriving  at  the  deposi- 
tory were  hurled  down  a  shaft  in  magnificently  miscellaneous 
confusion.  Such  a  democratic  mixture,  osseously  speaking, 
of  saints  and  sinners,  princes  and  peasants,  reformers  and 
robbers,  bishops  and  beggars,  poets  and  pickpockets,  grand 
ladies  and  grisettes,  coquettes  and  cocottes,  was  never  before 
made  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine.  This  superb  disorder 
remains  to  the  present  day,  so  far  as  rank  and  caste  are  con- 
cerned. The  skull  of  a  pious  prelate  rests  upon  the  ribs  of 
a  desperate  cutthroat,  and  the  thigh-bone  of  a  once  renowned 
beauty  of  the  Faubourg  St.  Germain  touches  the  grinning 
teeth  of  a  vulgar  conscript  shot  for  desertion.  The  skeleton 
arms  of  a  dainty  poet  are  interlocked  with  those  of  a  hideous 
hag  who  poisoned  her  father  and  mother  in  the  Eue  de  la 
Croix  Rouge. 

If  the  opinion  be  well  founded,  that  on  the  day  of  judg- 
ment the  dead  will  arise  in  their  proper  persons,  the  unfortu- 
nates buried  in  the  Catacombs  of  Paris  will  find  it  an 
extremely  arduous  task  to  collect  themselves  together.  One 
might  imagine,  in  such  a  universal  resumption  of  long-cast- 
off  and  worn-out  fleshly  garments,  that  some  nondescript 
individual  might  appear  on  the  awful  scene  with  the  head  of 
a  marquis  on  the  trunk  of  a  rag-picker,  borne  along  by  the 
legs  of  a  ballet  dancer,  and  a  cripple  gesticulating  to  the 
angelic  host  with  the  right  arm  of  a  cardinal  and  the  left  arm 
of  a  lorette.  It  has  long  been  a  theological  problem  whether, 
on  that  solemn  occasion,  the  dead  will  recognize  each  other ; 
but  it  will  be  a  matter  of  even  more  serious  moment  to  them 
whether  many  of  the  Parisians  will  be  able,  so  strangely  will 
they  be  made  up,  to  recognize  themselves.  That  there  will  be 
a  rattling  among  the  dry  bones  no  one  who  has  entered  the 
Catacombs  can  doubt,  and  that  much  of  the  rattling  will  arise 
from  Monsieur  Bonjour's  effort  to  make  a  complete  conjunc- 
tion with  his  remains,  and  from  Madame  Beaujoli's  endeavor 
to  hunt  herself  up,  must  be  plain  to  everybody.  Some  of 
these  anticipated  troubles  may  be  partially  obviated,  however, 
by  the  fact  that  the  bones  from  one  cemetery  have  been  kept 


ENTERING  THE   CATACOMBS.  317 

apart  from  the  bones  of  another ;  and  as  this  predicted  resur- 
rection is  not  likely  to  occur  for  some  time,  we  need  not  con- 
cern ourselves  in  regard  to  the  hypothetical  awkwardness 
and  inconveniences  of  so  distant  a  future. 

Until  within  a  few  years,  admission  to  the  Catacombs  could 
be  readily  obtained;  but  their  insecurity,  resulting  in  a 
number  of  accidents,  has  recently  prevented  the  authorities 
from  opening  these  gloomy  recesses  to  the  public  more  than 
once  annually,  —  usually  about  the  first  of  October,  —  when  a 
few  persons  are  permitted,  after  obtaining  tickets  from  the 
inspector  general,  to  accompany  him  in  his  subterranean  tour. 
The  first  time  I  visited  Paris  I  was  extremely  anxious  to 
wander  through  the  Catacombs ;  but  finding  many  obstacles 
in  my  way,  and  being  much  occupied  otherwise,  I  quitted  the 
city  without  gratifying  my  curiosity.  I  returned,  however, 
ere  long,  and  was  so  diligent  in  prosecuting  my  purpose  that 
one  pleasant  autumn  morning,  in  company  with  a  dozen  stran- 
gers, I  descended  from  the  garden  of  the  city  custom-house 
at  the  Barriere  d'Enfer  to  explore  the  stony  chambers  of  the 
dead. 

We  had  provided  ourselves  with  wax  tapers,  which  we 
lighted,  each  of  us  carrying  one,  before  we  went  down  a 
circular  flight  of  some  one  hundred  steps  leading  to  the  dis- 
mal galleries  running  in  every  direction,  and  containing  the 
ghastly  remains  of  millions  of  our  fellow-creatures,  once  as 
merry  and  ambitious,  as  fond  and  foolish,  as  hopeful  and  as 
vain,  as  any  of  us  are  to-day.  At  the  bottom  of  the  staircase 
a  guide  placed  himself  at  our  head,  and,  observing  that  our 
tapers  were  all  in  good  order,  took  the  lead,  after  exhorting 
us  to  keep  together,  and  on  no  account,  if  we  valued  our 
lives,  to  attempt  to  explore  any  other  than  the  main  avenues 
through  which  we  were  to  pass. 

The  Catacombs  hold  the  victims  of  the  different  revolu- 
tions so  frequent  in  Paris ;  and  now,  moreover,  the  common 
graves  (les  fosses  communes)  in  the  three  principal  cemeteries 
of  Montmartre,  Mont  Parnasse  and  P£re  la  Chaise,  are  emptied 
every  five  years,  and  the  plebeian  relics  consigned  to  the 


318  THE  FIRST   OF  THE   PASSAGES. 

Catacombs,  to  make  room  for  more  bodies  in  those  populous 
burying-grounds.  Thus  are  the  great  vaults  steadily  and 
rapidly  increasing  their  lifeless  hosts,  and  adding  to  the  horrors 
of  a  region  necessarily  horrible  from  the  first. 

Several  hundred  yards  from  the  base  of  the  steps  which  we 
had  descended  is  an  octagonal  vestibule,  and  over  it  an  inscrip- 
tion in  Latin  to  this  effect :  "  Beyond  these  boundaries  repose 
those  who  await  a  blessed  immortality."  We  passed  through 
a  door  leading  into  a  long  gallery  lined  with  bones  from  the 
floor  to  the  roof;  the  arm,  leg,  and  thigh-bones  being  closely 
and  regularly  piled  together  in  front,  their  uniformity  relieved 
by  three  rows  of  skulls  at  equal  distances,  while  behind  these 
the  smaller  bones  are  thrown,  regardless  of  arrangement  of 
any  kind.  The  gallery  conducts  to  several  apartments  resem- 
bling chapels,  called  Tombs  of  the  Revolutions,  and  Tombs  of 
the  Victims,  because  they  hold  the  relics  of  those  who  had 
perished  in  popular  insurrections  against  existing  authority. 
I  had  noticed,  before  reaching  the  vestibule,  and  what  may  be 
considered  the  Catacombs  proper,  that  the  passage  was  very 
narrow,  —  only  two  persons  being  able  to  walk  abreast  therein, 
—  and  little  more  than  six  feet  in  height.  This  passage  soon 
made  a  sharp  turn,  and  at  the  corner  the  names  of  the  streets 
directly  above  were  cut  into  the  stone,  and  two  black  arrows 
painted  upon  it,  one  pointing  to  the  entrance  of  the  vaults, 
and  the  other  to  the  great  charnel-house  we  were  about  to 
explore.  We  were  in  chambers  of  hewn-out  rock.  Rock  was 
above  us,  below  us,  and  on  every  side.  The  walls  were  very 
damp,  the  water  in  many  places  dripping  through  what  might 
be  termed  the  ceiling,  in  which  were  so  many  cracks  and 
crevices  that  it  seemed  as  if  the  walls  might  tumble  and  bury 
us  at  any  moment.  Two  or  three  of  my  companions  grew 
very  nervous  as  they  perceived  about  them  such  alarming 
signs  of  insecurity,  and  expressed  the  wish  that  they  had  not 
undertaken  what  they  declared  to  be  a  foolhardy  enterprise. 
As  I  walked  along,  I  saw  at  different  turnings  of  the  passage 
what  appeared  to  be  deep,  yawning  pits ;  and  feeling  a  curios- 
ity to  examine  them,  I  stopped  and  stretched  my  taper  over 


YAWNING   PITS   AND   CAVERNS.  319 

the  side.  Appearances  were  not  deceitful.  The  deep  pits 
were  really  there  —  dark,  awful,  and  impenetrable.  I  could 
not  help  thinking  how  easy  it  would  be  for  any  one  who 
should  get  lost  and  become  bewildered,  to  stumble  into  one 
of  those  fearful  holes  and  dash  his  brains  out.  Even  such  a 
dreary  death  would  be  infinitely  preferable  to  the  long  agony 
of  confinement  in,  without  any  hope  of  release  from,  such  a 
place  of  horrors.  While  I  was  speculating  on  the  possibility 
of  the  situation,  the  little  procession  got  quite  beyond  me,  and 
I  was  aroused  from  my  gloomy  reverie  by  the  echoing  voice 
of  the  guide  urging  the  members  of  our  party  to  keep  close 
together.  I  hurried  forward  just  in  time  to  see  the  door  of 
the  vestibule  open,  and  to  go  in  with  the  rest. 

The  Catacombs  are  laid  out  very  much  like  the  old  quarters 
of  Paris,  the  different  avenues  being  named  after  the  streets 
above  them,  and  the  principal  buildings  overhead  being  indi- 
cated on  the  walls.  It  seemed  very  strange  that  certain 
famous  structures,  with  which  I  am  very  familiar,  should  be 
only  eighty  or  a  hundred  feet  from  where  we  were  walking, 
as  those  sepulchral  caverns  appeared  hundreds  of  miles  away 
from  the  bright  and  beautiful  city  we  had  quitted  half  an 
hour  before.  Nothing  can  be  more  dismal  and  depressing 
than  the  Catacombs,  with  their  miles  and  miles  of  human 
bones  and  skulls  confronting  you  wherever  you  turn,  and 
seeming  to  dance  and  grin  as  the  light  and  the  shadow  of  the 
passing  tapers  fall  upon  them. 

How  easily  we  are  cheated  by  the  imagination  !  I  could 
almost  have  sworn,  as  I  hurried  by,  that  I  saw  some  of  the 
thigh-bones  move  to  and  fro,  and  the  jaws  of  the  skulls  open 
and  shut,  and  extend,  in  ghastly  grimace,  a  repulsive  welcome 
from  the  dead  to  the  living,  who  would  soon  be  no  more  than 
those  hideous  remains.  There  is  a  certain  fascination,  how- 
ever, I  must  confess,  in  the  sombre,  subterranean  city.  The 
parade  and  panoply  of  grim  mortality  held  me  like  a  spell, 
and  again  and  again  I  found  myself  far  in  the  rear  of  the 
solemn  excursionists.  I  liked  to  fall  behind  and  watch  the 
thick  shadows  which  gave  way  before  and  closed  in  behind 


820  LOST  IN  THE  CATACOMBS. 

them,  and  listen  to  the  hollow  and  dreary  echoes  of  their 
voices  murmuring  through  the  mighty  vaults.  I  fancied  the 
babbling  company  to  be  a  crew  of  resurgent  spirits,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  visit  the  cemeteries  of  the  globe,  and  awake 
the  dead  to  judgment.  They  had  a  certain  weird  semblance 
as  they  flitted  on  in  the  dim  distance,  and  their  tones  came 
back  to  me  as  if  they  had  fallen  from  tongues  long  silent 
in  the  grave.  The  fancy  pleased  me,  and  I  indulged  it,  and 
the  kindred  fancy  that  the  heaps  of  bones  were  animated, 
until,  sometimes,  so  strong  were  the  suggestions  of  the  place, 
I  really  confounded  the  living  with  the  dead. 

Once,  in  going  by  an  avenue  running  to  the  right,  I  yielded 
to  a  temptation  to  step  into  it,  to  look  at  an  extraordinary 
heap  of  bones.  This  did  not  occupy  more  than  thirty  sec- 
onds,—  at  least,  it  did  not  appear  longer,  —  and  yet,  when  I 
stepped  back  into  the  broader  passage  (the  main  avenues  in 
the  Catacombs  are  much  wider  than  those  I  have  mentioned 
outside  the  vestibule),  I  found,  to  my  utter  consternation  and 
horror,  that  my  companions  had  left  me  ;  I  could  not  see  the 
light  of  their  tapers,  nor  could  I  hear  the  least  echo  of  their 
steps  or  voices. 

Lost  in  the  Catacombs  !  How  often  1  had  imagined  it !  and 
now,  indeed,  it  had  become  a  terrible  reality.  Horror  almost 
paralyzed  me  for  the  moment.  I  seemed  to  be  all  nerve  and 
brain,  and  these  thrilled  and  throbbed  so  wildly  that  I  was 
forced  to  lean  against  the  rock  for  support.  I  thought  I 
should  go  mad,  for  there  was  something  in  the  very  idea  of 
being  shut  up  in  that  awful  cavern,  in  the  awful  silence  and 
awful  darkness,  doomed  to  perish  by  inches,  every  hour  ex- 
panding to  an  age,  which  rendered  any  other  means  of  death 
blissful  by  contrast.  My  head  swam,  and  I  believed  I  was 
about  to  swoon,  when,  feeling  that  to  do  so  was  to  be  de- 
stroyed, I  roused  my  will  and  almost  involuntarily  sprang  for- 
ward. My  movement  was  so  sudden  that  my  taper  was  ex- 
tinguished, and  an  inky  blackness  fell  upon  me  like  a  pall. 
The  horror  of  my  situation  was  a  hundred-fold  increased. 
If  I  could  have  lighted  my  little  candle  again,  I  should  have 


-ITY 
FEELINGS   OF  HORROR.  321 

been  almost  happy ;  and  yet,  a  few  seconds  before,  I  had  re- 
garded myself  as  the  most  miserable  of  mortals.  My  brain 
seemed  to  be  absolutely  bursting,  and  my  heart  forcing  itself 
into  my  throat.  I  was  conscious  of  a  sense  of  suffocation, 
and  I  was  not  sure  that  the  rocky  walls  were  not  pressing  to- 
gether to  crush  me.  I  remember  having  an  anxious  longing 
that  they  might  do  so,  and  end  the  agony  I  was  enduring. 
I  frankly  admit  I  had  never  known  before  what  human  suffer- 
ing can  be.  I  had  not  supposed  myself  capable  of  such  men- 
tal anguish  ;  it  was  ten  thousand  times  more,  and  worse,  than 
death  —  an  indefinable  and  overwhelming  dread  of  something 
which  might  not  be  named,  but  that  could  be  pictured  with 
miraculous  power.  I  had  confronted  death  often,  in  sickness, 
in  catastrophe,  in  battle,  on  land  and  water,  by  falling,  and  by 
fire,  and  the  so-called  King  of  Terrors  had  not  shown  himself 
half  so  terrible  as  I  had  anticipated.  But  then  and  there,  in 
those  silent  and  rayless  Catacombs,  I  was  unnerved,  over- 
powered, and  horrified,  by  a  crushing  dread  of  the  unknown. 
Every  moment  was  a  month.  Every  feeling  was  a  minister 
of  horror.  Exactly  what  I  did  I  shall  never  know,  though  I 
seem  to  have  a  misty  recollection  that  I  strove  to  kill  myself 
by  dashing  my  head  against  the  rocks.  For  some  time  I  was 
incapable  of  determining  my  conduct ;  and  then,  with  all  my 
exquisite  sense  of  mental  pain,  I  was  aware  of  hurrying 
rapidly  through  the  thick  darkness. 

How  long  this  continued  I  know  not ;  but  of  a  sudden  I 
saw  beyond  me  a  flash  of  light  like  the  aurora  in  the  far 
northern  sky.  Was  I  really  mad  ?  Was  I  dreaming  ?  Was 
I  dead,  and  waking  from  the  sleep  of  death  ?  I  rubbed  my 
eyes,  I  pinched  myself,  I  tried  to  scream,  but  I  could  not 
make  a  sound.  Burning  as  my  throat  was,  and  all  on  fire  as 
I  seemed  from  head  to  foot,  my  voice  froze  as  I  sought  to 
give  it  utterance. 

Still,  I  was  not  deceived.  There  was  a  light  before  me, 
and  as  I  dashed  on  involuntarily,  I  saw  that  it  proceeded 
from  the  tapers  of  my  companions,  whom  I  had  nearly  over- 
taken. The  reaction  of  my  feelings  almost  prostrated  me. 


322  ADVICE   TO   EXPLORERS. 

My  heart  beat  like  a  tilt  hammer,  my  breath  was  well  nigh 
spent,  my  pulses  leaped  with  fever,  and  yet  1  felt  that  my 
face  must  be  blanched,  and  I  should  not  have  been  surprised 
if  my  hair  had  turned  gray. 

In  a  few  seconds  I  had  joined  my  party  and  relighted  my 
taper.  Nobody  knew  through  what  a  crisis  I  had  passed,  nor 
did  I  say  anything  about  it  except  to  remark,  casually,  that  I 
had  extinguished  my  candle  by  letting  it  fall.  From  inquiries 
I  learned  that  from  the  moment  I  had  missed  my  companions 
until  I  had  rejoined  them,  not  more  than  two  minutes  had 
elapsed ;  and  still,  by  the  measure  of  my  mind,  I  had  lived 
through  months  of  pain. 

If  I  had  not  already  known  it,  I  should  have  been  con- 
vinced then  that  time  can  be  reckoned  only  by  feeling ;  that 
no  clock  can  keep  the  record  of  the  heart ;  and  that  the  soul 
strikes  hours  every  moment  of  its  existence. 

I  would  advise  those  who  may  feel  inclined  to  go  through 
the  Catacombs  to  take  a  box  of  wax  matches  in  their  pocket, 
and  a  little  luncheon  besides,  so  that  if  their  taper  be  blown 
out,  or  they  be  lost,  they  may  at  least  be  relieved  from  the 
terror  of  absolute  darkness  and  immediate  starvation.  When 
persons  are  missed  down  there,  a  search  is  immediately  made 
for  them,  and  nobody  would  feel  half  so  uncomfortable  while 
he  had  light  and  food  as  he  would  in  the  midst  of  gloom,  and 
haunted  by  the  necessity  of  dining  on  himself. 

The  moist  and  grave-like  odor  which  fills  the  Catacombs, 
added  to  the  images  of  death  on  every  side,  intensifies  their 
sepulchral  aspect,  and  makes  those  wandering  in  the  ghastly 
haunts  seem  to  themselves  only  half  alive.  The  faces  of 
those  with  me  did  not  appear  any  more  natural  than  their 
voices,  and  all  of  us  had  a  certain  taint  of  the  tomb.  Even 
the  tapers  flickered  and  sank  in  the  unwholesome  atmosphere, 
as  though  even  fire,  which  rages  in  the  centre  of  the  earth, 
could  not  support  itself  in  that  dusky  Golgotha. 

In  some  places  the  skulls  have  been  arranged  in  the  form 
of  crosses  and  set  into  the  wall  —  probably  by  the  priests  of 
Paris,  who,  like  all  their  tribe,  delight  in  symbols  and  devices 


FONDNESS  FOR  SOUVENIRS.  323 

coupling  death  and  religion ;  forgetting  that  the  creed  they 
preach  declares  there  is  no  death,  that  true  religion  leads  to 
eternal  life.  Monks  of  all  ages  —  and  there  are  many  monks 
who  have  never  taken  orders  —  have  been  little  more  than 
sacerdotal  sextons,  revelling  in  disease  and  decay,  lamentation 
and  funerals,  as  if  Nature  had  set  their  spirits  to  the  music 
of  bereavement  and  woe. 

Bones,  bones,  bones  !  Skulls,  skulls,  skulls  !  I  can  well 
believe  six  millions  of  mortal  remains  have  been  deposited  in 
the  Catacombs,  which  look  as  if  they  might  have  been  the 
graveyard  of  the  globe  since  the  dawn  of  creation.  They 
furnish  the  most  extensive  bone-yard  I  have  ever  visited. 
They  do  not  contain  nearly  so  many  dead,  in  all  probability, 
as  the  Catacombs  of  Rome  ;  but  on  the  Seine  the  dead  are 
exhibited  to  much  more  advantage  than  on  the  Tiber.  The 
French  make  the  most  of  everything,  and  their  osseous  arrange- 
ment and  display  are  not  equalled  anywhere. 

Americans  have  often  been  laughed  at  for  their  fondness 
for  relics,  and  very  deservedly  too  ;  for  they  seek  mementos 
in  all  places,  and  under  every  variety  of  circumstances.  I 
should  never  have  suspected  any  of  my  countrymen  of  a  dis- 
position to  deprive  the  Catacombs  of  any  of  their  horrors  ; 
and  yet  several  of  them  actually  carried  off  shin  and  thigh 
bones  in  order  to  recall  the  pleasure  they  had  experienced  in 
Paris.  One  fellow  —  I  think  he  was  a  medical  student  from 
Boston  —  tried  to  secure  a  whole  skull ;  but  as  he  could  not 
very  conveniently  get  it  into  his  pocket,  he  was  reluctantly 
forced  to  leave  it  behind.  Possibly  he  was  an  admirer  of  the 
first  Napoleon,  and  anxious  to  obtain  a  souvenir  of  Bonaparte. 
I  presume  I  have  met  men  who,  if  they  were  given  time  and 
opportunity,  would  despoil  that  horrid  vault  of  a  very  large 
proportion  of  its  revolting  treasures. 

During  our  ramble  we  encountered  a  well  of  pure  water 
enclosed  by  a  wall.  In  it  are  a  number  of  gold-fish  that  man- 
age to  live  by  some  mysterious  means,  though  the  guide  in- 
formed us  that  they  did  not  spawn.  The  well  comes  from  a 
spring  which  some  of  the  workmen  discovered  while  making 


324  MAXIMS  FOR  VISITORS. 

repairs  many  years  ago,  and  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Spring 
of  Forgetfulness,  afterwards  changed  to  the  Fountain  of  the 
Good  Samaritan.  The  water  is  declared  to  be  sweet ;  but  I 
should  need  to  be  extremely  thirsty  before  drinking  what 
would  seem  infected  with  death. 

The  Roman  church,  always  on  the  alert  to  point  morals 
and  preach  sermons,  has  filled  the  Catacombs  at  convenient 
intervals  with  inscriptions  designed  to  be  impressive.  Some 
of  these  are, — 

"  Happy  is  he  whose  hour  of  death  is  ever  before  his  eyes  ! " 

"  Be  not  proud  or  boastful,  0  mortal ;  for  this  is  the  end  of 
the  loftiest  ambition  and  the  highest  glory ! " 

"  Death  recognizes  not  rank  —  in  his  eyes  the  prince  and 
the  peasant  are  the  same  !  " 

"  Come,  all  ye  busy  worldlings  into  this  silent  retreat,  and 
listen  to  the  solemn  voice  that  rises  from  the  tomb  ! " 

"  Remember,  0  man,  the  mercies  of  thy  God,  and  remember 
He  will  call  thee  when  thou  least  expectest  to  hear  His 
voice  ! " 

"  The  grave  is  dark ;  but  the  paths  that  lead  from  it  are,  to 
the  righteous,  strewn  with  eternal  flowers!" 

"  Mock  not  the  lowly,  for  in  the  courts  of  Heaven  the  lowly 
may  stand  before  thee,  shorn  of  thy  worldly  pride  ! " 

No  doubt  there  is  a  great  deal  of  truth  in  these  maxims ; 
but  in  spite  of  them,  and  many  more  like  them,  death  has 
never  been  rendered  very  attractive  to  persons  enjoying  good 
health  and  a  fair  degree  of  prosperity.  Death  bears  about 
the  same  relation  to  life  that  the  Catacombs  do  to  Paris ;  and  I 
have  never  yet  known  any  man  or  woman  who  would  willingly 
quit  the  gay  Boulevards  or  the  delightful  Champs  Elysees  to 
walk  in  the  bone-lined  and  noisome  vaults  of  the  subterranean 
city. 

We  passed  only  through  the  main  avenues  of  the  Cata- 
combs, —  there  is  very  little  variety  in  them,  —  and  after 
spending  nearly  three  hours  underground,  having  supped  full 
of  material  horrors,  we  reached  another  staircase,  and  once 
more  ascended  to  the  light  of  day,  and  the  blessed  sunshine. 


AN  ENGLISHMAN'S  OPINIONS.  325 

I  had  no  idea  where  we 'were,  and  I  was  somewhat  surprised 
to  find  that  we  came  out  nearly  a  mile  and  a  half  from  where 
we  had  gone  down.  The  charming  capital  never,  I  think, 
appeared  quite  so  charming  as  it  did  on  that  delicious  after- 
noon when  I  returned  from  death  and  decay  to  the  living 
and  the  loving,  to  the  comforts  and  the  joys,  of  the  upper 
world. 

While  we  were  in  that  vast  subterranean  graveyard,  I  was 
struck  by  the  different  effect  it  produced  upon  different  persons 
in  our  party.  An  Englishman,  who  was  extremely  anxious 
to  "  do  the  thing,  you  know,"  was  superlatively  disgusted  after 
he  had  passed  the  vestibule,  and  declared  the  Catacombs  the 
"  beastliest  place  "  he  had  ever  seen.  He  grumbled  like  Ve- 
suviu^  before  eruption,  and  swore  that  the  French  authorities; 
ought  to  be  exposed  for  permitting  the  subjects  of  Her  Maj- 
esty to  thrust  themselves  into  such  a  "  bloody "  hole.  He 
even  suggested  that  it  was  a  French  trick  to  get  rid  of  certain 
true  and  noble  Britons,  and,  of  course,  threatened  to  write  to* 
the  Times  on  the  subject.  He  was  constantly  predicting  that 
the  rock  overhead  would  tumble  down  and  bury  us  all,  and 
really  seemed  uncomfortable  because  something  horrible  did 
not  happen.  After  he  had  gone  half  way  through,  he  wanted, 
to  go  back,  and  when  he  had  reached  the  end  of  the  route,  lie: 
was  much  dissatisfied  that  we  hadn't  done  a  great  deal  more. 
He  fretted  and  fumed  every  minute  of  the  three  hours,  and  did 
his  best  to  render  every  one  as  nervous  and  discontented  as 
himself. 

Several  Americans  ran  all  sorts  of  saws  on  the  Englishman, 
and  prophesied  some  terrible  calamity  at  every  step,  saying 
they  never  would  have  thought  of  coming  into  the  gloomy 
region  unless  they  had  expected  that  a  fair  proportion  of  the 
excursionists  would  be  killed.  Two  of  my  countrymen 
insisted  that  they  had  made  their  wills  before  they  had  left 
their  hotel,  and  a  third  averred  that  he  had  a  vial  of  prussic 
acid  and  a  revolver  in  his  pocket  for  the  express  purpose  of 
committing  suicide,  if  he  should  be  lost  in  the  cavernous, 
windings.  He  asked  the  Briton  if  he  had  not  taken  the  same 
18 


326  INCONVENIENCES   OP  A  VISIT. 

precaution,  and  pronounced  him  superlatively  reckless  bt 
cause  he  had  not,  explaining  the  advantage  of  self-destruction 
over  a  lingering  and  horrible  death.  John  Bull,  remarkable 
to  relate,  had  not  the  slightest  suspicion  that  the  "  Yankees" 
were  poking  fun  at  him.  On  the  contrary,  he  regarded  all 
their  jests  as  solemnly  sincere,  and  asserted  that  it  was  ex- 
actly like  our  nation  never  to  enjoy  anything  that  was  not 
accompanied  by  a  bloody  murder  of  some  sort. 

A  young  Italian,  who  was  quite  good-looking,  and  far  more 
conscious  of  the  fact  than  anybody  else,  endured  martyrdom 
in  the  Catacombs  from  quite  another  cause.  He  was  very 
carefully  and  daintily  dressed,  and  appeared  to  consider  dust 
or  soil  upon  his  clothes  as  a  sovereign  evil.  He  was  the  dan- 
diest of  dandies,  and  the  most  fastidious  of  fools.  He  looked 
rather  blank,  as  I  had  noticed,  when  we  first  began  the  de- 
scent of  the  circular  staircase  in  the  Custom  House  garden. 
He  was  in  advance,  and  before  we  had  gone  down  a  dozen 
steps,  I  observed  a  number  of  large  drops  falling  from  the 
blazing  tapers  above  him  upon  his  new  hat  and  coat.  Some 
kind  friend  pointed  these  out  to  him,  and  he  actually  turned 
pale  with  wrath  and  chagrin. 

"  Who  could  have  done  this  ?  Such  conduct  is  disgraceful ! 
I  did  not  come  here  to  have  my  clothes  ruined.  I  wish  the 
Catacombs  were  in  the  bottomless  pit."  These  and  other 
phrases  he  ejaculated  in  choice  Tuscan,  which  very  few 
understood,  but  which  those  who  did  understand  enjoyed  not 
a  little.  After  the  marring  of  his  wardrobe,  there  could  be 
no  pleasure  for  him.  If  he  had  been  shown  all  the  wonders 
•of  the  world,  he  could  not  have  forgotten  his  tarnished  gar- 
ments. His  misfortunes  followed  him.  The  water  dropped 
through  the  crevices  upon  his  august  person,  and  as  he  was 
unusually  tall,  he  crushed  his  hat  every  few  minutes  against 
the  overhanging  rock,  which  struck  oaths  out  of  him  as  steel 
strikes  fire  out  of  flint.  I  fancied  sometimes  that  he  envied  the 
skeletons  he  passed,  because  they  had  no  clothes  to  spoil. 
Long  before  he  had  finished  his  underground  journey,  his 
ixeauty  of  person  and  raiment  was  sadly  injured,  and  I  am 


INQUISITIVENESS   OP   AN  AMERICAN.  327 

confident  that  he  will  remember  the  Catacombs,  and  curse 
them  for  the  harm  they  did  his  garments,  till  the  end  of  his 
days. 

A  native  of  Maine  entertained  us  by  inquiring  constantly 
of  the  guide,  fwho  could  not  speak  a  word  of  English,  while 
the  New  Englander  had  not  the  least  knowledge  of  French,  in 
regard  to  the  probable  cost  of  the  Catacombs,  and  whether 
they  paid  as  an  investment.  He  was  very  desirous  to  know, 
also,  whose  skull  this  one  might  be,  and  whose  that,  evidently 
under  the  impression  that  all  the  monarchs  and  historic 
characters  of  France  were  buried  there.  Our  guide,  too  polite 
not  to  pretend  to  comprehend  the  inquisitive  fellow,  gabbled 
away  in  bewildering  generalities.  The  Maine  man  assever- 
ated again  and  again,  that  he  would  give  five  dollars  to  know 
what  the  Frenchman  said ;  and  therefore  I  assumed  to  tell 
him.  I  informed  him,  though  the  Catacombs  had  cost  five 
hundred  millions  of  dollars,  that  they  paid  a  larger  interest 
than  any  property  in  the  country  ;  that  they  were  owned  by 
the  Rothschilds,  who  received  one  hundred  dollars  from  the 
government  for  every  skull  put  into  the  vaults ;  and  that,  as 
there  were  six  millions  of  them,  he  could  calculate  the  profits. 
"  By  thunder  ! "  he  replied  ;  "  no  wonder  those  old  Jews  are  so 
rich.  I  never  knew  before  how  they  made  all  their  money. 
I  wonder  ff  a  chap  couldn't  buy  a  little  Catacomb  stock." 

That  mighty  charnel-house  is  not  without  its  tragic  history. 
A  number  of  persons  have  been  lost  there  in  spite  of  all  the 
precautions  against  accidents ;  but  these  have  been  very 
rare  of  late,  because  so  few  persons  could  obtain  admission. 

A  few  years  ago,  a  newly-married  couple  arrived  in  Paris 
from  the  provinces,  having  gone  to  the  city  on  their  bridal 
tour.  It  was  their  first  visit  to  the  capital,  and  they  were 
naturally  desirous  to  see  its  lions.  The  bride  had  heard  a 
great  deal  of  the  Catacombs,  and  would  not  be  satisfied  without 
exploring  them,  albeit  her  husband  endeavored  to  dissuade 
her  from  such  a  dismal  enterprise.  She  was  bent  on  going, 
and  so  they  went  together.  He  kept  close  to  her  side,  con- 
stantly fearing  she  might  be  lost.  He  admitted  that  he 


328  AN  UNHAPPY  HONEYMOON. 

had  a  presentiment  respecting  her,  and  sure  enough  it  was 
realized. 

They  had  been  in  the  Catacombs  something  more  than  an 
hour,  when,  having  stopped  to  examine  a  curious  skull,  he 
called  for  her  to  look  at  it,  and  discovered,  to  his  horror,  that 
she  was  missing.  There  were  nearly  two  hundred  in  the 
party,  and  nobody  had  observed  when  or  where  she  had  dis- 
appeared. They  all  retraced  their  steps,  entered  the  adjoin- 
ing passages,  and  shouted  themselves  hoarse  to  attract  her 
attention  5  but  all  in  vain.  Not  the  least  vestige  of  her 
could  be  discovered.  The  bridegroom  was  beside  himself 
with  grief,  declaring  that  he  knew  she  would  never  be  found, 
and  calling  upon  the  rocks  to  fall,  and  relieve  him  of  his 
misery.  It  became  necessary  to  drag  him  from  the  sepulchral 
vault,  and  when  this  was  done,  he  proved  to  be  a  raving 
maniac.  He  was  sent  to  'an  asylum,  where  such  was  the  vio- 
lence of  his  paroxysms  night  and  day,  that  he  died  of  exhaus- 
tion in  less  than  .a  fortnight.  Diligent  search  was  made  for 
the  missing  bride,  though  to  no  purpose.  Not  the  slightest 
clew  was  obtained  to  her  fate,  and  it  was  finally  conjectured 
that  she  must  have  wandered  into  some  tortuous  avenue,  and 
fallen  into  one  of  the  pits  which  I  have  described.  Such  was 
the  melancholy  ending  of  a  honeymoon  before  it  had  fairly 
begun. 

Another  couple,  who  had  been  married  a  number  of  years, 
and  who  had  long  lived  so  inharmoniously  that  they  had  gone 
apart  several  times,  entered  the  Catacombs  in  the  spring  of 
1853.  The  wife  was  missing  when  the  party  came  out,  —  it  is 
always  the  custom  to  count  the  number  at  the  beginning  and 
end  of  the  journey,  so  as  to  see  that  none  are  lost,  —  and  the 
husband  asserted  that  he  had  seen  her  only  a  few  seconds  be- 
fore. Still,  she  could  not  be  found  on  that  day  or  the  next ; 
but  about  a  fortnight  after,  a  body  answering  to  her  descrip- 
tion was  discovered  in  one  of  the  narrow  passages  into  which 
excursionists  are  never  taken.  She  had  evidently  been  dead 
some  time,  and  a  deep  wound  on  her  temple  indicated  that  she 
might  have  perished  from  violence.  Her  husband  was  not 


IMPRISONED   FOR  THREE   HOURS.  329 

free  from  suspicion  of  having  murdered  her;  but  as  she  might 
have  been  so  injured  by  a  fall,  he  was  never  openly  accused 
of  the  crime.  The  story  was  generally  circulated,  and  the 
anti-matrimonial  jesters  of  the  capital  insinuated  that  more 
than  a  thousand  unhappy  husbands  immediately  applied  for 
permission  to  make  the  subterranean  tour  with  their  wives,  in 
the  hope  that  they  might  be  as  fortunate  as  the  ungrieving 
widower. 

Walking  one  day  on  the  Boulevards,  my  companion  pointed 
out  to  me  a  well-dressed  man,  who  had  a  certain  prematurely  old 
look,  and  whose  hair  was  perfectly  white.  I  was  told  he  was 
only  thirty-five,  and  that,  five  years  before,  he  had  gone  into 
the  Catacombs  with  a  young  lady  to  whom  he  was  engaged, 
and  had  hidden  himself'  away  from  the  sepulchral  pilgrims  for 
a  few  minutes,  that  he  might  learn  how  his  supposed  loss 
would  affect  his  betrothed.  He  hid  himself  so  very  effectually, 
that  three  hours  elapsed  before  he  could  be  found.  He  had  in 
that  time  entirely  surrendered  all  hope  of  release,  and  the  physi- 
cal changes  of  years  had  fallen  upon  him.  He  has  often  de- 
scribed his  sensations  during  those  hours,  and  has  represented 
them  as  the  most  terrible  he  could  conceive  of.  (I  can  imagine, 
yes,  even  understand,  what  they  must  have  been  by  my  own 
experience.)  The  revolution  in  his  mental  was  as  great  as 
the  revolution  in  his  physical  nature  ;  and  after  his  distress- 
ing sensations,  all  his  freshness  and  buoyancy  of  feeling  de- 
parted. With  a  strange  morbidity,  he  associated  the  young 
lady  on  whom  he  had  wished  to  try  the  sentimental  experi- 
ment with  the  agony  he  had  endured,  and  though  she  was 
as  wretched  as  any  woman  ought  to  be  when  he  was  missed, 
he  broke  off  his  engagement,  and  refused  to  see  her  again 
after  that  eventful  day.  The  gentleman  may  be  living  still ; 
for,  in  spite  of  appearances,  he  had  an  excellent  constitution 
and  vigorous  health.  He  was  in  good  circumstances,  and 
went  to  dine  regularly  at  the  Cafe  Anglais,  where  he  had  told 
his  story  so  often,  that  he  had  received  the  name  of  "  Cata- 
combes "  Beaudinet.  Nothing  remarkable  except  that  had 
ever  happened  to  him,  and  as  he  was  a  Frenchman,  and  fond 


330  A   MANIA   FOR  SUICIDE. 

of  prattle,  his  one  adventure  filled  him,  and  rendered  him 
a  bore  of  the  first  water. 

As  is  well  known,  the  French  not  only  have  a  passion  for 
suicide,  but  a  passion  for  committing  it  at  certain  places, 
and  in  certain  ways,  that  seems  to  be  contagious.  Forty 
years  ago,  a  young  journalist,  while  exploring  the  Cata- 
combs in  company  with  many  of  his  acquaintances,  naturally 
fell  to  talking  on  the  subject  of  death,  and  expressed  his 
opinion  that  there  was  nothing  awful  in  it,  or  even  unwel- 
come. Some  of  his  friends  rallied  him  on  this  position,  and 
told  him  he  would  think  very  differently  if  he  were  conscious 
that  death  was  near  at  hand.  He  stoutly  denied  that  it  would 
change  his  sentiments  in  the  least,  and  when  nobody  appeared 
to  believe  him,  he  suddenly  drew  a  small  knife  from  his 
pocket,  and  before  any  one  was  aware  of  his  intention,  he 
thrust  it  into  his  heart.  His  suicide,  in  such  a  place  too,  filled 
his  friends  with  horror,  and  the  press,  as  he  had  been  a 
member  of  the  guild,  gave  detailed  accounts  of  the  tragedy, 
accompanied  by  strange  theories  and  analyses  of  the  causes 
that  must  have  led  to  it.  For  several  weeks,  the  Paris  jour- 
nals were  full  of  communications  on  the  subject ;  and  they  so 
aroused  public  attention  and  curiosity,  that  in  less  than  six 
months  nearly  twenty  men  stabbed  themselves  to  death  in  the 
Catacombs  —  all  of  them  unquestionably  the  effect  of  example. 

The  Catacombs  are  the  reverse  side  of  the  fair  picture  of 
Paris.  Never  since  my  journey  through  them  have  I  been 
able  to  forget  that  they  lie  black  and  yawning  under  some  of 
the  most  beautiful  quarters  of  the  capital.  When  the  sun- 
shine is  brightest  along  the  Seine,  I  think  of  the  darkness  be- 
low. When  the  city  smiles  fairest,  I  recall  the  millions  of 
grinning  skeletons  underneath.  When  the  music  from  the 
gardens,  and  the  concerts,  and  the  operas  sounds  sweetest,  I 
fancy  mingling  among  the  strains  a  mournful  dirge  for  the 
departed  and  forgotten,  so  confusedly  heaped  together  in  the 
awful  dreariness  of  the  Catacombs. 


XXIL 

PETROLEUM. 

OIL  SPRINGS.  —  THB  FIRE  FIELD  OF  THE  CASPIAN.  —  THE  FIRE  WORSHIPPERS.  — 
—  THE  RANGOON  DISTRICT.  —  FIRE  WELLS  OF  THE  EAST.  —  PETROLEUM  IN 
AMERICA.  —  ITS  DISCOVERY  AND  HISTORY.  —  OIL  FEVER  —  ANECDOTES  OF 
SPECULATION.  —  FORTUNES  WON  AND  LOST.  —  EXTRAVAGANCES  OF  THE 
NOUVEAU  RICHE.  —  THE  STORY  OF  JOHN.  —  HOW  TO  GET  UP  A  PARTY. 

IN  various  parts  of  the  world  there  are  springs,  or  natural 
sources,  of  inflammable  oil.  Some  of  these  have  been  known 
for  thousands  of  years,  but  most  of  them  are  of  recent  dis- 
covery. The  oil  which  flows  from  these  springs  is  generally 
known  as  "  petroleum,"  the  word  being  of  Latin  origin,  and 
signifying  rock  oil.  The  most  productive  oil  springs  are  of 
artificial  origin,  and  are  made  by  boring  into  the  earth,  or 
rock,  in  certain  localities.  The  most  famous  natural  deposit 
of  this  substance,  or  anything  akin  to  it,  on  the  surfa/je  of  the 
earth,  is  in  the  Island  of  Trinidad,  in  the  West  Indies,  where 
it  forms  a  lake  of  asphaltum  and  petroleum,  which  is  called 
Tar  Lake.  This  material  is  a  very  good  substitute  for  pitch, 
and  is  extensively  used  for  coating  vessels,  and  preserving 
their  timber. 

A  gentleman  who  has  visited  this  lake  says  that  it  is  about 
a  mile  from  the  sea-shore,  and  the  distance  around  it  is  about 
a  mile  and  a  half.  Near  the  shore  the  tar  is  solid,  and  appears 
as  if  it  had  cooled,  when  the  liquid  was  boiling,  in  large  bub- 
bles. As  one  goes  from  the  shore  to  the  middle  of  the  lake, 
the  temperature  increases,  the  matter  becomes  softer,  and  in 
the  centre  it  boils  steadily.  At  a  distance,  when  first  seen, 
it  resembles  a  lake  of  water ;  but  when  one  approaches  it,  it 
appears  like  glass.  A  strong  odor  of  sulphur  arises  from  it, 
and  can  be  detected  at  a  distance  of  eight  or  ten  miles.  There 


832  THE   SACKED   FIRE  WELLS. 

is  a  bed  of  coal  under  the  lake.  It  is  of  bituminous  character, 
and  makes  a  thick  smoke  when  burning. 

The  largest  supplies  of  petroleum  are  obtained  in  America. 
Throughout  Europe  and  Asia  there  are  many  petroleum  wells. 
One  of  the  most  celebrated  localities  where  they  are  found  is 
the  eastern  shore  of  the  Caspian  Sea.  At  Baku,  on  the  shores 
of  the  Caspian,  there  are  many  springs  of  naphtha  and  petro- 
leum, and  a  great  many  streams  of  inflammable  gases.  The 
abundance  of  these  wells  caused  the  region  to  be  called  The 
Field  of  Fire ;  and  in  the  ancient  times  Baku  was  known  as 
the  Sacred  City  of  the  Fire  Worshippers.  The  annual  value 
cf  this  production  is  about  half  a  million  of  dollars.  About 
fifteen  miles  from  Baku  there  is  a  jet  of  inflammable  gas 
rising  from  the  rock,  and  known  as  the  Perpetual  Fire.  A 
temple  has  been  built  over  it,  and  the  fire  has  been  burning 
for  hundreds  of  years.  Pilgrims  come  from  all  parts  of  Asia 
to  visit  this  sacred  well.  The  place  is  in  charge  of  a  large 
priesthood,  who  are  supported  by  the  gifts  of  the  devotees. 

Another  region,  quite  as  wonderful  as  that  of  Baku,  is  the 
Rangoon  district,  in  India  ;  and  a  considerable  portion  of  India 
has  been,  for  thousands  of  years,  supplied  by  it  with  rock  oil. 
One  authority  says,  that  the  number  of  wells  in  that  district 
is  nearly  six  hundred,  yielding  half  a  million  hogsheads  of  oil 
annually.  Most  of  the  Rangoon  wells  are  artificial,  and  are 
sunk  in  beds  of  sandy  clay,  resting  on  the  sandstone,  but  the 
wells  rarely  exceed  a  hundred  feet  in  depth. 

Some  parts  of  Africa  are  known  to  contain  petroleum 
springs,  and  there  are  many  of  these  springs  throughout 
China  and  various  other  regions  of  the  East ;  Australia  and 
New  Zealand  claim  their  share,  and  it  is  probable  that  every 
country  on  the  globe  could,  by  means  of  proper  borings,  be 
made  to  yield  petroleum. 

As  before  stated,  America  is  the  great  petroleum-producing 
country  of  the  world.  Rock  oil  is  found  in  various  parts  of 
the  American  continent,  from  Hudson's  Bay  to  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  The  most 
prolific  oil  region  in  America  is  in  Western  Pennsylvania,  and 


SENECA   OIL   AS   A  MEDICINE.  333 

millions  of  dollars'  worth  of  petroleum  have  been  obtained 
there.  Thousands  of  men  have  made  fortunes  in  petroleum, 
and  a  great  many  have  made  fortunes  in  it  the  wrong  way. 
The  early  settlers  of  that  region  were  well  aware  of  the  ex- 
istence of  petroleum,  having  obtained  their  knowledge  of  it 
from  the  Indians.  The  Indians  used  to  collect  the  oil  on  the 
shore  of  Seneca  Lake,  and  it  was  sold  as  a  medicine,  in  small 
quantities,  under  the  name  of  Seneca  Oil.  A  stream  in  Alle- 
ghany  County,  New  York,  was  named  Oil  Creek,  on  account 
of  the  petroleum  floating  on  its  surface,  and  the  same  name 
was  given  to  another  stream  in  Venango  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania. On  the  old  maps  of  that  region  several  localities  were 
marked  as  affording  oil,  but  it  is  only  within  the  past  thirty 
years  that  the  oil  product  has  been  of  any  importance. 

The  substance,  as  before  stated,  was  used  as  a  medicine, 
and  the  inhabitants  collected  it  by  spreading  blankets  on  the 
surface  of  the  stream,  and  then  wringing  out  the  oil  which 
they  absorbed.  There  are  indications  that  the  oils  were  col- 
lected long  ago,  as  several  deep  and  very  old  pits  have  been 
discovered.  Some  people  attribute  the  construction  of  these 
pits  to  the  early  French  settlers,  some  to  the  Indians,  and 
some  to  the  predecessors  of  the  Indians.  A  history  of  Penn- 
sylvania, published  thirty  years  ago,  says  that  the  Indians 
used  the  oil  to  mix  with  paint  in  dressing  themselves,  and 
refers  to  an  old  letter,  written  by  the  commander  of  Fort 
Duquesne  to  General  Montcalm,  describing  an  assembly  of 
Indians  at  night  on  the  banks  of  the  creek ;  and  in  the  midst 
of  their  ceremonies  they  set  fire  to  the  oil  on  the  surface  of 
the  water.  As  the  flames  burst  out,  the  Indians  gave  wild 
shouts,  which  recalled  to  the  writer  many  of  the  ceremonies 
of  the  ancient  fire  worshippers  at  Baku. 

The  early  settlers  did  not  collect  great  quantities  of  oil, 
probably  not  more  than  twenty-five  or  thirty  barrels  a  year. 
In  1845  operations  were  being  conducted  for  obtaining  salt  at 
a  place  above  Pittsburg,  on  the  Alleghany  River.  Several 
springs  of  petroleum  were  struck,  but  the  value  of  the  ma- 
terial was  not  known.  In  Ohio,  over  fifty  years  ago,  borings 


334  BORING  FOR  SALT  WATER. 

were  made  for  salt  water.  An  account,  descriptive  of  the 
work,  said,  "  They  have  sunk  two  wells,  which  are  now  more 
than  four  hundred  feet  deep.  One  of  them  affords  very  strong 
and  pure  water,  but  not  in  great  quantity.  The  other  dis- 
charges such  vast  quantities  of  petroleum,  or,  as  it  is  vulgarly 
called,  Seneca  oil,  and  besides  is  subject  to  such  tremendous 
explosions  of  gas.  as  to  force  out  all  the  water,  and  afford 
nothing  but  gas  for  several  days.  We  make  but  little  or 
no  salt." 

This  story  of  the  ignorance  of  the  value  of  petroleum  and 
the  disappointment  of  the  salt-makers  at  finding  springs  of 
petroleum  instead  of  salt  water,  reminds  one  of  the  account 
of  the  Irishman  who  complained  of  his  trouble  in  shooting 
ducks :  "  I  was  not  able  to  fire  a  shot/'  said  he.  "  Every  time 
I  got  sight  of  a  duck  another  one  swam  in  between  him  and 
me,  and  I  could  not  kill  anything." 

The  first  movement  for  utilizing  this  vast  oil  product  was 
made,  in  1854,  by  two  New  Yorkers,  who  organized  a  com- 
pany, and  secured  the  right  to  a  certain  spring  on  Oil  Creek ; 
but  they  made  no  progress  until  three  years  later,  when 
Messrs.  Bowditch  and  Drake,  of  New  Haven,  undertook  to 
search  for  oil.  In  the  winter  of  1858  and  '9,  Colonel  E.  S. 
Drake  completed  arrangements  for  boring  into  the  rock 
below  the  bed  of  the  creek.  On  the  26th  of  August,  1859, 
oil  was  found  at  a  depth  of  seventy-one  feet.  The  drills 
sank  into  a  cavity  in  the  rock,  and  the  oil  rose  to  the  surface. 
By  means  of  a  pump,  four  hundred  gallons  were  obtained  per 
day,  and  a  larger  pump  being  introduced,  the  supply  reached 
one  thousand  gallons  daily.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the 
borings  for  oil  in  that  region.  Every  spot  where  oil  was 
found,  or  was  likely  to  be  found,  was  carefully  examined,  and 
a  great  many  wells  were  ;gut  down.  Up  and  down  the  banks 
of  Oil  Creek  derricks  were  erected  and  wells  were  sunk,  and 
in  a  year  or  two  the  banks  of  the  stream  looked  as  if  their 
natural  product  had  been  derricks  rather  than  trees.  The 
ground  was  perforated  like  a  sieve,  and  if  the  holes  had  been 
a  few  feet,  instead  of  a  few  inches,  in  diameter,  it  would  have 


FORTUNES  WON  AND  LOST.  337 

been  dangerous  walking  round  there  for  fear  of  tumbling 
through.  The  original  depth  of  seventy-one  feet  was  found 
insufficient,  and  the  borings  were  frequently  conducted  to  a 
depth  of  several  hundred  feet.  1  believe  one  well  was  sunk 
over  two  thousand  feet,  and  a  great  many  wells  exceeded  a 
thousand.  Many  of  them  never  produced  oil,  and  the  man 
who  had  risked  his  money  to  bore  these  wells  saw  it  vanish 
without  affording  anything  in  return. 

A  great  many  stories  are  told  of  fortunes  made  and  lost  in 
boring  for  oil.  In  some  cases  men  just  narrowly  missed  suc- 
cess, and  in  others  they  obtained  their  success  by  accident. 
A  story  is  told  of  some  men  who  had  secured  a  locality  and 
sunk  their  drills  to  a  depth  of  nearly  a  thousand  feet.  All 
their  money  was  gone,  and  they  knew  not  where  to  obtain 
more.  There  were  no  indications  of  oil,  their  machinery  was 
mortgaged,  and  the  sheriff  stood  by  to  secure  it.  They  were 
about  to  abandon  work ;  it  was  near  the  close  of  the  day,  and 
they  had  no  credit  and  no  means  to  continue  work  on  the 
following  morning.  One  of  the  men  proposed  to  quit  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  "  No,"  said  the  other ;  "  let  us  die 
game,  and  put  the  machine  through  till  sunset." 

He  tore  away  a  piece  of'  the  timber  supporting  the 
derrick,  and  threw  it  into  the  furnace  to  give  additional 
speed  to  the  engine.  Just  as  the  sun  was  beginning  to  dip 
behind  the  western  hills,  the  drill  suddenly  sunk  several  feet. 
It  was  withdrawn  from  the  rock,  and  a  column  of  oil  mixed 
with  salt  water  followed  it.  They  had  "  struck  oil,"  and 
were  saved. 

In  another  instance  a  company  was  formed,  and  had  drilled 
a  dozen  wells,  but  without  success.  Their  capital  was  nearly 
gone,  and  they  were  working  on  a  well  which,  if  unsuccessful, 
would  prove  their  ruin.  Just  as  they  had  expended  almost 
their  last  dollar,  and  were  within  twenty -four  hours  of  sus- 
pending, they  found  oil  in  abundant  quantities,  and  were 
saved  from  ruin. 

There  are  many  instances  of  men  searching  for  oil,  boring 
their  wells  to  a  considerable  depth,  and  abandoning  them  in 


838  A  LUCKY  STROKE. 

consequence  of  the  exhaustion  of  their  money,  and  the  dis- 
couraging prospects.  After  abandoning  their  work,  others  took 
possession  of  the  places,  and  in  a  few  days,  sometimes  in  a 
few  hours,  opened  wells  of  great  value. 

In  the  oil  regions  I  was  once  told  a  story  of  two  men  who 
had  been  at  work  a  long  time,  but  could  get  no  oil.  Their 
money  was  exhausted,  and  they  became  discouraged.  When 
they  had  expended  their  last  dollar,  and  mortgaged  every- 
thing, they  stepped  aside  and  made  way  for  their  creditors. 
As  they  surrendered  their  machinery,  one  of  them  said,  — 

"  Let  us  clear  out  of  this  place,  and  go  to  work  by  the  day 
until  we  can  get  enough  to  try  it  again." 

"  Hold  on,"  said  the  other ;  "  let  us  sit  down  and  see  these 
fellows  work.  We  will  stay  a  little  while,  and  see  if  they  get 
along  as  fast  as  we  did." 

So  the  two  men  remained,  mainly  for  the  reason  they  did 
not  know  what  else  to  do. 

The  new  comers  drilled  away  at  the  well,  which  was  already 
several  hundred  feet  deep,  and  in  half  an  hour  after  they 
began  working  they  found  oil.  When  the  tools  were  with- 
drawn, the  well  began  flowing  a  hundred  or  more  barrels  per 
day.  Imagine  the  disgust  of  the  former  owners  ! 

It  was  the  same  in  the  oil  regions  with  regard  to  disap- 
pointments that  it  has  been  in  California  and  other  countries 
containing  mineral  treasures.  A  case  like  the  one  just  de- 
scribed is  almost  an  exact  parallel  of  a  case  in  California, 
where  two  men,  working  a  week  or  more  on  a  claim  where 
they  hardly  made  money  enough  to  pay  their  expenses,  aban- 
doned it  in  disgust.  Two  others  stepped  in,  and  on  the  very 
da}r  they  took  possession,  found  a  lump  of  gold  worth  several 
thousands  of  dollars.  In  another  instance  some  Americans 
abandoned  a  claim,  which  was  immediately  occupied  by  half  a 
dozen  Chinese.  The  Chinese  found  a  rich  deposit  of  gold 
within  six  inches  of  where  one  of  the  Americans  had  aban- 
doned the  use  of  his  pick  and  shovel. 

Petroleum  wells  can  be  "  salted  "  or  "  baited,"  just  as  gold 
or  other  mines  can  be  salted,  and  in  the  early  days  of  the  oil 


SALTING   A  WELL.  339 

fever,  the  baiting  of  petroleum  wells  was  by  no  means  an 
uncommon  thing.  Sometimes  it  would  be  done  by  one  of  the 
owners  of  a  well  in  order  to  defraud  other  owners.  For 
instance,  Smith  and  Brown  have  entered  into  partnership  to 
put  down  a  well.  They  join  their  money  together,  buy  the 
necessary  drills  and  machinery,  and  go  to  work.  The  well  is 
down  one  or  two  hundred  feet.  Smith  gets  tired  of  it.  He 
knows  that  Brown  has  more  money,  and  so  thinks  that  he  will 
sell  out.  While  Brown  is  asleep,  Smith  gets  a  barrel  or  so 
of  petroleum,  and  pours  it- into  the  well.  Next  morning,  when 
they  go  to  work,  the  condition  of  the  hole  is  tested  as 
usual,  and  of  course  there  are  indications  of  petroleum.  If  a 
barrel  has  been  poured  into  the  hole  it  is  filled  for  quite  a 
long  distance.  Smith  has  taken  care  to  be  away  at  the  time, 
and  appears  in  perfect  ignorance.  If  Brown  is  honest  he  will 
tell  Smith,  on  his  reappearance,  of  the  rich  supply  they 
have  found ;  but  the  chances  are  two  to  one  that  Brown  will 
say  nothing,  except  to  suggest  carelessly  that  the  well  is  not 
very  promising,  and  ask  Smith  what  he  will  give  for  his 
share.  Smith  says,  with  equal  carelessness,  "  I  don't  want  to 
buy,  but  I  will  sell  my  interest  for  three  thousand  dollars." 

Perhaps  he  puts  it  at  a  higher  figure.  He  knows  the 
length  of  Brown's  purse,  and  goes  for  its  contents.  The 
result  is,  that  Brown  secretly  chuckles  over  his  speculation, 
and  buys  the  well. 

Smith  goes  on  his  way  rejoicing,  and  Brown,  still  more 
rejoicing,  stays  where  he  is.  He  knows  that  a  few  inches 
more  of  depth  to  the  well  will  yield  abundant  oil,  and  he 
works  away  very  earnestly;  but  somehow  he  keeps  on  drilling 
for  a  long  time,  and  at  last  awakens  to  the  consciousness  that 
he  has  been  sold. 

A  great  many  petroleum  wells  have  been  salted  and  sold  in 
this  way,  but  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  would-be  swin- 
dler gets  the  worst  of  his  bargain.  I  knew  one  case,  in  1863, 
where  a  man  baited  a  well  in  the  above  way,  and  sold  it.  He 
laughed  that  evening  over  his  sharp  trick;  but  he  laughed  less 
the  next  morning,  when  he  passed  the  well  and  saw  that  the 


340  A  NEAT  SWINDLE. 

tools  had  been  withdrawn,  and  the  well  was  flowing  at  the 
rate  of  three  hundred  barrels  a  day.  A  few  hours  after  the 
purchasers  entered  upon  their  work,  they  struck  oil  and 
were  happy. 

A  trick  that  has  been  practised  in  the  oil  regions  to  some 
extent  is  to  convert  a  well  which  has  no  oil  in  it  into  a  gen- 
uine flowing  well.  I  have  known  this  to  be  done  by  conduct- 
ing a  pipe  underground  from  a  tank  at  a  genuine  well  a  few 
hundred  yards  away.  The  pipe  opens  into  the  baited  well, 
and  it  can  readily  be  seen  that  with  a  good  "  head  "  on  the 
pipe  the  well  will  be  a  perfect  flowing  well,  to  all  intents  and 
purposes.  Men  are  engaged  in  barrelling  the  substance,  and 
a  visitor  can  see  with  his  own  eyes  the  amount  of  the  yield. 
If  he  wants  to  buy  a  well,  nobody  has  any  great  desire  to  sell, 
and  he  may  have  difficulty  in  buying  the  whole  thing  out- 
right ;  but  he  can  get  an  interest  in  it  for  a  comparatively  low 
figure.  Sometimes  he  may  buy  one  man's  interest,  and  then 
another  man's,  and  he  thinks  he  has  struck  a  very  fine  bar- 
gain. But  during  the  night,  after  his  purchase,  the  oil  ceases 
flowing,  and  he  finds  that  his  property  is  worthless. 

Another  swindle  of  the  same  sort  is  to  have  a  tank  filled 
with  oil,  and  a  pipe  run  through  one  of  its  supporting 
posts,  and  under  ground  into  the  well.  The  pumping  ma- 
chinery is  kept  at  work,  and  it  may  be  pumping,  say,  at  the 
rate  of  one  hundred  barrels  a  day.  But  all  the  time  that  the 
pump  is  working,  the  oil  is  running  into  the  well,  and  it  may 
run  in  and  be  pumped  out  again  and  again.  The  operation  is 
a  simple  one,  and  well  calculated  to  deceive. 

A  great  many  petroleum  companies  were  organized  at  one 
time,  which  had  no  existence  beyond  the  paper  one  that 
they  had  in  New  York  and  other  cities.  Some  of  these  com- 
panies gave  most  brilliant  promises.  I  remember  one  which 
printed  a  flaming  prospectus,  and  announced  that  there  was 
room  on  its  territory  for  three  thousand  firstrdass  wells.  No 
one  could  doubt  the  truth  of  this  assertion,  but  its  territory 
happened  to  be  on  the  top  of  a  mountain,  where  three  hun- 
dred thousand  wells  might  have  been  sunk  without  finding  a 


FRAUDULENT   OIL   COMPANIES.  341 

drop  of  oil.  The  projectors  of  this  concern  sold  a  great  deal 
of  stock,  but  I  believe  they  never  declared  a  dividend  of  a 
single  dollar,  or  even  took  the  trouble  to  sink  a  well.  Their 
money  was  made  by  defrauding  their  patrons  rather  than  by 
doing  any  work  in  an  honest  way.  Millions  of  dollars  were 
sunk  in  oil  speculations  whose  investors  never  obtained  any 
return  whatever.  The  public  heard  of  the  wells  that  yielded 
enormously,  but  they  never  heard  of  the  thousands  of  wells 
that  never  amounted  to  anything. 

So  great  was  the  rage  for  oil  speculation  during  the  height 
of  the  fever,  that  a  well  would  be  sunk  where  there  was  the 
least  chance  or  prospect  of  obtaining  oil.  Suppose  a  man 
found  a  spring  of  pure  water;  he  might  pour  a  gallon  or  so  of 
oil  on  the  surface,  and  then  carelessly,  and  with  apparent  inno- 
cence, lead  a  stranger  to  the  vicinity.  The  stranger  soon 
smells  the  oil,  examines  the  water,  and  buys  the  spring  at  a 
high  price. 

One  day  a  farmer  broke  a  kerosene  lamp  in  his  cellar.  A 
few  hours  later  he  admitted  a  stranger  who  wanted  to  buy 
some  potatoes.  The  stranger  discovered  the  oil,  forgot  about 
the  potatoes,  and  immediately  opened  negotiations  for  buying 
the  house  and  the  land  on  which  it  stood.  He  paid  about 
three  times  as  much  as  they  were  worth,  and  the  farmer  went 
away  happy. 

A  man,  who  thought  crude  petroleum  a  good  remedy  for 
freckles,  one  day  bathed  his  face  in  that  article,  and  lay  down 
to  sleep.  As  he  tells  the  story,  he  was  waked  in  half  an  hour 
by  a  New  York  speculator  who  was  trying  to  sink  a  shaft  into 
his  ear. 

A  story  is  told  in  California  of  a  man  owning  a  farm  which 
he  wanted  to  sell.  He  had  heard  of  the  petroleum  dodge, 
and  thought  he  would  try  the  same  plan  in  another  way.  So 
one  day,  when  a  lot  of  speculators  from  San  Francisco  were  at 
his  house,  he  poured  a  gallon  of  whiskey  into  a  small  spring,  and 
then  led  the  speculators  in  that  direction.  The  farmer  spoke 
of  the  spring,  said  that  he  made  no  use  of  it,  as  he  had  an 
abundance  of  water  near  his  house.  He  had  never  observed 


342  THE  SPRING   THAT  FLOWED   WHISKEY. 

the  spring  except  to  remark  its  peculiar  color.  He  roused 
the  curiosity  of  the  strangers  so  that  one  of  them  tasted  the 
water,  winked  at  his  neighbor,  and  stepped  aside.  Before 
night  the  farmer  had  sold  his  place  at  a  high  price,  and  the 
speculators  had  organized  a  company  for  supplying  the  Califor- 
nia market  with  an  excellent  article  of  whiskey  cocktail. 
But  somehow  their  enterprise  never  succeeded. 

The  immense  fortunes  made  from  petroleum  speculations 
were  almost  marvellous ;  a  man  might  be  poor  to-day  and 
worth  a  million  dollars  to-morrow.  In  the  morning  he  could 
not  raise  enough  money  to  buy  a  breakfast,  and  at  noon  his 
credit  would  be  good  for  the  purchase  of  a  first-class  steam- 
ship. A  man  might  be  working  as  a  day  laborer  this  week, 
and  his  wife  would  be  taking  in  washing  at  a  dollar  a  dozen. 
Six  days  later  he  would  be  a  millionnaire  clad  in  broadcloth 
and  fine  linen,  and  wearing  a  diamond  like  a  calcium  light, 
while  his  wife  would  be  arrayed  in  silks  of  the  most  costly 
character,  and  wearing  them  as  uneasily  as  a  bull-dog  wears 
a  pair  of  trousers  tied  around  his  neck. 

A  good  story  is  told  of  a  woman  one  day  selecting  some 
diamonds  in  a  jewelry  store  on  Broadway.  Two  other  women 
were  standing  near  and  observing  her  motions.  One  of  them 
suggested  to  her  friend,  "  Evidently  shoddy." 

The  diamond  purchaser  raised  her  eyes  for  a  minute,  and 
said,  "  No,  madam  ;  petroleum." 

A  great  many  stories  are  told  of  a  youth  in  the  oil  regions 
who  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  and  who,  for  a  year  or  more, 
after  the  outbreak  of  the  oil  fever,  was  driving  a  team  at  fif- 
teen dollars  a  month.  He  had  a  grandmother,  as  most  young 
men  have,  but  she  was  unlike  a  great  many  grandmothers,  as 
she  was  enormously  rich.  She  owned  a  large  farm,  and 
leased  it  to  speculators  who  wished  to  search  for  oil.  She 
always  stipulated  for  half  the  oil,  and  her  farm  was  so  pro- 
ductive that  she  had  a  magnificent  income,  and  accumulated 
money  at  a  very  rapid  rate.  A  common  report  was,  that  she 
had  eleven  barrels  and  four  trunks  full  of  greenbacks. 

One  day  she  did  as  all  good  grandmothers  do,  —  she  died. 


THE   MILLIONAIRE   YOUTH.  343 

The  youth,  whom  I  will  call  John,  as  that  was  half  his  name, 
became  heir  to  her  vast  estate.  He  dropped  into  two  millions 
of  cash,  and  into  the  farm,  which  yielded  about  two  thousand 
dollars  a  day.  He  had  never  had  so  much  money  before  in 
all  his  life.  Ox-driving  at  the  compensation  he  received 
would  require  a  long  time  for  the  accumulation  of  such  a 
fortune. 

He  thought  the  matter  over,  and  determined  to  have  a  good 
time.  He  engaged  several  youths  of  his  acquaintance  to  as- 
sist him  in  wasting  his  substance  in  riotous  living.  The 
party  went  first  to  Cleveland.  At  the  railway  station  they 
had  some  dispute  about  a  carriage,  and  so  John  bought  a  car- 
riage to  take  them  to  their  hotel.  When  he  reached  the  ho- 
tel he  concluded  that  that  was  not  the  kind  of  carriage  he 
wanted,  and  so  gave  it  away.  He  secured  all  the  best  rooms 
in  the  house,  ordered  the  best  supper  the  proprietor  could 
furnish,  and  the  party  went  to  bed  on  the  floor  as  drunk  as  a 
quartette  of  badgers.  They  rose  the  next  morning  with  very 
large  heads  on  their  shoulders,  and  were  occupied  during  the 
forenoon  in  removing  their  Mansard  roofs  by  means  of  soda 
water  and  cocktails. 

John  sent  for  the  best  team  in  Cleveland,  and  obtained  a 
four-horse  one,  with  a  carriage  gorgeous  enough  for  a  third- 
rate  emperor.  He  picked  out  one  of  the  drivers  round  the 
front  of  the  hotel,  told  him  they  were  going  to  stay  in  Cleve- 
land a  few  days,  and  if  this  driver  would  take  the  team  and 
drive  them  round  during  their  stay,  he  should  have  the  whole- 
concern,  at  their  departure,  for  his  trouble. 

John  next  proposed  to  charter  a  grog-shop,  and  another 
institution  which  shall  be  nameless,  for  the  exclusive  use  of 
himself  and  friends  during  their  stay.  They  made  thing* 
lively  for  a  few  days,  and  then  left  for  Philadelphia  by  way  of 
Buffalo. 

They  stopped  at  Niagara  Falls,  and  proposed  hiring  a  boat- 
load of  people  to  be  sent  over  the  falls  for  their  aiimsjsment ; 
but,  somehow,  they  could  not  find  anybody  willing  to  make- 
the  jump.     John  wanted  to  buy  the  Falls  and  run  them  as  a 
19 


WASTING   HIS   SUBSTANCE. 

private  show,  but  he  changed  his  mind  and  continued  his 
journey. 

In  Philadelphia,  and  subsequently  in  New  York,  the  party 
was  guilty  of  various  extravagances,  and  sometimes  displayed 
absolute  ingenuity  in  getting  rid  of  their  money.  On  one 
occasion  they  treated  a  party  of  fifty  or  more  street  laborers 
to  champagne,  filling  each  of  them  up  to  his  chin,  and  send- 
ing them  home  blind  drunk.  They  bought  horses  and  car- 
riages to  give  away  next  day.  They  chartered  hotels  and 
other  public  resorts  for  their  exclusive  occupation.  They 
used  to  give  away  ten-dollar  bills,  and  sometimes  hundred- 
dollar  bills,  as  gratuities  to  servants. 

John  seemed  to  be  troubled  to  know  what  to  do  with  his 
money,  and  it  gave  him  more  anxiety  than  he  was  ever 
blessed  with  during  the  days  of  his  ox-driving  experience. 
I  believe  he  died  after  a  year  or  so  of  this  new  life.  It  was 
too  much  for  him  ;  he  could  endure  poverty,  but  he  could  not 
•enjoy  or  endure  such  an  accumulation  of  wealth. 

There  was  a  case  similar  to  his  of  a  young  man  growing 
suddenly  rich  through  petroleum,  who  started  on  a  riotous 
career,  and  managed  to  get  heavily  in  debt.  The  wells  gave 
•out,  and  left  him  without  money,  and  no  prospect  of  obtaining 
any.  In  a  year  from  the  time  of  his  becoming  so  suddenly 
wealthy,  he  was  at  work  again  as  a  day  laborer,  and  meditat- 
ing upon  the  uncertainties  of  life  in  the  oil  regions. 

On  one  occasion  an  oil  speculator  came  to  New  York  with 
•fifty  thousand  dollars  or  more  in  cash,  and  claiming  that  he 
liad  a  flowing  well  yielding  two  hundred  barrels  a  day.  In 
less  than  a  fortnight  he  had  gambled  away  his  money,  sold  his 
wells,  and  the  last  I  saw  of  him  he  was  on  his  way  to  the  sta- 
tion-house for  default  of  paying  the  amount  of  his  hotel  bill. 
'He  was  kept  there  a  short  time,  and  then  released.  I  believe 
the  hotel  never  received  anything  from  him. 

A  great  'many  extravagances  have  been  committed  by  the 
petroleum -aristocracy.  Persons  suddenly  raised  from  poverty 
to  affluence -are  nearly  always  anxious  to  effect  an  entrance 
.'into  society.  'They  take  fine  houses,  and  sometimes  they 


GETTING   UP   A   PARTY.  345 

manage  to  get  people  of  repute  to  visit  them,  though  not 
often. 

Three  or  four  years  ago  a  family  that  had  suddenly  grown 
rich  determined  to  give  a  party  that  should  introduce  them 
to  society.  They  made  preparations,  and  sent  out  a  great 
many  cards  of  invitation.  They  ignored  their  former  ac- 
quaintances altogether.  They  selected  the  names  of  their 
guests  from  the  City  Directory,  taking  those  that  were  prom- 
inent in  the  social  world.  They  even  pretended  to  an  aristo- 
cratic descent,  and  I  believe  their  card  of  invitation  bore  a 
crest  of  some  sort  or  other. 

The  evening  of  the  entertainment  came.  Madame,  almost 
smothered  in  silks,  with  a  large  amount  of  store  hair,  and 
decked  with  diamonds  enough  to  set  up  a  jewelry  store,  was 
all  ready  to  receive  her  guests.  The  daughters  were  in  their 
best,  and  expected  to  make  a  dozen  conquests  apiece  in  the 
course  of  the  evening.  A  magnificent  supper  had  been  pre- 
pared, and  a  troupe  of  servants  were  awaiting  the  commence- 
ment of  their  duties.  Eight  o'clock  was  the  hour  fixed  for 
the  party. 

At  eight  o'clock  there  was  not  a  guest  in  the  house. 
"  Surely,"  said  Madame,  "  they  will  be  here  very  soon." 
Half  past  eight  o'clock  came.  Nobody.  Nine  o'clock.  No- 
body. Half  past  nine.  Nobody ;  and  then  ten  o'clock,  and 
still  Nobody.  It  was  then  the  great  truth  stood  revealed  that 
the  party  was  a  failure. 

The  servants,  who  had  been  standing  about  with  their 
tongues  in  their  cheeks,  were  commissioned  to  eat  what  they 
could  of  the  gorgeous  banquet,  and  the  aspirants  to  social 
honors  smothered  their  sorrow,  and  made  no  more  attempts, 
for  that  season  at  least,  to  get -into  society. 


WINE  AND   BEEK  CELLARS. 

WINE  CELLARS.  —  HOW  THEY  ARE  MADE.  —  PLACES  FOR  STORING  BEER.  — THEIR 
EXTENT.  —  THE  GREATEST  WINE  CASK  IN  THE  WORLD.  —  ITS  CAPACITY.  — 
PECULIARITIES  OP  WINE  AND  BEER  VAULTS.  —  VISITING  A  CELLAR  IN  POLAND. 
—  CURIOUS  SIGHTS.  —  THE  ANTIQUITY  OF  THE  BOTTLES.  —  WHAT  A  VISITOR 
DID.  —  THE  RESULT  OF  TOO  MUCH  WINE.  —  A  DANGEROUS  BRIDGE. 

A  GERMAN  resident  of  New  York,  engaged  in  the  manu- 
facture of  beer,  visited  the  excavations  at  Hallett's  Point, 
near  the  upper  end  of  Manhattan  Island,  and,  on  viewing  the 
large  space  which  had  been  dug  out  of  the  solid  rock,  ex- 
claimed, "What  a  capital  place  for  storing  lager  beer." 
Many  a  wine  and  beer  manufacturer  has  made  the  same  re- 
mark on  visiting  the  Mammoth  Gave,  or  other  huge  caverns. 
The  best  places  for  storing  malt  or  vinous  liquors  are  under 
ground,  for  the  reason  that  an  equal  temperature  can  be 
maintained  at  all  times;  summer's  heat  and  winter's  cold 
make  but  very  little  change  of  the  thermometer  in  the  depths 
of  the  earth. 

In  various  parts  of  the  world,  particularly  in  Europe,  there 
are  vast  underground  spaces  specially  designed  for  the  stor- 
age of  wine,  beer,  and  similar  beverages.  Nearly  all  these 
articles  require  to  be  kept  some  time  before  they  are  fit  for 
use  ;  especially  is  this  the  case  with  wines,  some  of  which 
improve  steadily  during  a  year,  or  for  ten,  or  twenty,  fifty, 
or  it  may  be  for  a  hundred,  or  five  hundred  years.  Some  of 
the  wine  cellars  of  Europe  have  been  hewn  out  of  the  solid 
rock,  or  dug  out  of  the  solid  earth,  at  vast  expense,  for  the 
simple  purpose  of  storage.  Other  wine  cellars  were,  origi- 
nally, quarries,  or  mines ;  and  after  they  had  been  abandoned 
by  the  miners,  they  were  taken  up  by  the  wine  and  beer  man- 
ufacturers, and  adapted  to  their  present  uses.  The  same  is 


PLACES  FOR  WINE  UNDER  GROUND.  347 

the  case  in  America.  Reference  is  made  elsewhere  to  the 
cellars  of  Dubuque,  Iowa,  which  are  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  exhausted  lead  mines.  At  several  places  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  Missouri  Rivers  there  are  cellars  which  originally 
were  quarries  or  mines.  Their  natural  treasures  were  taken 
from  them,  and  they  are  now  filled  with  artificial  ones. 

In  California,  particularly  in  the  Sonoma  Valley,  are  some 
wine  cellars  which  have  been  dug  out  of  the  rock  for  no  other 
purpose  than  for  that  of  storage.  Some  years  ago  I  visited  one 
of  these  establishments  with  a  small  party,  and  the  proprietor, 
in  order  to  give  us  an  idea  of  the  temperature,  shut  us  up  a 
little  while,  and  left  us  to  ourselves.  The  place  was  not  cold, 
but  it  was  cool  compared  with  the  outer  atmosphere,  and  we 
very  soon  began  to  sneeze.  Had  we  been  kept  there  for  any 
length  of  time,  I  suspect  that  we  would  have  had  sore  throats 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing ;  but  they  were  prevented  by  the 
select  assortment  of  liquids  which  the  wine  manufacturer  sup- 
plied to  us  with  such  liberality  that  some  of  his  visitors'  legs 
became  very  much  entangled,  and  refused  to  perform  the  duty 
usually  required  of  them. 

All  through  Europe,  and  particularly  in  France  and  Ger- 
many, there  are  cellars  of  great  extent.  The  wine  makers 
of  France  and  Germany  are  able  to  store  away  thousands  of 
casks,  and  other  thousands  of  bottles,  every  year  without  any 
difficulty.  The  same  is  the  case  with  the  beer  makers  of  North 
and  South  Germany,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of  Munich 
and  Vienna.  There  is  one  wine  cellar  on  the  Moselle,  which 
is  said  to  be  capable  of  containing  a  million  bottles  and  twen- 
ty or  thirty  thousand  casks  of  wine  at  one  time,  and  I  have 
heard  of  one  wine  cellar  even  larger  than  this.  The  capacity 
of  the  beer  vaults  of  Munich  is,  I  think,  greater  than  that  of 
the  German  and  French  wine  vaults.  It  is  certain  that  a 
storage  capacity  sufficient  to  supply  the  annual  consumption 
of  beer  in  Munich,  Vienna,  or  Berlin,  must  approach  the 
dimensions  of  a  small  city.  It  is  well  known  that  the  average 
German  can  get  outside  of  a  great  quantity  of  beer  in  the 
course  of  twelve  months.  As  an  illustration,  I  may  mention 


348  FAMOUS   BEER   DRINKERS. 

that  the  day  before  writing  this  paragraph  I  was  told  of  a 
strike  among  some  German  laborers  in  an  establishment  near 
New  York.  Their  strike  was  not  for  wages,  but  for  beer. 
They  were  satisfied  with  the  pay  they  received,  but  not  with 
the  quantity  of  beer  furnished  to  them.  Their  employer 
allowed  them  two  five-gallon  kegs  daily  for  every  three  men, 
and  in  their  strike  they  demanded  a  daily  keg  of  beer  per 
man.  They  said  that  two  thirds  of  a  five-gallon  keg  were  not 
sufficient,  but  they  would  manage  to  get  along  with  five  gal- 
lons each  per  day.  The  employer  agreed  with  them,  and  they 
resumed  work  as  soon  as  he  consented  to  their  demand. 

It  is  on  record  that  one  individual  German  drank  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  glasses  of  beer  per  day,  and  I  believe  there  was 
an  instance  in  Cincinnati,  a  few  years  ago,  where  a  German 
consumed,  on  a  wager,  one  hundred  and  eighty-eight  glasses 
between  sunrise  and  sunset  of  a  summer's  day.  It  is  not  fair 
to  take  these  ambulatory  beer  casks  as  an  indication  of  the 
drinking  abilities  of  the  Teutons,  but  it  may  safely  be  assumed 
that  an  ordinary  community  of  Germans  can  get  outside  of  an 
average  of  twenty  glasses  a  day  per  man  without  feeling  it. 

It  is  not  my  province  to  describe  the  process  of  making 
beer  or  wine,  as  the  work  is  mainly  performed  above  ground, 
but  simply  to  allude  to  the  space  where  these  beverages  are 
stored.  I  have  visited  a  fair  proportion  of  them  in  various 
parts  of  the  world,  and  they, are  all  pretty  much  alike.  They 
are  simply  large  vaults  or  caves,  sometimes  arched  over  to 
prevent  the  falling  in  of  the  earth,  while  in  other  cases  they 
are  cut  out  of  the  solid  rock,  and  require  no  arching.  Some- 
times a  wine  cellar  will  consist  of  a  single  vault,  with  regular 
pillars  or  arches  sustaining  its  roof,  while  in  other  casves  there 
will  be  a  great  many  galleries,  or  tunnels,  running  off  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  Sometimes  the  casks  containing  the  wine 
or  beer  will  be  of  a  size  that  will  permit  of  their  being  rolled 
about,  while  in  other  cases  the  casks  or  tuns  will  be  so  large 
that  they  always  remain  stationary,  and  are  filled  and  emptied 
without  being  moved  from  their  places.  An  example  of  this 
is  the  celebrated  tun  of  Heidelberg,  constructed  in  1751, 


THE  GREATEST  WINE  CASK.  349 

and  capable  of  containing  forty-nine  thousand  gallons.  It  has 
been  filled  but  two  or  three  times  since  its  construction,  and 
the  process  of  filling  occupied  on  each  occasion  two  or  three 
weeks.  It  is  sufficiently  large  to  allow  the  erection  of  a  ball- 
room upon  it,  and  several  festivals  and  dances  have  been  held 
there.  It  is  the  largest  cask  which  has  ever  been  made,  or 
probably  ever  will  be  made. 

The  preparation  and  preservation  of  wine  require  great 
care,  and,  above  all  things,  an  even  temperature.  Many  a  cask 
of  wine  has  been  spoiled  by  being  kept  too  hot  or  too  cold ; 
and  this  is  one  reason  why  the  preference  is  shown  by  wine 
makers  for  underground  places  of  storage.  Apart  from  this 
fact  is  the  saving  that  can  be  made  by  utilizing  the  space 
under  the  earth  where  the  surface  is  of  great  value. 

As  before  stated,  a  visit  to  one  wine  cellar  is  very  much  like 
a  visit  to  another.  The  stranger  is  led  or  guided  among  rows 
of  casks  and  bottles,  and  sometimes  his  underground  journey 
will  amount  to  a  mile,  or  two  or  three  miles,  of  linear  distance. 
He  wonders  how  the  demand  can  be  so  great  for  this  material, 
just  as  a  countryman  wonders,  as  he  walks  through  the  mar- 
ket of  a  large  city,  how  all  the  beef,  pork,  and  mutton  can  find 
purchasers.  He  may  go  through  a  market  and  think  the  sup- 
ply exceeds  the  demand,  just  as  when  he  walks  the  streets  for 
an  hour  or  two,  and  sees  the  crowds  of  people,  he  will  wonder 
where  all  this  mass  of  humanity  can  find  sufficient  food.  In 
the  same  way  a  person  unfamiliar  with  the  business  may 
have  alternate  surprises  about  the  supply  and  consumption 
of  wine. 

One  of  the  first  wine  cellars  which  I  visited  in  Europe  was 
in  the  famous  city  of  Warsaw,  Poland.  I  had  entered  Europe 
by  the  back  door,  as  it  were,  coming  from  Asia  over  the  Ural 
Mountains ;  and  consequently  the  first  ancient  city  I  found 
where  there  was  any  wine  trade  of  significance  was  War- 
saw. A  travelling  friend  and  myself  were  under  the  guid- 
ance of  an  officer  serving  on  the  staff  of  the  governor  of 
Poland,  and  while  pointing  out  the  curiosities  of  the  city,  he 
suggested  taking  us  to  one  of  the  oldest  wine  cellars  in 


350  A  WINE  CELLAR  IN  WARSAW. 

Europe.  I  think  h«  said  there  were  a  few,  but  only  a  few, 
which  had  greater  antiquity. 

Our  party  was  small,  — only  three  of  us  altogether,  —  and  we 
drove  in  a  single  carriage  to  a  very  unattractive  place  in  the 
Jews'  quarter  of  Warsaw.  Wo  entered  a  narrow  and  rickety- 
looking  building,  which  gave  no  promise  of  the  wealth  stored 
away  beneath  it.  The  officer  was  acquainted  with  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  place,  so  that  we  easily  obtained  permission 
and  escort  for  our  underground  journey.  The  proprietor  him- 
self took  charge  of  us,  and  was  accompanied  by  a  servant 
to  assist  in  showing  us  round,  and  possibly  to  see  that  we  did 
not  stow  away  in  our  pockets  any  of  the  valuable  bottles  in 
the  cellar. 

We  descended  a  narrow  stairway,  so  narrow,  in  fact,  that 
we  went  singly,  and  so  low  that  we  were  obliged  to  stoop  to 
avoid  hitting  our  heads.  The  place  was  hewn  out  of  the 
rock  on  which  Warsaw  is  built,  and  it  was  arched  over  to 
sustain  the  weight  resting  upon  it.  Reaching  the  floor  of  the 
cellar,  we  were  first  led  between  rows  of  casks,  and  the 
ages  of  the  casks  were  stated  as  we  walked  among  them. 
One  was  pointed  out  that  had  been  in  the  cellar  thirty  years, 
and  another  that  had  been  there  two  or  three  times  as  long. 
They  were  covered  with  dust  and  cobwebs,  and  looked  as  if 
good  for  a  much  longer  stay.  Over  our  heads  we  could  hear 
the  rumbling  of  carriages  in  the  streets,  just  as  one  can  hear 
the  carriages  in  exploring  the  ruins  of  Herculaneuni. 

Cask  after  cask  was  pointed  out,  until  our  eyes  were 
wearied,  and  we  were  then  taken  to  the  old  cellar  where  the 
bottles  were  stored. 

Our  guide  explained  that  the  cellar  we  had  just  visited  was 
a  modern  one,  only  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  old.  The 
old  cellar,  he  said,  was  made  in  the  days  when  Poland  was  a 
kingdom,  and  more  powerful  by  far  than  the  now  great  Musco- 
vite empire.  I  do  not  remember  positively  the  age  he  gave 
it,  but  I  think  it  was  some  nine  hundred  or  a  thousand  years 
old.  I  was  too  busy  looking  among  the  bottles  to  take  par- 
ticular notice  of  what  he  said,  and  am  not  willing  to  trust 


OLD   BOTTLES  OF   WINE.  351 

too  much  to  my  memory,  especially  on  the  occasion  of  visiting 
a  cellar  like  this.  The  real  interest  of  the  place  beg%an  when 
we  entered  the  locality  where  the  bottles  were  stored.  Here 
were  little  shelves  —  I  say  little,  though  many  of  them  were 
three  or  four  feet  wide  —  covered  with  bottles,  some  stand- 
ing upright,  while  others  were  carefully  packed  away.  There 
was  one  shelf  where  the  bottles  had  been  lying  undisturbed 
for  twenty  years ;  another  where  they  had  not  been  touched 
for  thirty,  another  for  forty,  and  another  for  fifty  years. 
Above  most  of  the  shelves  a  date  was  chiselled  into  the  rock, 
and  the  date,  as  I  was  told,  indicated  the  time  when  the  wine 
was  bottled  and  placed  there.  These  chiselled  places  were, 
however,  comparatively  few,  as  the  most  common  designation 
was  that  of  a  date  cut  in  a  small  piece  of  board  which  rested 
above  the  bottles. 

In  some  places  the  dust  of  ages  had  almost  obliterated  the 
dates,  but  our  guide  seemed  to  know  them  all  from  recollec- 
tion. I  remember  one  date  of  1750,  another  of  1634,  and  T 
believe  there  was  one  board  dated  somewhere  about  1590. 
Shelves  were  pointed  out  which  were  said  to  contain  wine 
that  had  not  been  moved  or  disturbed  in  any  way  for  three 
hundred  years.  I  do  not  vouch  for  the  truth  of  the  statement, 
but  merely  give  it  as  I  heard  it. 

It  was  interesting  to  observe  how  the  dust  and  cobwebs 
had  gathered  about  the  bottles,  and  also  to  observe  the  shapes 
of  the  bottles.  The  more  recent  shapes  were  those  familiar 
to  all  drinkers  and  friends  of  drinkers  of  the  present  day. 
Then  there  were  short,  thick-set  bottles,  while  others  were 
dumpy  and  very  long  in  the  neck,  reminding  one  of  an  over- 
fed goose  or  a  camel  suffering  with  the  dropsy.  Some  of  the 
earlier  bottles  indicated  that  the  art  of  blowing  glass  was  not 
well  known  at  the  time  of  their  construction,  as  they  were 
badly  shaped,  and  frequently  had  deep  indentations  in  their 
sides.  Some  of  them  could  be  called  flasks,  rather  than  bot- 
tles, as  they  had  no  necks  at  all,  and  were  round  at  both 
ends.  All  the  bottles  that  I  examined  were  carefully  sealed, 
and  I  was  shown  several  bottles  with  long,  tapering  necks, 


352  ONE   HUNDRED   DOLLARS   A   BOTTLE. 

that  had  been  tightly  closed  by  melting  their  ends  in  a  flame 
after  the  wine  had  been  placed  inside,  just  as  the  tube  of  a 
thermometer  is  closed  after  it  has  been  filled  with  quick- 
silver or  alcohol.  In  order  to  get  at  the  wine  enclosed  in  this 
way,  it  is  necessary  to  break  away  the  top  of  the  neck. 

The  cellar  was  perfectly  dry,  so  that  no  moisture  collected 
anywhere.  I  may  remark,  by  the  way,  that  a  dry  cellar  is 
always  desirable.  There  was  no  moisture,  but  there  was  a 
liberal  supply  of  dust  and  cobwebs.  On  bottles  that  had  been 
in  their  places  only  a  few  years,  there  would  be  a  slight  film 
or  covering  of  dust.  Those  that  could  boast  of  twenty  years, 
and  those  that  had  remained  undisturbed  a  hundred  or  two 
hundred  years,  were  covered  so  thickly  that  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  distinguish  the  bottles  from  the  mass  which 
covered  them.  I  saw  one  shelf — I  forget  its  age  —  where 
not  a  bottle  was  visible  ;  it  seemed  to  be  a  mass  of  cobwebs, 
and  nothing  more.  To  judge  from  its  appearance,  I  would 
not  have  given  twenty-five  cents  for  the  contents  of  that  shelf; 
but  if  I  had  offered  twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  my  offer 
would  have  been  spurned  with  disdain.  I  asked  the  value  of 
the  wine  on  this  shelf,  and  was  told  that  it  was  twenty 
guineas  a  bottle.  I  did  not  want  any  of  it  at  that  price,  but  I 
presume  that  there  are  plenty  of  men  in  the  world  who  are 
ready  to  pay  it. 

After  we  had  seen  the  curiosities  of  the  place,  the  proprie- 
tor insisted  that  we  should  make  a  practical  test  of  his  wine. 
He  did  not  open  any  of  the  twenty-guinea  stuff,  and  we  could 
not  expect  him  to,  though  I  secretly  hoped  he  would  consider 
himself  sufficiently  honored  by  our  presence  to  do  the  hand- 
some thing,  and  break  a  bottle  or  two  of  it  just  to  give  us  a 
taste.  The  best  he  would  do  was  to  open  a  ten-guinea  bot- 
tle from  another  shelf.  It  is  not  every  day  you  can  smack 
your  lips  over  wine  worth  fifty  dollars  in  gold  a  bottle,  and 
we  sipped  it  very  carefully,  and  allowed  it  to  trickle  not  too 
rapidly  down  our  throats.  I  found  it  a  very  agreeable  wine  ; 
it  had  a  rich  and  fruity,  though  rather  sweetish  taste.  I  know 
nothing  to  which  it  can  be  compared,  and  therefore  I  will  not 
make  any  comparison. 


WINE   TASTING    AND   ITS   EFFECT.  353 

The  proprietor  treated  us  on  the  descending  scale,  for  the 
next  bottle  he  brought  us  was  a  five-guinea  one.  It  was 
only  forty  or  fifty  years  old,  a  very  juvenile  stuff,  but  we 
were  unable  to  discover  any  great  difference  between  it  and 
the  other.  Two  or  three  kinds  of  this  wine  were  shown  us, 
and  then  he  brought  all  sorts  of  new  wines  just  in  the  cel- 
lar, that  is  to  say,  they  had  only  been  there  some  five  or 
ten,  or  it  may  be  twenty  years.  Other  wines  were  brought 
forward  for  our  deglutition ;  and  after  a  time  the  thing  be- 
came a  little  monotonous,  and  I  suspected  that  we  might  get 
our  heads  and  feet  a  little  tangled.  I  suggested  that  we  had 
other  business  to  attend  to,  and  had  better  not  indulge  in  the 
wine  business  any  longer;  but  the  proprietor  was  polite,  and 
was  constantly  offering  us  just  one  more  sample. 

"  Have  the  gentlemen  taste  this  one,''  he  would  say  to  the 
officer  who  acccompanied  us,  and  at  the  urgent  request  of  the 
officer  we  would  indulge  the  proprietor. 

The  officer  repeatedly  stated,  on  presenting  the  wine,  that 
that  would  be  the  last;  but  somehow  there  was  always  some- 
thing new  to  be  tasted,  and  something  that  we  could  not 
decline  without  giving  offence.  Before  we  got  through,  we 
tasted  nearly  every  wine  in  the  cellar,  and  finally  asked  to 
be  let  off. 

When  we  reached  the  foot  of  the  stairway,  we  found  it  had 
shrunken  greatly  in  size.  We  had  descended  without  diffi- 
culty, but  now  it  was  necessary  to  move  up  edgewise,  and  I 
firmly  believe,  that  if  we  had  remained  below  much  longer, 
the  shrinking  process  would  have  made  the  staircase  so 
narrow,  and  the  roof  above  so  low,  that  we  should  have  been 
unable  to  get  out,  and  might  have  staid  there  forever.  Think 
of  one's  terrible  fate  in  being  shut  up  in  a  wine  cellar  to  die. 

My  companion  wanted  to  sit  down  on  the  foot  of  the  stairs 
and  go  to  sleep,  but  I  told  him  it  was  not  a  custom  in  Poland 
on  visiting  wine  cellars,  or,  so  far  as  I  knew,  in  any  other 
country.  He  then  asked  me  to  write  to  his  friends,  if  I 
succeeded  in  getting  out,  and  tell  them  to  send  money 
enough  to  buy  out  the  concern  to  take  it  home  to  America. 


354  TURNING  AN  AMERICAN  HEAD. 

He  would  take  cellar  and  all  if  he  had  to  carry  the  whole 
city  of  Warsaw  and  the  Ex-King  of  Poland  in  his  trunk. 
He  had  a  friend  at  New  York  who  would  just  like  this  sort 
of  thing.  He  would  be  willing  to  sell  all  his  interest  in  the 
United  States  if  he  could  only  assemble  his  friends  in  that 
cellar,  and  get  them  as  blind  drunk  as  he  was.  I  saw  that  he 
was  wandering  mentally,  although  unable  to  wander  much 
physically,  owing  to  the  extreme  suppleness  of  his  legs. 
He  began  to  chide  me  for  taking  so  much  wine,  and  said  I 
ought  to  have  followed  his  example,  and  drank  nothing. 

The  situation  became  alarming.  There  was  the  staircase 
growing  narrower  until  it  resembled  a  loophole  in  the  wall 
of  a  fortress.  I  was  very  much  inclined  to  sit  down  with  my 
friend,  and  wait  until  the  place  grew  larger.  While  thinking 
what  to,  do,  we  were  roused  by  the  appeal  of  our  officer 
comrade  to  taste  of  another  wine,  a  very  superior  article 
from  Hungary.  We  -told  him  politely  that  we  must  refuse, 
intimated  that  we  should  feel  much  better  without  it,  and 
if  he  could  only  plan  some  way  by  which  we  could  get  out 
of  that  cellar  and  reach  our  hotel,  we  should  be  very  much 
obliged. 

He  led  the  way  up  stairs.  We  observed  that  luckily  they 
were  large  enough  for  him  to  ascend  without  difficulty,  and 
finally  we  reached  the  space  above.  Once  there  we  breathed 
more  easily.  We  thanked  our  host  for  the  attention  ho  had 
shown  us  ;  we  thanked  him  by  shaking  his  hand,  and  keeping 
our  mouths  closed.  To  thank  him  in  English  would  do  no 
good,  as  he  did  not  understand  our  language,  and  we  were 
a  little  doubtful  of  our  ability  to  pronounce  our  words 
correctly.  I  am  sorry  that  my  friend  made  so  free  with  this 
ancient  wine,  as  it  totally  incapacitated  him  from  saying  a 
word  in  Polish  or  any  other  language  with  which  he  was  not 
familiar. 

When  we  reached  the  open  air  we  found  that  our  heads 
became  level  again,  and  in  a  little  while  the  effect  of  our 
wine-sampling  excursion  had  passed  away.  Assuming  the 
dignity  of  a  couple  of  emperors,  we  rode  to  our  hotel,  took  a 
lunch,  and  felt  better. 


A   DANGEROUS   BRIDGE.  855 

All  over  the  world  it  is  a  trick  of  the  proprietors  of  wine 
cellars  to  put  their  visitors  through  the  system  of  sampling, 
so  that,  drink  as  sparingly  as  they  may;  —  a  teaspoonful  at  a 
time  only,  —  they  will  be  very  much  confused  in  body  and 
mind  before  they  emerge  from  the  clutches  of  their  en- 
tertainers. 

In  one  of  the  Western  States  I  am  acquainted  with  a  wine 
dealer  whose  cellar  is  entered  by  crossing  a  narrow  bridge 
over  a  brook.  The  bridge  is  ten  or  twelve  feet  long,  about 
three  feet  wide,  and  has  no  railing.  I  have  heard  him  say 
that  no  visitor  to  his  wine  vaults  ever  yet  walked  that  plank 
on  his  return  from  the  cellar  without  tumbling  into  the  brook. 
From  what  I  have  heard  of  his  establishment,  I  think  he  is 
not  very  far  from  the  truth.  Many  a  visitor  to  that  cellar  has 
received  an  involuntary  plunge  bath  as  he  came  out  into  the 
open  air. 


XXIY. 

THE  BASTILE. 

ITS  HISTOET  AND  CONSTRUCTION.  —  THREE  AMERICANS  SEARCHING  FOR  IT.  — 
A  FRENCH  JOKE  AT  THEIR  EXPENSE.  —  HOW  PRISONERS  WERE  RECEIVED  AND 
TREATED.  —  HORRIBLE  DUNGEONS.  —  THE  OUBLIETTES.  —  CRUELTIES  OF 
THE  BASTILE.  —  THE  MAN  IN  THE  IRON  MASK.  —  HIS  ROMANTIC  STORY.  — 
DESTRUCTION  OF  THE  BASTILE. 

ONE  of  the  most  famous  dungeons  or  prisons  in  the  world 
was  the  Bastile  of  Paris. 

It  was  a  state  prison  and  citadel  of  the  city,  was  built  in 
the  year  1369,  and  destroyed  by  the  mob  in  the  beginning  of 
the  revolution  of  1789,  or  more  than  four  centuries  after  its 
construction. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  no  plan  of  the  Bastile  as  originally 
constructed  is  in  existence,  neither  is  there  any  plan  extant 
of  the  Bastile  as  it  appeared  at  the  time  of  its  destruction. 
Somehow  the  kings  of  France  were  averse  to  giving  the  pub- 
lic much  information  about  this  famous  prison  of  state.  They 
appear  to  have  been  satisfied  with  the  knowledge  that  the 
place  existed,  and  that  those  who  displeased  them  could  be 
shut  up  there,  and  they  never  troubled  themselves  to  know 
the  exact  plan  or  model  of  the  concern. 

There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  exaggeration  concerning 
the  Bastile,  and  many  stories  have  been  told  about  it  which 
had  little  or  no  foundation.  After  all,  there  was  really  no  need 
of  exaggeration,  for  the  atrocities  committed  within  the  walls 
of  the  Bastile  are  quite  horrible  enough  for  all  practical 
purposes. 

In  ordinary  life  the  French  are  a  quiet,  harmless  people,  and 
they  are  the  last  in  the  world  whom  you  would  suspect  of 


SEARCHING   FOR   THE   BASTILE.  359 

atrocities  ;  but  every  revolution  in  France  has  been  full  of 
horror,  whether  in  past  times  or  in  the  present.  It  has  been 
said  that  you  may  take  the  mildest  Frenchman  in  the  world, 
give  him  a  place  of  authority  where  his  acts  will  not  be  called 
into  question,  and  the  chances  are  great  that  he  will  conduct 
himself  in  a  very  savage  manner.  I  do  not  assert  this  of  my 
own  knowledge,  but  leave  the  reader  to  judge  whether  the 
liistory  of  the  French  prisons  and  French  tyranny  does  not, 
in  some  degree  at  least,  corroborate  the  statement. 

The  day  after  my  arrival  in  Paris,  a  friend  proposed  that 
we  should  visit  the  Bastile.  We  were  talking  upon  some 
topic,  and  I  had  actually  stepped  inside  the  carriage  with  him 
and  given  the  order  to  the  driver  before  it  occurred  to  me 
that  the  Bastile  did  not  exist,  and  had  not  existed  for  several 
scores  of  years.  When  I  remembered  this,  and  told  my  com- 
panion, he  said,  — 

"  I  came  very  near  selling  you.  I  want  to  get  even  on 
Belling  myself." 

Then  he  told  me  a  story  of  his  experience  in  searching  for 
the  Bastile.  Bear  in  mind  that  he  was  an  editor,  familiar  with 
history  (editors  of  course  know  everything),  and  if  he  had 
given  the  subject  a  moment's  thought  it  would  have  occurred 
to  him 'that  there  was  no  Bastile  in  Paris  worth  mentioning. 
Let  me  tell  his  story  as  he  told  it. 

"  There  were  three  of  us  who  came  over  in  the  steamer, 
landed  at  Brest,  and  came  to  Paris.  We  arrived  here  in  the 
evening.  We  put  up  at  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  the  next  morn- 
ing started  out  to  ( do '  the  city.  The  first  thing  we  saw  as 
we  stepped  out  of  the  hotel  door  to  the  Boulevard  was  an 
omnibus,  on  which  was  the  sign  '  Place  de  la  Bastille.'  We 
mounted  to  the  top  of  this  omnibus,  and  away  we  rode  down 
the  Boulevard. 

"  By  and  by  we  stopped  near  a  large,  open  square,  with  a 
monument  in  the  centre.  The  conductor  motioned  us  to  get 
off,  and  said  something  which  we  did  not  understand,  but 
took  to  mean  that  this  was  the  end  of  his  route.  Moreover, 
the  omnibus  turned  round,  and  we  understood  pretty  well 


360  VERDANT   AMERICANS. 

that  we  must  get  ashore.  I  was  the  only  one  who  could 
speak  French,  and  I  couldn't  speak  much  of  it.  As  we  left 
the  omnibus,  I  said  to  the  conductor,  '  Monsieur ,  oil  est  la 
Bastille  ? ' 

"  The  conductor  stared  at  us,  smiled,  and  turned  away. 
Then  we  stepped  on  the  sidewalk  and  looked  around.  Close 
by  us  was  a  t  Restaurant  de  la  Bastille]  and  on  the  corner  we 
could  see  the  sign  of  *  Place  de  la  Bastille.11  There  was  a 
cake  shop  close  by,  and  that  had  a  sign  which  indicated  that 
it  was  the  cake  shop  '  de  lo,  Bastille' 

11  Then  we  stopped  a  well-dressed  Frenchman,  and  said  to 
him,  '  Monsieur,  oa  est  la  Bastille  ? '  The  fellow  was  too 
polite  to  laugh  in  our  faces,  as  the  conductor  did,  but  he  said 
not  a  word,  and  walked  off.  I  saw,  though,  when  his  back 
was  turned  towards  us,  that  he  was  shaking  his  sides,  and  evi- 
dently grinning. 

"  Then  we  stepped  into  the  restaurant,  and  I  said  to  a  waiter, 
1  Garcon,  oil  est  la  Bastille  ? '  and  that  infernal  waiter  laughed 
in  my  face.  I  said  to  the  other  boys,  '  These  confounded 
Frenchmen  round  the  Bastile  are  all  fools.  I  thought  French- 
men were  polite,  but  these  fellows  have  no  politeness  at  all.' 
We  climbed  out  of  that  restaurant,  and  went  out  pn  the 
square  on  a  Bastile  hunt. 

"  There  was  no  more  sign  of  a  prison  than  there  is  inside 
your  boot.  We  walked  round  that  square  about  ten  minutes, 
when  it  got  into  one  of  our  heads, — not  into  mine  though, —  that 
the  Bastile  had  been  destroyed  in  1789.  I  had  nothing  more 
to  say,  except  that  we  were  the  three  biggest  fools  in  all 
Paris.  Here  we  had  been  hunting  round,  boring  everybody, 
and  asking  them  to  show  us  a  prison  which  was  destroyed 
eighty  years  before,  as  we  perfectly  well  knew,  only  we  did 
not  happen  to  recollect  it.  We  went  back  to  the  Grand  Ho- 
tel, and  the  next  time  we  went  out  sight-seeing  we  made  sure 
that  the  thing  we  inquired  for  was  in  existence.'' 

The  Bastile  was  an  irregular  building  in  shape,  as  the 
original  construction,  in  the  time  of  Charles  V.  had  been 
added  to  by  each  successive  monarch.  It  had  as  its  princi- 


DESCRIPTION   OF  THE  BASTILE.  361 

i 

pal  feature  eight  round  towers,  connected  by  curtains  of 
masonry,  and  was  encircled  by  a  ditch  a  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  wide.  This  ditch  was  generally  dry,  and  was  sur- 
rounded on  its  outside  by  a  wall  sixty  feet  high,  to  which  was 
attached  a  wooden  gallery  running  round  the  whole  inner  cir- 
cumference of  the  ditch  opposite  the  castle.  This  gallery 
was  called  the  "  Rounds."  Sentinels  were  stationed  on  these 
Rounds,  and  it  was  their  duty  to  be  perpetually  in  motion,  in 
order  to  discover  any  movement  of  the  prisoners  for  escap- 
ing. The  Bastile  had  a  governor  and  a  staff  of  assistants, 
and  it  had  a  garrison  of  one  hundred  men,  with  their  proper 
officers. 

Whenever  a  prisoner  was  brought  to  the  Bastile,  his  trunks 
and  clothing  were  carefully  examined,  in  order  to  discover 
whether  he  had  any  concealed  papers  or  weapons.  The  ad- 
vocate Linguet,  who  had  been  detained  there  for  three  years, 
says,  — 

"  The  new  comer  is  as  much  surprised  as  alarmed  to  find 
himself  subjected  to  a  personal  examination  by  four  men, 
whose  appearance  seems  to  belie  their  functions  ;  men  clad  in 
uniforms,  which  leads  one  to  look  for  a  regard  to  decencies, 
and  wearing  decorations  which  presuppose  a  service  which 
endures  no  stain.  This  man  takes  from  him  his  money,  that 
he  may  have  no  means  of  corrupting  any  one  of  their  num- 
ber, his  jewelry  on  the  same  consideration,  his  papers  for 
fear  he  should  find  any  resource  against  the  tedium  to  which 
he  is  henceforth  devoted,  and  his  fcnives  and  scissors  are 
taken  from  him  for  fear  he  should  commit  suicide  or  assassi- 
nate his  jailers." 

After  this  examination  he  was  led  to  the  cell  intended  for 
him  to  occupy.  These  cells  were  situated  in  all  the  towers. 
The  walls  were  at  least  twelve  feet  in  thickness  at  the  top^ 
and  at  the  base  they  were  thirty  or  forty  feet.  Each  cell  had 
a  small  window  defended  by  three  iron  gratings,  one  within,, 
the  second  without,  and  the  third  in  the  middle  thickness  of 
the  masonry. 

The  bars  of  this  grating  were  an  inch  thick.  No  fire  wa» 
20 


362  CHARACTER  OP  THE  DUNGEONS. 

allowed,  and  there  was  no  glass  in  the  windows,  so  that  in 
winter  these  cells  were  like  ice-houses,  and  in  summer  they 
were  hot  and  damp. 

The  dungeons  were  nineteen  feet  below  the  level  of  the 
court-yard,  and  five  below  that  of  the  ditch.  They  had  no 
openings  but  a  narrow  loophole  communicating  with  the 
ditch.  The  inhabitant  of  these  dungeons  was  deprived  of 
air  and  daylight,  and  lived  in  a  damp  and  infected  atmos- 
phere. Oftentimes  the  floor  of  his  cell  was  covered  with  mud, 
and  he  found  himself  surrounded  by  reptiles,  rats,  and  other 
disagreeable  creeping  or  walking  things. 

The  written  history  of  the  Bastile  shows  that  these  horrible 
cells  were  frequently  used  for  the  confinement  of  prisoners  in 
order  to  make  their  existence  as  terrible  as  possible.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  iron  cages  were  used  for  the  confinement 
of  prisoners,  but  writers  who  have  given  their  attention  to 
this  subject  say  that'  nothing  of  the  sort  was  discovered  at 
the  time  the  Bastile  was  destroyed.  There  is  also  a  tradition 
in  regard  to  the  Oubliettes,  which  are  described  as  holes  into 
which  condemned  prisoners  were  lowered,  where  they  should 
languish  and  die  forgotten.  There  is  also  a  tradition  in  re- 
gard to  a  Question  Chamber,  in  which  suspected  prisoners 
were  tortured  to  make  them  confess  their  guilt,  or  to  reveal 
the  names  of  their  accomplices. 

The  Bastile  could  contain  fifty  state  prisoners  in  solitary 
cells,  and  by  putting  two  persons  in  one  cell  the  number 
'Could  be  raised  to  a  hundred.  Sometimes  as  many  as  three 
hundred  persons  were  in  the  Bastile  at  once,  and  in  that  case 
they  were  densely  crowded.  According  to  history  the  pris- 
oners were  wretchedly  fed,  but  it  should  be  said,  in  justice  to 
the  government,  that  this  state  of  affairs  was  probably  due 
to  the  frauds  of  the  subordinates  rather  than  to  any  intended 
-cruelty  on  the  part  of  the  government,  as  the  latter  generally 
made  liberal  allowances  for  the  support  of  the  prisoners  of 
.state.  One  writer  asserts  that  in  his  time  the  governor  of 
the  Bastile  had  a  great  number  of  prisoners,,  many  of  whom 
were  paid  for  at  twenty-five  francs  a  day,  and  that  their 


PLACE    DE    LA    BASTILE,    PARIS. 


THE    UASTILE.  — ERECTED    IN    1369. 


TREATMENT   OF   PRISONERS.  365 

subsistence  did  not  cost  as  many  sous.  There  was  a  regular 
tariff  for  expenses  for  the  table,  lights,  and  washing  of  all 
prisoners,  according  to  their  rank.  A  prince  was  allowed  fifty 
francs  a  day,  a  marshal  of  France  thirty-six  francs,  a  lieu- 
tenant general  thirty-four  francs,  and  so  on  down  to  the  infe- 
rior prisoners,  who  were  allowed  two  francs  and  a  half. 

A  prisoner  might  be  examined  at  the  moment  of  his  arrest, 
or  not  until  weeks,  months,  or  years  afterwards.  He  had  no 
mode  of  offering  any  defence,  or  of  telling  his  friends  where 
he  was,  or  why  he  was  detained  j  and  sometimes  he  did  not 
himself  know  these  facts.  He  was  allowed  no  books  or 
papers ;  he  could  not  communicate  with  anybody  except  by 
special  permission.  He  could  not  be  visited  except  on  an 
order  from  the  lieutenant  of  police,  and  at  such  visits  all  the 
conversation  must  be  in  the  presence  of  an  officer  of  the 
prison,  and  no  allusion  could  be  made  to  the  cause  of  deten- 
tion, the  term  of  imprisonment,  or  any  topic  of  that  sort. 

The  treatment  of  prisoners  varied  greatly.  Some,  whom  it 
was  desired  to  kill  by  slow  torture,  without  trial,  or  even 
without  a  hearing,  were  shut  up  in  the  horrible  dungeons 
already  described,  where  they  were  fed  on  the  worst  possible 
food  until  death  relieved  them  from  their  suffering.  Others, 
whom  it  was  not  designed  to  punish  or  destroy,  but  simply  to 
detain,  enjoyed  every  comfort,  and  a  great  deal  of  luxury. 
They  had  large  rooms,  fine  furniture,  excellent  and  abundant 
food,  plenty  of  wine,  books,  and  papers,  could  have  their  own 
servants,  could  be  visited  by  their  friends  or  families;  in  fact, 
could  do  pretty  nearly  as  they  pleased,  except  to  go  out  of 
the  Bastile. 

Sometimes  the  Bastile  was  under  governors  who  had  a  good 
deal  of  the  milk  of  human  kindness  in  their  composition,  and 
sometimes  it  was  under  the  control  of  men  who  had  as  little 
feeling  and  sympathy  as  a  stone.  Prisoners  were  well  or 
badly  treated  according  as  the  governor  was  good  or  bad  in 
character,  and  also  according  to  the  instructions  which  had 
been  received  concerning  their  treatment.  The  most  horrible 
feature  about  the  Bastile  was  the  mode  of  sending  persons 


366  HORRORS   OF  THE   BASTILE. 

to  it.  No  man  could  be  safe  from  imprisonment  there,  and  lie 
was  subject  to  the  whims  and  caprices  of  the  minister  of 
state,  whom  no  appeals  could  reach,  and  by  whom  no  call  for 
justice  would  be  heard  or  heeded.  If  any  man  incurred  the 
displeasure  of  the  minister,  or  of  any  one  who  had  sufficient 
influence  to  secure  an  order  for  his  arrest  under  the  royal 
seal,  he  might  be  taken  to  the  Bastile  at  any  moment.  If  his 
accuser  desired  that  he  should  never  mo-re  go  out  into  the 
world,  and  never  hold  communication  with  any  one,  the  accu- 
ser's will  became  law.  Hundreds  of  men  were  sent  to  the 
Bastile  without  knowing  the  cause  of  their  arrest  or  the 
names  of  their  accusers,  and  without  being  allowed  to  com- 
municate with  family  or  friend.  It  was  this  uncertainty,  this 
ever-present  fear  of  injustice  and  cruelty,  that  made  the 
name  of  the  Bastile  appalling,  and  led  every  Frenchman  to 
regard  it  as  a  place  full  of  horrors. 

It  is  said  that  some  of  the  most  barbarous  cruelties  ever 
inflicted  within  the  walls  of  the  Bastile  were  during  the  reign 
of  Louis  XI.  Louis  himself  was  the  author  and  inventor 
of  some  of  the  worst  barbarities.  It  is  recorded  in  history, 
that  he  caused  dungeons  to  be  made  in  the  Bastile  surrounded 
with  smooth  and  polished  masonry,  where  the  prisoners,  who 
were  lowered  into  them,  were  obliged  to  remain  in  an  unnat- 
ural position,  which  they  could  not  change.  According  to 
history,  the  princes  of  the  house  of  Armagnac  were  shut  up 
in  these  horrible  pits,  and  were  drawn  out  twice  a  week  to 
be  scourged  in  the  presence  of  the  governor,  and  once  in 
every  three  months  to  have  two  of  their  teeth  torn  from  their 
jaws.  Sometimes  split  sticks  of  dry  wood  were  placed  on 
their  fingers,  and  then  the  sticks  would  be  set  on  fire  and 
allowed  to  consume.  Richelieu  sent  many  of  his  enemies  to 
the  Bastile,  some  of  whom  were  treated  with  extreme  consider- 
ation, while  others  endured  great  severity.  One  of  these 
men,  the  notorious  Bassompierre,  was  immured  there  twelve 
years  by  the  order  of  Richelieu. 

One  of  the  greatest  mysteries  attending  the  Bastile  is  that 
of  the  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask.  A  great  deal  has  been  said  and 


MAN  TN   THE   IRON  MASK.  367 

written  about  him,  some  of  it  being  fact,  and  some  of  it 
fiction.  Who  he  was  is  not  positively  known.  It  is  very 
certain  that  he  was  a  personage  of  great  importance,  whom 
it  was  desirable  to  keep  out  of  the  way,  and  at  the  same  time 
very  desirable  not  to  kill.  He  was  always  treated  with  the 
utmost  consideration.  Every  one  of  his  attendants  uncovered 
his  head  when  in  presence  of  the  mysterious  personage.  His 
clothing  was  of  the  finest  character,  his  food  was  of  the  best 
quality,  and  served  on  the  choicest  table-ware.  He  was 
rarely  left  alone,  and  then  only  in  a  place  whence  he  could 
not  escape  :  his  face  was  always  covered  with  a  mask  of  black 
velvet,  fastened  behind  his  head  with  steel  bands.  His 
private  governor  was  De  Saint  Mars,  and  it  is  supposed  that  he 
was  answerable  with  his  own  life  for  the  safety  of  the  Man  in 
the  Iron  Mask,  and  for  the  preservation  of  his  incognito. 
When  first  heard  of  he  was  confined  in  the  Marguerite  Islands, 
in  the  Mediterranean.  One  day  a  fisherman,  passing  near  the 
place  of  his  confinement,  saw  a  hand  wave  towards  him  from 
a  window,  and  a  moment  after,  a  silver  plate  was  thrown  out. 
The  fisherman  picked  up  the  plate  and  looked  at  it;  saw  that 
some  words  were  engraved  upon  it,  and  immediately  took  it 
to  the  governor  of  the  prison.  The  governor  looked  at  it 
carelessly,  and  then  asked  the  fisherman  if  he  had  shown  it  to 
any  one,  or  had  read  it.  The  fisherman  answered,  u  No,  your 
excellency,  I  have  shown  it  to  no  one,  and  as  for  myself  I 
cannot  read." 

"  That  is  fortunate,"  said  the  governor ;  and  giving  the  fish- 
erman a  gold  piece,  he  dismissed  him. 

The  gold  piece,  however,  did  the  fisherman  very  little  good, 
as  he  was  assassinated  that  night  by  some  unknown  person. 

Every  piece  of  linen,  every  scrap  of  paper,  everything 
which  in  any  way  would  convey  information,  was  scrupulously 
examined.  One  day  the  mysterious  man  made  some  writing 
on  one  of  his  shirts  which  was  going  out  to  the  wash.  By  some 
means  this  escaped  the  notice  of  the  jailers,  and  was  found  by 
the  washerwoman.  She  could  not  read,  and  when  she  re- 
turned the  linen,  she  called  the  attention  of  the  governor  to 


b68  AN   ILLUSTRIOUS   PRISONER. 

the  writing.  She  was .  rewarded  for  her  fidelity  with  a  gold 
piece,  and  she,  like  the  fisherman,  was  assassinated  on  the 
night  after  she  had  obtained  her  reward.  After  this,  the  Man 
in  the  Iron  Mask  was  always  furnished  with  new  linen  every 
day,  and  that  which  he  had  worn  was  immediately  destroyed. 

From  the  Marguerite  Islands,  he  was  moved  to  the  Bastile, 
where  he  died  on  the  19th  of  November,  1703.  He  was  buried 
the  next  day  in  the  cemetery  of  St.  Paul,  under  the  name 
of  Marchiatti. 

In  the  Bastile  he  was  waited  upon  at  the  table  and  at  his 
toilet  by  the  governor,  and  no  one  else.  He  was  allowed  to 
go  to  mass,  and  a  file  of  soldiers  always  accompanied  him. 
Their  muskets  were  loaded,  and  their  matches  were  lighted  ; 
they  were  ordered  to  kill  him  instantly  in  case  he  spoke  to 
any  one,  or  attempted  to  tear  off  his  mask.  Who  he  was,  and 
what  he  was,  will  probably  never  be  known.  No  person  of 
sufficient  note  to  justify  such  precautions  as  were  taken  in  his 
case  was  absent  from  the  stage  of  history  at  that  time.  The 
general  impression  is,  that  he  was  an  elder  brother  of  Louis 
XIV.,  the  fruit  of  an  adulterous  intrigue  between  Anne  of 
Austria  and  the  Duke  of  Buckingham,  or  some  other  of  those 
lovers  for  which  Anne  was  famous.  As  he  was  born  in  wed- 
lock, he  could  not  have  been  dispossessed  of  his  claim  to  the 
throne,  if  his  existence  had  been  admitted.  Louis  XIV.  may 
have  had  some  absurd  prejudice  against  murdering  his 
brother,  though  it  was  not  the  fashion  of  those  days  to  be  so 
very  fastidious.  A  story  was  written  by  Dumas  under  the 
title  of  the  Man  in  the  Iron  Mask,  and  it  has  been  dramatized 
and  given  on  the  stage  in  Europe  and  America.  The  mystery 
which  envelops  the  wearer  of  the  mask  gives  an  additional 
interest  to  all  stories  concerning  him. 

In  talking  about  this  historic  individual,  we  have  almost  for- 
gotten the  Bastile.  After  the  time  of  Louis  XIY.  the  Bastile* 
became  a  place  of  imprisonment,  not  alone  of  persons  of 
honorable  birth,  but  of  common  malefactors,  and  of  persons 
of  very  low  repute.  The  imprisonment  of  Beuzot,  the  king's 
librarian,  for  obeying  the  king's  own  directions,  by  the  min- 


DESTRUCTION    OF     THE     BASTILR,    JULY    14,    1789. — ITS     KEY    PRESENTED    BT 
LA   FAYETTE   TO   GEORGE    WASHINGTON,   AND   NOW   AMONG   THE 

RELICS    AT    MOUNT    VERNON. 

Si 


DESTRUCTION   OF   THE   BASTILE.  371 

ister  De  Breteuil,  brought  to  light  the  whole  system  of 
iniquity  in  which  the  prison  was  managed.  On  the  14th 
of  July,  1789,  the  people  arose  in  their  fury,  captured  the 
Bastile,  and  ransacked  and  destroyed  it.  At  the  time  of  its 
capture  only  seven  persons  were  found  in  its  cells  and  dun- 
geons, one  of  them  having  been  there  since  his  eleventh  year. 
There  was  another  who  had  been  ten  years  in  the  Marguerite 
Islands,  and  thirty  years  in  the  Bastile ;  he  appeared,  on  his 
liberation,  bewildered  and  half  idiotic,  like  a  man  waking  from 
a  sleep  of  forty  years,  and  looking  out  upon  a  new  world. 
The  records  of  the  prison  reveal  many  cases  as  bad  as  this, 
and  any  lover  of  liberty,  even  to  the  smallest  degree,  cannot 
regret  that  the  Bastile  has  passed  away  forever. 


XXY. 

DIAMONDS   AND  DIAMOND  MINES. 

HOW  DIAMONDS  ARE  OBTAINED.  —  THE  COUNTRIES  THAT  PRODUCE  THEM.  — 
MODES  OF  SEEKING  THEM  IN  BRAZIL.  —  CURIOUS  PRECAUTIONS  AGAINST 
THEFT.  —  HOW  A  SLAVE  IN  BORNEO  ROBBED  HIS  EMPLOYER.  —  FAMOUS 
DIAMONDS  AND  THEIR  HISTORY. — THE  REGENT,  THE  ORLOFF,  AND  THE  KO- 
HINOOR.  —  FIDELITY  OF  A  SERVANT.  —  THE  STAR  OF  THE  SOUTH.  —  A  SHARP 
TRICK  OF  AN  AMATEUR  GAMBLER. 

THE  hardest  known  mineral  in  the  world,  and  at  the  same 
time  the  most  valuable,  is  the  diamond.  It  cannot  be  cut  or 
scratched  by  any  other  substance.  In  cutting'  the  diamond, 
another  diamond,  or 'the  dust  of  one,  must  be  used.  The 
process  of  polishing  these  stones  by  rubbing  two  of  them  to- 
gether was  probably  known  in  Asia  a  great  many  years  ago ; 
but  it  was  not  introduced  into  Europe  until  the  middle  of  the 
fifteenth  century.  The  diamond-cutters  of  Asia  preserved 
the  secret  of  their  work  very  carefully  long  after  these  valu- 
able stones  were  brought  to  Europe.  About  the  middle  of 
the  fifteenth  century,  Louis  Berquen,  of  Bruges,  accidentally 
discovered  that  by  rubbing  two  diamonds  together,  their  sur- 
faces might  be  cut.  The  powder  obtained  in  this  way  is  used 
for  polishing  the  stone. 

The  diamond  must  first  be  dug  from  the  earth,  and  if  we 
only  knew  where  to  find  them  we  could  doubtless  discover 
richer  gems  than  any  of  those  now  known.  The  earth  which 
contains  the  diamond  is  worked  in  the  same  way  as  the  aurif- 
erous gravels,  both  having  been  produced  by  the  same  causes. 
Gold  occurs  in  the  beds  or  streams,  by  the  disintegration  of 
the  rocks,  in  which  it  was  originally  contained,  and  their  grad- 
ual wearing  and  washing  away.  Diamonds  were  originally 
contained  in  the  rocks  in  the  same  way  that  gold  was  held  there, 
and  the  process  of  disintegration  has  been  pretty  much  the 


WHERE  DIAMONDS  ARE  FOUND.  373 

same.  Many  of  the  places  where  gold  is  found  contained 
diamonds  ;  and  in  some  localities  in  California  the  sands  are 
now  being  reworked  to  obtain  any  small  particles  of  gold  that 
may  have  been  left,  and  also  to  obtain  diamonds.  The  original 
gold-seeker  looked  only  for  the  yellow  metal.  The  gold-seeker 
of  to-day  searches  not  only  for  gold,  but  for  hard  pebbles,  which 
may  prove  rough  diamonds. 

Diamonds  are  found  in  various  parts  of  the  globe.  The  most 
celebrated  diamond  regions  are  those  of  India,  South  Africa, 
and  Brazil.  The  Indian  diamond  mines  are  in  various  localities, 
the  most  famous  being  in  the  vicinity  of  Golconda.  They 
have  been  exploited  for  thousands  of  years,  and  some  of  the 
stones  now  in  existence  have  a  history  dating  back  two  thou- 
sand years  before  the  Christian  era.  The  diamond  mines  of 
Brazil  have  latterly  yielded  more  extensively  than  have  the 
Golcoiida  mines.  At  one  time,  a  slave  at  work  in  a  Brazilian 
mine  struck  with  his  pick  a  bed  of  diamonds  which  were 
valued  at  nearly  two  millions  6f  dollars.  They  were  carried 
to  England,  and  caused  a  panic  in  the  diamond  market.  The 
supply  was  the  largest  ever  known  to  come  forward  at  one 
time,  and  greatly  frightened  the  holders  of  precious  stones, 
not  only  in  England,  but  all  over  the  continent  of  Europe.  If 
any  individual  could  be  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a  few  million 
dollars'  worth  of  diamonds  at  one  time,  he  could  create  an 
alarm  among  the  dealers  in  precious  stones  from  one  end  of 
the  world  to  the  other. 

The  work  of  obtaining  diamonds  is  not  by  any  means  the 
easiest  in  which  a  man  can  engage.  About  the  hardest  way 
in  the  world  to  obtain  gold  is  to  dig  for  it,  and  the  same  may 
be  said  of  diamonds.  In  the  Brazilian  mines  the  earth  con- 
sists of  sand  and  gravel  in  the  beds  of  the  streams.  It  is 
taken  out  in  the  dry  season,  and  piled  away  where  it  can  be 
conveniently  washed.  Then  in  the  rainy  season  the  washing 
begins.  Sometimes  the  men  work  by  hand,  as  it  were ;  that 
is,  by  taking  a  quantity  of  earth  in  a  bowl,  or  pan,  and  then, 
standing  in  the  middle  of  the  stream,  under  the  eye  of  a  vigi. 


374  DIGGERS  AT  WORK. 

lant  overseer,  they  slowly  wash  away  the  sand  and  dirt,  until 
nothing  but  pebbles  remains. 

The  pick  and  shovel  are  used  for  breaking  up  the  diamond- 
bearing  gravels,  just  as  they  are  used  for  breaking  up  earth 
which  contains  gold.  The  water  carries  away  the  clay,  and 
sand,  and  fine  dirt.  The  large  stones  are  thrown  out,  and  the 
finer  gravel  that  remains  is  carefully  picked  over.  It  is  ex- 
amined in  the  sunshine,  where  the  light  plays  upon  the  gems, 
and  leads  to  their  detection.  The  search  for  the  diamond  is 
always  conducted  under  the  eye  of  a  superintendent,  so  as  to 
guard  against  theft.  Each  diamond-seeker  has  a  little  case, 
made  of  reed,  and  generally  ornamented  on  the  outside.  The 
small  diamonds  are  placed  in  this  case,  and  every  negro  who 
possesses  a  case  which  has  once  held  diamonds  is  very  un- 
willing to  part  with  it.  He  regards  it  with  a  superstitious 
reverence,  believing  that  when  it  once  contains  precious 
stones  it  will  lead  to  the  discovery  of  more. 

The  earth  which  has  been  gathered  up  for  washing,  if  it  is 
not  worked  immediately,  is  placed  under  a  long  shed,  and 
when  the  rainy  season  begins,  and  water  becomes  abundant, 
the  slaves  are  assembled  for  their  duty.  In  the  diamond  dis- 
trict of  Brazil  the  sheds  are  generally  about  thirty  yards  long, 
and  half  as  wide.  They  consist  simply  of  upright  posts,  and 
a  thatched  roof,  erected  over  the  spot  where  the  heaps  of 
gravel  are  placed.  A  stream  of  water  is  conducted  through 
this  shed.  There  is  a  range  of  sloping  troughs,  each  about 
three  feet  wide,  connecting  with  the  streams  at  the  upper 
end.  Opposite  the  troughs  there  are  high  chairs,  where,  the 
overseers  are  stationed. 

A  slave  at  each  trough  takes  about  a  bushel  or  so  of  the 
gravel,  and  lets  the  water  in  slowly,  in  order  to  wash  away 
the  gravel  and  earthy  particles.  Then  he  throws  out  the 
largest  stones,  and  examines  the  rest,  with  great  care,  for 
diamonds.  Whenever  he  finds  one,  he  stands  upright,  clasps 
his  hands,  holding  the  stone  between  his  thumb  and  finger, 
and  shows  it  to  the  overseer,  who  receives  it. 


DISCOVERY  IN  BRAZIL. 

When  a  slave  finds  a  stone  exceeding  seventeen  and  a  half 
carats  in  weight,  he  is  immediately  set  at  liberty.  Free 
papers  are  given  him,  and  he  cannot  again  be  enslaved. 
Generally,  on  such  occasions,  a  holiday  or  half-holiday  is 
granted  to  the  negroes  about  the  establishment.  The  lucky 
finder  is  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  his  comrades,  and  when 
the  day  ends  most  of  them  are  in  a  condition  the  reverse 
of  sober. 

In  the  diamond  district  of  Brazil  the  diamdnds  were  first 
discovered  by  gold  miners,  about  the  year  1730.  At  first  they 
were  ignorant  of  the  value  of  the  gems,  and  threw  them  away 
as  useless.  Some  of  the  stones  were  sent  to  the  governor  of 
Brazil  as  curiosities.  He  supposed  that  they  were  crystals, 
and  by  accident  a  few  were  carried  to  Lisbon,  where  they 
happened  to  be  shown  to  the  Dutch  consul.  The  consul  was 
a  diamond  sharp,  and  recognized  the  true  character  of  the 
stones.  He  immediately  caused  them  to  be  sent  to  Holland, 
where  they  were  cut,  and  found  to  be  of  great  value. 

As  soon  as  the  character  of  the  stone  became  generally 
known,  large  quantities  of  them  were  gathered  and  sent  from 
Brazil,  and  at  one  time  it  seemed  as  if  the  diamond  market 
would  be  ruined.  The  Portuguese  government  took  means,to 
secure  a  monopoly  of  the  trade.  The  diamond  district  was 
surrounded  by  well-defined  boundaries,  which  were  guarded 
with  the  greatest  care.  No  one  was  permitted  to  cross  them 
without  a  permit  from  the  superintendent  of  the  mine,  and 
whenever  a  traveller  who  had  visited  the  diamond  ground 
was  leaving  it,  he  was  obliged  to  submit  to  a  thorough  ex- 
amination of  himself  and  baggage.  So  great  was  the  vigilance, 
that,  it  is  said,  at  one  time  every  traveller  leaving  the  district 
was  detained  three  days  at  the  boundary,  and  was  compelled 
to  swallow  medicines  whose  effect  was  to  prevent  his  abscond- 
ing with  any  precious  stones  concealed  in  his  stomach. 

A  peculiar  system  was  established  for  the  regulation  of  this 
district.  Stringent  laws  were  passed  to  provide  for  the  regis- 
tering of  the  inhabitants,  the  admission  of  settlers,  and  the 
punishment  of  infringements  of  every  kind  upon  the  govern- 


376  THE   GOLCONDA   MINES. 

ment  monopoly.  At  first  the  diamond  mines  were  rented  to 
private  individuals ;  but  so  many  frauds  were  practised,  that 
the  government  took  the  matter  into  its  own  hands,  and 
worked  the  mines  under  officers  of  its  own  appointment.  At 
present  the  mines  are  open  to  anybody  who  chooses  to  work 
them,  on  payment  of  a  tax,  which  is  placed  not  on  the  amount 
of  diamonds  obtained,  but  on  the  number  of  men  employed. 
This  method  of  collecting  the  tax  is  much  Tiore  successful 
than  the  old  one  of  levying  a  royalty  upon  the  diamonds.  The 
number  of  men  employed  can  be  readily  counted,  while,  the 
diamonds  being  small,  they  could  easily  be  secreted,  and  the 
payment  of  the  proper  tax  evaded. 

In  Asia  the  most  noted  localities  for  obtaining  diamonds 
are  in  various  parts  of  India  and  the  Island  of  Borneo.  Two 
thousand  years  ago  the  mines  of  Golconda  were  the  richest  on 
the  globe  ;  but  for  some  time  they  have  been  comparatively 
unproductive. 

The  working  of  these  mines  is  carried  on  very  nearly  in 
the  same  way  as  the  working  of  the  mines  of  Brazil.  In  the 
Brazilian  mines  the  slaves  and  overseers  are  permitted  to 
wear  clothing,  though  the  slaves  are  allowed  but  a  very  small 
quantity.  Formerly  they  were  compelled  to  work  naked,  to 
prevent  their  secreting  diamonds.  At  the  present  time  the 
garments  they  wear  are  subjected  to  the  most  careful  exami- 
nation. In  the  mines  of  India  the  laborers  work  entirely  nude  ; 
but  the  temperature  is  such  that  they  do  not  suffer  on  account 
of  the  absence  of  clothing.  In  spite  of  every  precaution  they 
manage  to  steal  diamonds.  They  secrete  them  in  the  hair,  un- 
less their  hair  is  cut  very  short.  They  push  them  into  their 
noses,  and  hide  them  in  various  parts  of  their  bodies,  and  in 
other  ways. 

In  one  of  the  mines  of  Borneo  there  was  once  a  laborer  who 
managed  to  steal  several  valuable  diamonds.  As  he  wore  no 
clothing  when  at  work,  and  underwent  the  usual  examination, 
he  was  considered  entirely  safe.  He  escaped  with  his  prizes, 
became  a  rich  man,  lived  contented,  and  died  happy.  In  his 
old  age  he  revealed  the  secret  of  his  diamond  thefts. 


WORKING    A    DIAMOND    CLAIM    IN    BRAZIL. 


RIVER    WASHING CRADLING    FOR    DIAMONDS. 


INGENIOUS   MODE    OF   STEALING.  379 

He  had  prepared  himself  for  the  work  with  the  assistance 
of  a  surgeon,  who  shared  with  him  the  proceeds  of  the  enter- 
prise. The  surgeon  placed  a  ball,  somewhat  larger  than  a  pea, 
in  the  fleshy  part  of  the  man's  thigh  ;  kept  down  the  irritation 
as  much  as  possible,  and  allowed  the  flesh  to  grow  over  the 
wound,  or  nearly  so.  The  ball  was  then  taken  out,  leaving  a 
comfortable  cavity  a  quarter  of  an  inch  below  the  skin.  A 
small  opening  was  made,  and  the  skin  at  the  opening  was 
allowed  to  grow  around  a  steel  rod  about  half  as  large  as  the 
diameter  of  the  cavity.  In  this  way  a  very  fine  receptacle 
was  formed  for  the  deposit  of  the  diamond. 

It  took  some  time  to  get  it  up,  but  when  finished  it  was  en- 
tirely satisfactory,  and  the  man  was  sure  of  having  his  pocket 
always  about  him.  When  he  found  a  diamond  that  could  be 
crowded  into  this  cavity,  he  would  manage  to  stow  it  away ; 
and  then,  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  he  repaired  to  the  office 
of  the  surgeon,  where  the  diamond  was  removed  with  the  aid 
of  a  pair  of  forceps.  They  did  not  strike  for  the  largest  dia- 
monds, and  were  doubtless  more  successful  in  this  mode  of 
working  than  if  they  had  planned  their  enterprise  on  a  grander 
scale. 

It  is  a  general  principle  in  chemistry,  that  when  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  an  article  are  well  known,  a  counterfeit  can 
be  produced,  provided  the  component  parts  are  attainable. 
But  it  is  not  so  with  the  diamond. 

For  hundreds  of  years  chemists  have  labored  to  produce 
this  stone.  They  know  perfectly  well  of  what  it  is  composed, 
but  they  cannot  repeat  it.  The  diamond  is  nothing  more  than 
pure  crystallized  carbon,  and  placed  under  a  great  heat  it  boils 
and  disappears.  It  is  not  acted  upon  by  acids  or  alkalies,  and 
when  kept  in  the  open  air,  it  may  be  heated  to  a  high  degree 
without  damage.  Exposed  to  the  intense  heat  produced  by 
a  Bnnsen  burner,  it  is  converted  into  coke  ;  and  if  it  is  heated 
in  the  open  air,  it  boils  at  the  temperature  of  melting  silver, 
and  disappears  in  the  form  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  If  the  sun's 
rays  are  converged  to  a  focus  by  means  of  a  lens,  and  directed 
upon  a  diamond  under  a  bell-glass  filled  with  oxygen  gas,  the 


380  HOW  TO   KNOW   THE  VALUE   OF  DIAMONDS. 

diamond  will  burn ;  and  when  it  is  consumed,  carbonic  acid 
will  be  found  beneath  the  glass.  Thus  the  most  precious  sub- 
stance in  the  known  world  can  be  made  to  disappear. 

The  diamond  is  sold  by  its  weight,  estimated  in  carats, — 
a  carat  being  equal  to  three  and  one  fourth  grains  Troy,  and 
subdivided  into  half,  quarter,  eighth,  and  so  on.  It  is  difficult 
to  say  what  a  rough  diamond  is  worth,  since  a  great  many 
reasons  may  occur  to  cause  its  fluctuation  in  value.  The  ordi- 
nary estimate  for  a  cut  diamond  is  sixty  dollars  a  carat,  that 
is  to  say,  when  the  stone  weighs  a  single  carat.  The  price 
of  the  diamond  exceeding  a  carat  is  not  in  proportion  to  its 
weight,  but  by  the  square  of  the  weight,  that  is  to  say,  to  the 
weight  multiplied  by  itself.  Thus,  if  a  diamond  weighing  one 
carat  is  worth  sixty  dollars,  one  which  weighs  two  carats  is4 
worth  2x2,  and  then  multiplied  by  sixty,  or  two  hundred  and 
forty  dollars.  A  stone  of  three  carats  is  worth  3x3,  multi- 
plied by  sixty,  or  five  hundred  and  forty  dollars.  The  value, 
therefore,  of  a  polished  diamond  is  found  by  multiplying  the 
square  of  the  weight  by  the  price  of  a  stone  of  one  carat.  This 
is  the  rule  generally  given  for  the  pricing  of  diamonds  ;  but 
the  value  of  each  stone  varies  more  or  less  according  to  its 
character,  so  that  one  stone  weighing  fifteen  carats  might  be 
worth  three  or  four  thousand  dollars  more  than  another  stone 
of  the  same  weight.  The  besfc  rule,  probably,  for  obtaining  the 
price  of  diamonds,  is  to  ask  a  man  who  has  them  for  sale.  Dia- 
monds are  sold  very  much  like  any  other  commodity ;  that 
is,  for  the  highest  price  the  purchaser  is  willing  to  pay. 

Diamonds,  especially  those  of  a  large  size,  require,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  great  care  in  keeping,  to  save  them  from  be- 
ing stolen.  The  crown  jewels  of  England  are  kept  in  the 
Tower  of  London  in  an  iron  cage  surrounded  with  glass. 
Some  of  them  are  of  great  antiquity.  The  crown  jewels  in- 
clude not  only  diamonds,  but  some  valuable  rubies,  sapphires, 
emeralds,  and  pearls.  The  crown  contains  a  heart-shaped  ruby, 
which  is  said  to  have  been  given  to  Edward  the  Black  Prince 
by  Don  Pedro,  King  of  Castile,  after  the  battle  of  Najera, 
A.  D.  1367. 


FAMOUS  STONES.  381 

It  was  afterwards  worn  in  the  helmet  of  Henry  V.;  at  the 
battle  of  Agincourt,  in  the  year  1415. 

The  crown  jewels  of  France  disappeared  in  1792,  during  the 
troubles  of  the  first  republic,  though  they  were  kept  under  seal, 
and  in  the  royal  treasury.  Some  of  them  were  afterwards 
found  buried  in  an  obscure  place,  which  was  named  in  an 
anonymous  letter  sent  to  the  prime  minister.  The  famous 
Regent  diamond  was  in  this  casket. 

The  Regent  diamond  is  probably  the  finest  and  best  cut 
stone  in  the  world,  though  it  is  not  the  largest.  It  was  named 
after  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  who  was  regent  during  the  minority 
of  Louis  XV.  The  regent  bought  it,  in  1717,  for  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  thousand  pounds  sterling.  It  was  sold  to  him 
by  Governor  Pitt,  who  paid  twelve  thousand  five  hundred 
pounds  for  it  in  India  five  years  before.  Its  weight  before 
cutting  was  four  hundred  and  ten  carats,  and  the  process  of 
cutting  occupied  two  years.  Its  weight  was  reduced  to  one 
hundred  and  thirty-six  carats,  and  its  present  value  is  esti- 
mated at  a  million  dollars. 

Pitt  was  an  unhappy  man  during  the  five  years  he  owned 
the  stone.  He  carried  it  with  him  constantly.  He  never 
made  known  his  movements  a  day  beforehand,  nor  slept  for 
two  nights  successively  in  the  same  house. 

Another  diamond,  quite  famous  in  its  way,  is  the  "  Sancy." 
It  fell  from  the  helmet  of  Charles  the  Bold  at  the  battle  of 
Granson,  and  was  picked  up  by  a  Swiss  soldier.  The  soldier 
disposed  of  it  for  two  francs,  and  thought  he  had  made  a  very 
good  bargain.  In  1589  it  was  bought  by  De  Sancy,  treasurer 
to  Henry  IV.  of  France.  In  1792  it  was  stolen,  and  after  vari- 
ous adventures,  was  bought,  forty  years  afterwards,  by  Prince 
Demidoff,  who  paid  for  it  seventy-five  thousand  pounds.  It 
has  since  been  sold  for  a  much  smaller  sum. 

A  few  years  ago  a  diamond  was  found  in  Brazil,  and  imported 
into  France  under  the  name  of  the  Star  of  the  South.  It  was 
found  by  a  negress,  and  bought  for  a  few  dollars  by  a  specu- 
lator, who  obtained  a  large  return  for  his  investment.  Its 
weight  in  the  rough  was  two  hundred  and  fifty -four  carats; 
after  cutting,  it  was  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  carats. 


382  THE  ORLOFF  AND  THE  KOHIXOOR. 

Another  famous  stone,  known  as  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tus- 
cany, is  of  a  yellow  color,  and  weighs  one  hundred  and  forty 
carats. 

It  was  lost  at  one  time,  and  bought  subsequently,  it  is  said, 
for  a  few  francs,  out  of  a  jeweller's  shop  at  Florence,  the  jew- 
eller supposing  that  it  was  only  a  piece  of  colored  crystal. 

A  famous  diamond  in  Russia  is  the  Orloff.  It  is  shaped 
like  an  egg,  with  an  indented  hollow  in  the  smaller  end.  It 
was  found  at  Landak,  in  India,  and  at  one  time  formed  the  eye 
of  an  idol  in  a  Brahmin  temple  at  Pondicherr}r.  An  enter- 
prising deserter  from  the  French  army  managed  to  have  him- 
self shut  up  in  the  temple,  and  during  his  incarceration  he 
gouged  out  this  eye  of  the  idol.  He  attempted  to  capture  the 
other  eye,  but  was  unsuccessful.  He  was  lucky  enough  to  get 
away  with  his  prize,  which  he  sold  to  a  jeweller  at  Calcutta. 
After  passing  through  the  hands  of  various  purchasers,  it  was 
bought  by  a  Greek  merchant,  who  sold  it  to  the  Empress 
Catharine  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and  an 
annuity  of  twenty  thousand  dollars,  with  a  title  of  nobility. 

One  of  the  best  known,  and  probably  the  most  famous,  dia- 
monds in  the  world  is  the  Kohinoor.  It  is  interesting  for  the 
great  number  of  historical  associations  connected  with  it.  It 
is  said  to  have  been  worn  by  an  Indian  king  three  thousand 
years  before  the  Christian  era.  From  this  king  the  Kohinoor 
passed  through  the  hands  of  successive  sovereigns  of  Central 
India,  until  about  the  beginning  of  the  fourteenth  century, 
when  it  was  added  to  the  treasures  of  Delhi  by  the  Patan 
monarch  Aladdin.  In  1739  the  Persian  monarch  Nadir  Shah 
conquered  Delhi,  and  had  an  interview  with  its  vanquished 
ruler.  The  latter  put  on  his  best  garments  in  order  to  make 
as  good  an  impression  as  possible.  He  wrapped  a  gorgeous 
turban  around  his  head,  and  in  it  he  fastened  the  Kohinoor. 

The  Persian  conqueror,  during  the  progress  of  the  inter- 
view, saw  this  diamond,  and,  in  the  expressive  language  of 
modern  days,  "  went  for  it." 

He  was  too  polite  to  capture  it  by  main  force,  but  proposed 
eternal  peace  and  friendship  to  Mohammed  Shah,  the  van- 


RECUTTING  THE  KOHINOOR.  385 

quished  ruler  of  Delhi.  The  latter,  like  Barkis,  was  willin', 
and  the  two  embraced. 

"  As  a  token  of  our  friendship,"  said  Nadir,  "  let  us  ex- 
change turbans."  Mohammed  was  cornered  and  obliged  to 
comply,  and  Nadir  walked  off  with  the  prize.  But  Nadir  did 
not  keep  it  long,  as  he  was  assassinated  soon  after. 

After  his  death  it  passed  to  the  hands  of  Ahmed  Shah  of 
Cabool,  and  thence  through  various  other  hands,  until  in  1849, 
when,  on  the  annexation  of  the  Punjaub  to  the  East  India 
Company's  territory,  it  was  stipulated  that  the  Kohinoor  should 
be  given  to  the  Queen  of  England.  It  was  sent  to  England, 
and  was  delivered  to  the  queen  July  3,  1850.  It  was  exhib- 
ited at  the  Crystal  Palace  in  London,  but  caused  great  disap- 
pointment by  its  inability  to  develop  the  proper  refraction* 
unless  surrounded  by  strong  lights  ;  in  fact,  it  was  much  in- 
ferior to  its  glass  model  in  the  Tower.  Its  name,  Mountain  of 
Light,  seemed  to  be  a  misnomer. 

An  examination  was  made  with  a  view  to  recutting  it. 
Scientific  gentlemen  were  called  in,  and  skilful  cutters  at 
Amsterdam  were  sent  for.  After  much  consultation,  it  was 
determined  to  recut  the  stone.  The  proper  machinery  was 
prepared,  and  set  up,  and  the  Duke  of  Wellington  was  re- 
quired to  begin  the  work. 

In  cutting  a  diamond,  the  stone  is  firmly  embedded  in  lead 
at  the  end  of  a  stick.  Only  the  portion  which  is  intended 
to  be  cut  is  exposed  at  one  time.  The  Kohinoor  was 
properly  fixed  in  its  leaden  surrounding,  and  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  duke.  He  held  it  firmly  against  a  swiftly 
revolving  wheel  covered  with  diamond  dust,  and  in  a  little 
while  the  first  facet  was  finished.  Then  the  stone  was  placed 
in  the  hands  of  the  workmen  who  were  to  continue  the  oper- 
ation ;  and  when  their  labors  were  completed,  the  Kohinoor 
was  found  blazing  brilliantly,  and  justified  its  title  as  the 
Mountain  of  Light. 

The  largest  and  most  valuable  diamond  in  the  world,  so  far 
as  known,  is  presumed  to  be  the  one  so  long  owned  by  the 
Sultan  of  Matan,  Borneo.  It  weighs  three  hundred  and  sixty- 
21 


386  ARTIFICIAL  DIAMONDS. 

nine  carats,  and  is  valued  at  five  million  dollars  —  a  very  good 
piece  of  property  to  have  ;  but  it  is  said  to  be  so  carefully  kept, 
that  no  ordinary  diamond  thief  can  obtain  it. 

Though  diamonds  cannot  be  made  artificially,  they  can  be 
imitated,  and  the  imitation  is  almost  perfect.  Several  French 
manufacturers  of  bogus  diamonds  have  obtained  high  reputa- 
tion for  their  skill.  Flint,  white  sand,  and  silver  are  the  sub- 
stances used ;  at  least  they  are  said  to  be  the  substances, 
though  there  is  doubtless  some  other  material  added  which  the 
manufacturers  do  not  mention.  These  fraudulent  diamonds, 
in  weight,  color,  and  brilliancy,  are  almost  identical  with  the 
genuine  ones,  and  some  of  them  have  even  deceived  the 
dealers.  They  will  stand  some,  but  not  all,  the  tests  applied  to 
diamonds.  They  reflect  the  light  perfectly,  but  are  apt  to 
grow  dim  in  a  few  weeks,  and  require  fresh  polishing.  The 
diamonds  sold  in  New  York  under  the  name  of  Alaska,  Aus- 
tralia, or  California  diamonds  are  mostly  of  French  manufac- 
ture, and  were  never  seen  in  the  locality  whose  name  is  ap- 
plied to  them. 

False  diamonds  have  become  so  common  among  certain 
classes  of  Americans  as  to  cause  the  real  diamond  to  be  used 
very  rarely  among  other  classes.  During  the  prosperity  of  the 
famous  Tammany  King,  false  diamonds  blazed  on  many  a  politi- 
cal shirt-front,  where  they  could  be  seen  and  admired  of  men. 

The  followers  of  the  Ring  politicians  were  generally 
equipped  with  false  diamonds ;  but  the  great  leaders,  like 
Tweed  and  his  companions,  decorated,  or  were  supposed  to 
decorate,  themselves  with  the  genuine  article. 

There  are  many  strange  stones  told  in  connection  with  dia- 
monds. We  have  already  seen  through  what  vicissitudes 
the  famous  diamonds  have  passed. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  French  prince,  who,  while  travelling, 
was  attacked  by  robbers.  He  had  intrusted  a  valuable  dia- 
mond to  a  faithful  servant.  The  servant  was  slain,  but  the 
master  escaped.  He  returned  subsequently  to  the  scene  of 
the  fight,  and  sought  for  the  diamond,  but  could  nowhere  find 
it.  At  last  he  bethought  himself  to  examine  the  body  of  his 


A  FORTUNATE  ACTOR.  387 

attendant,  when  he  found  that  the  latter  had  swallowed  the 
diamond  to  preserve  it. 

Some  years  ago  an  actor,  looking  through  an  old  clothes 
shop  in  London,  found  a  pair  of  slippers  decorated  with  glass 
beads,  and  suited  to  a  character  he  was  about  to  play.  He 
bought  them  for  a  trifle,  paying  two  or  three  shillings  for 
them.  He  wore  them  on  the  evening  of  his  performance,  and 
used  to  leave  them  lying  carelessly  about  the  theatre.  He 
had  them  a  year  or  more  before  discovering,  as  he  did,  by  ac- 
cident, that  the  supposed  beads  were  diamonds,  and  that  the 
shoes  which  had  cost  him  a  few  shillings  were  worth  thou- 
sands of  pounds.  He  sold  them  soon  after  making  the  dis- 
covery, and  retired  upon  the  fortune  so  easily  obtained.  He 
never  took  the  trouble  to  ascertain  their  previous  character 
or  history. 

About  twenty  years  ago,  in  a  gaming-house  in  New  York, 
a  gambler,  who  may  be  called  Smith,  put  up  a  ring  as  a  stake, 
against  an  outside  player  for  a  hundred  dollars.  The  player  — - 
I  call  him  Jones  for  sake  of  convenience,  —  won  the  ring  and 
went  away  with  it.  Smith  had  received  the  ring  a  short  time 
before  as  a  present,  and  was  told  at  the  time  that  it  was  false, 
or,  as  it  is  generally  called,  "  paste."  Jones  took  the  ring 
next  day  to  a  jeweller,  and  asked  what  it  was. 

The  jeweller  said,  "  It  is  paste  —  worth  about  two  dollars." 

"Have  you  a  genuine  stone  like  it?"  Jones  asked  of  the 
jeweller. 

"  Yes,"  was  the  reply,  "  I  have  one  exactly  resembling  it, 
worth  five  hundred  dollars." 

"  Will  you  take  out  the  paste  and  set  the  genuine  stone  in 
its  place,"  asked  Jones,  "  provided  I  leave  you  its  value  as  se- 
curity, and  pay  you  for  the  use  of  it  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  was  the  reply ;  and  the  bargain  was  quickly 
settled.  The  change  was  made,  and  Jones  walked  away  with 
the  ring. 

That  evening  he  was  in  the  same  gaming-house,  and  was 
chaffed  by  the  friends  of  Smith  on  obtaining  a  paste  ring 
against  a  stake  of  a  hundred  dollars.  Jones  insisted  that  the 


388  HOW  A  GAMBLER  WAS  CAUGHT. 

ring  was  genuine,  and  offered  to  back  his  opinion  with  a  bet 
of  a  hundred  dollars.  The  bet  was  taken,  and  it  was  agreed 
that  Jones,  Smith,  and  a  person  selected  by  the  two,  should  go 
together  to  the  prominent  jewellers  and  ascertain  the  value 
of  the  ring. 

Next  day  they  visited  the  stores,  and  jeweller  after  jeweller 
examined  the  stone,  and  pronounced  it  genuine,  and  worth 
four  or  five  hundred  dollars.  Most  of  them  were  ready  to  give 
four  hundred  dollars  for  it. 

The  bet  was  paid,  and  Jones  departed  to  drive  with  a  friend 
up  town ;  but  on  his  way  he  called  at  the  jeweller's,  exchanged 
the  genuine  stone  for  the  paste,  obtained  his  five  hundred 
dollars  he  had  left  on  deposit,  paid  for  the  use  of  the  diamond, 
and  slipped  away. 

That  evening  he  was  again  at  the  gambling-house,  and  rallied 
Smith  on  having  sold  himself.  Smith  acknowledged  that  he 
had  been  deceived,  but  he  never  supposed  the  ring  was  worth 
anything,  and  was  surprised  to  find  that  the  stone  was  genuine. 

"  Well,"  said  Jones,  "  I  don't  wish  to  take  any  mean  advan- 
tage of  your  stakes ;  you  staked  that  ring  for  a  hundred  dollars, 
and  the  jewellers  said  it  is  worth  four  or  five  hundred  dollars. 
For  a  hundred  dollars,  the  amount  of  your  stake,  you  can 
have  it  back  again. 

Smith  bit  at  the  offer,  paid  the  hundred  dollars,  and  received 
the  ring.  Jones  departed,  and  did  not  return.  Imagine  the 
disgust  of  Smith  when  he  subsequently  found  out  the  real 
state  of  affairs. 


XXYI. 

THE  DIAMOND  FIELDS  OF  SOUTH  AFRICA. 

MODE  OF  REACHING  THEM — THEIR  EXTENT  AND  RICHNESS — THE  YIELD  OP 
THE  MINES— CHARACTER  OF  THE  AFRICAN  DIAMONDS — MODE  OF  WORKING — 
\  THE  NEGROES  AND  THEIR  PECULIARITIES— DU  TOIT'S  PAN — KIMBERLET — 
COLE8BERG  KOPJE — LIFE  IN  THE  FIELDS — DUST  STORMS  AND  HEAVY 
RAINS — A  WHIRLWIND  AND  ITS  EFFECTS— CAUGHT  IN  A  STORM — INDIVID- 
UAL INSTANCES  OF  GOOD  LUCK — A  DIAMOND  ON  A  BURST. 

The  owners  of  diamonds,  and  those  who  buy  and  sell  the 
gems,  were  thrown  into  great  consternation,  a  few  years  ago, 
by  the  announcement  of  the  discovery  of  immense  diamond 
deposits  in  South  Africa.  As  usual,  when  rich  deposits  of 
precious  stones  or  precious  metals  are  known  to  have  been 
found,  there  was  a  great  rush  for  the  newly-opened  region. 
Many  persons  imagined  they  had  only  to  land  at  some  point 
on  the  coast  of  South  Africa,  and  the  first  touch  of  the  pick 
or  spade  would  bring  them  fortune  in  the  shape  of  Koh-i-noors 
by  the  thousands.  Many  of  them  found  their  mistake  long 
ago.  On  the  other  hand,  many  others  have  been  handsomely 
rewarded  for  their  enterprise  and  exertion.  The  diamond 
fields  of  South  Africa  have  created  some  large  fortunes,  and  a 
great  many  small  ones.  "  Lucky  finds"  have  been  numerous, 
and  the  diamonds  seem  to  be  pretty  well  distributed  in  the 
valleys  where  they  exist. 

The  regular  route  to  the  diamond  fields  is  by  way  of  Cape 
Town,  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Cape  Town  is  an  interesting  city 
of  about  thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  picturesquely  situated  on 
Table  Bay.  The  diamond  fields  are  about  seven  hundred 
miles  distant.  There  are  no  railways  in  that  region,  and  the 
most  rapid  conveyance  is  by  the  mail-coach,  which  makes  the 
journey  in  about  six  or  seven  days.  A  slower  and  cheaper 


392  DU  TOIT'S  PAN. 

conveyance  is  by  ox  or  horse  teams,  generally  the  former. 
The  route  is  not  a  picturesque  one.  Those  who  imagine 
beautiful  valleys,  wide-spreading  plains,  open  prairies  thickly 
covered  with  luxuriant  grass,  with  a  horizon  of  rugged  moun- 
tains, will  be  disappointed  with  the  reality.  The  plains  are 
generally  treeless  and  stony,  many  of  the  hills  are  barren,  and 
the  very  settlements  along  the  route  are  quite  too  dirty  and 
dilapidated  to  be  attractive.  Several  rivers  are  to  be  crossed, 
some  of  them  very  muddy,  and  some  of  them  abounding  with 
quicksand. 

On  some  of  the  plains,  the  oxen  suffer  for  want  of  grass 
and  water,  and  the  cruel  beatings  they  receive  from  the  hands 
of  their  Hottentot  drivers  are  exceedingly  disagreeable  to  sen- 
sitive travelers.  The  Hottentots  carry  a  whip  of  Rhinoceros 
hide,  known  by  the  name  of  "  shambok."  It  is  quite  analagous 
to  the  "  courbash "  of  the  Egyptians.  It  resembles  a  small, 
long,  flexible  cane,  and  is  capable  of  drawing  blood  at  every 
stroke  when  handled  by  an  artist.  From  twenty-five  to  forty 
days  are  consumed  in  the  journey  with  ox  wagons,  and  when 
the  traveler  reaches  his  destination,  he  feels  very  much  as 
though  he  had  been  run  through  a  cotton-picker. 

The  diamond  fields  are  first  reached  at  Du  Toit's  Pan,  and 
the  traveler  suddenly  finds  himself  in  the  midst  of  great 
activity.  The  ground  is  cut  and  seamed  in  all  directions, 
and  the  pits  whence  the  diamonds  are  taken,  are,  in  many 
instances,  two  hundred  feet  deep.  The  mode  of  working  in 
these  mines  is  somewhat  different  from  that  of  gold  mining. 
In  the  first  place,  the  white  miners  are  not  strictly  miners  at 
all,  as  they  universally  employ  the  natives  to  do  the  work,  and 
their  own  occupation  is  simply  that  of  overseer.  The  natives 
work  for  a  sum  equal  to  about  five  dollars  a  week  and  their 
board.  They  are  of  four  different  nations,  and  a  miner  thus 
describes  them: 

"The  handsomest  and  most  trustworthy  race  are  the  Zulu 
Caff  res  of  Natal  and  Caffraria.  The  next  are  the  Basutos. 
Third  are  the  thievish  and  drunken  Hottentots,  and  fourth,  the 
Koraunas,  small,  ugly,  and  contemptible  beings,  despised  by 


THE   NATIVE   MINERS.  893 

all  the  rest,  and  of  no  use  to  the  diggers,  owing  to  their  uncon- 
querable laziness.  I  always  admired  a  Zulu.  There  was  one 
living  near  our  tent,  a  model  for  a  sculptor.  He  would  some- 
times cross  my  path,  with  his  long  steady  strides,  his  blanket 
hanging  around  him  in  graceful  folds  like  the  toga  of  a  Roman 
senator.  One  hand  grasped  the  robe,  and  allowed  freedom  of 
motion,  while  the  other  would  be  crossed  on  his  breast.  In 
his  woolly  locks,  braided  and  arranged  neatly  on  his  head, 
would  appear  feathers  of  different  wild  birds,  while  underneath 
his  massive  brow  shone  a  pair  of  eyes — coal-black  eyes — with 
such  long  lashes  that  they  reminded  me  of  eyes  in  eastern 
pictures.  .A  man  with  such  orbs  as  his  could  speak  were  he 
deaf  and  dumb.  An  aquiline  nose,  with  inflated  nostrils, 
overshadowed  a  delicately  curved  mouth,  full  of  firmness  and 
pride.  Below  was  the  massive  chin  of  statesmen  and  con- 
querors. In  fact,  he  was  a  model  man  in  ebony." 

The  natives  will  only  work  a  short  time.  When  they  have 
accumulated  a  certain  amount  of  money,  they  purchase  arms 
and  ammunition  and  go  home.  They  are  good-tempered, 
obedient,  and  faithful,  and  do  not  spend  much  money  upon 
dress.  Sometimes  they  get  themselves  up  gorgeously,  and  a 
wardrobe  sufficient  for  an  ordinary  white  man  will  dress  at 
least  a  dozen  negroes.  One  will  deck  himself  with  a  coat, 
another  with  a  hat,  another  will  consider  himself  finely  arrayed 
in  a  paper  collar,  while  a  pair  of  trousers  will  be  sufficient  for 
two,  if  properly  divided.  An  odd  boot,  shoe,  or  stocking,  or 
an  old  shirt  that  reaches  perhaps  as  far  as  the  waist,  is  consid- 
ered the  proper  thing  for  polite  society  in  negro  land. 

The  discovery  of  diamonds  in  South  Africa  was  made  in 
the  year  1870.  A  traveler  through  those  regions  stopped  one 
night  at  a  farm-house,  and  found  the  children  playing  with 
some  pebbles.  One  of  the  pebbles  attracted  his  attention,  and 
he  bought  it  for  a  trifle.  He  subsequently  sold  it,  at  Cape 
Town,  for  three  thousand  dollars.  He  bought  another  from  a 
negro,  which  he  sold  for  fifty-six  thousand  dollars,  making  a 
very  fair  margin  of  profit  on  his  transaction.  When  the 
natives  found  these  stones  were  of  value,  they  began  to  search 


394  GARNET  AS   AN  INDICATOR. 

for  them,  and  a  great  many  were  brought  in.  Then  began 
the  rush  for  the  diamond  fields.  Great  numbers  of  people 
went  there  from  Cape  Town,  and  as  the  news  spread  to  Eng- 
land and  to  other  countries,  there  was  considerable  excitement 
concerning  the  South  African  fields.  The  place  where  the 
diamonds  were  found  is  in  an  extensive  district  of  country 
belonging  to  Dutch  farmers. 

The  surface  indication  of  a  diamond  mine  are  numerous 
garnets,  which  are  not  of  any  particular  value.  The  general 
rule  is  that  wherever  the  garnet  is  found,  one  is  pretty  certain 
to  find  diamonds.  At  first,  the  principal  diggings  were  at  a 
place  on  the  Yaal  river,  where  there  was  an  abundance  of 
water.  The  gravel  was  taken  to  the  river  and  washed,  and 
the  diamonds  were  separated  from  the  worthless  stones.  Only 
the  earth  was  allowed  to  float  away,  as  it  was  possible  that 
some  large  and  valuable  gems  might  be  carried  off  with  the 
smaller  stones.  When  the  stones  had  been  separated  from 
the  earth,  they  were  carefully  sorted,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
miners  became  very  expert  at  recognizing  the  gems. 

The  diamond  fields  of  South  Africa,  covering  an  area  of 
perhaps  one  thousand  square  miles,  are  between  longitude  24° 
and  28°  east,  and  latitude  27°  and  30°  south.  It  is  estimated 
that,  down  to  the  end  of  1876,  eighty-five  million  dollars 
worth  of  diamonds  had  been  taken  out,  and  this  estimate  does 
not  include  thousands  of  stones  that  were  carried  directly  to 
England  by  their  owners,  and  did  not  pass  through  the  market 
at  Cape  Town.  Diamond  owners  would  have  been  ruined 
completely  by  the  African  discoveries,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
fact  that  the  great  majority  of  the  diamonds  found  there  are 
of  poor  quality.  Professor  Lenant,  who  has  given  considera- 
ble attention  to  the  matter,  says  that  of  the  Cape  diamonds, 
about  ten  per  cent,  may  be  classified  as  first  quality,  fifteen 
per  cent,  of  the  second,  and  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  third. 
The  remainder,  under  the  name  of  "bort,"  is  employed  in 
cutting  diamonds  and  for  various  other  purposes,  by  the  lapi- 
dary, by  the  engineer  in  rock  drills,  for  cutting  glass,  and 
similar  purposes. 


DIFFICULTIES   OF  MINING.  395 

Unfortunately  for  the  miners  at  the  Cape,  there  is  a  very 
short  supply  of  water.  If  they  could  have  adopted  the  system 
of  hydraulic  mining  to  their  work,  they  would  have  saved 
enormous  labor  and  expense.  At  many  of  the  fields  which 
are  distant  from  the  rivers,  the  gravel  is  removed  by  means  of 
buckets,  drawn  up  by  long  ropes,  and  it  very  often  happens 
that  a  single  heavy  rain  of  a  few  hours,  will  destroy  the  entire 
labor  of  months,  the  pit  becomes  filled  with  water,  and  there 
will  be  no  way  of  extracting  it  except  by  evaporation,  or  by 
the  laborious  process  of  hoisting  or  pumping.  One  of  the 
fields,  known  as  Colesberg  Kopje,  fell  off,  in  one  year,  more 
than  fifty  per  cent,  from  the  yield  of  previous  years,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  heavy  caving  and  floodings  caused  by  the  rains. 
The  value  of  claims  in  that  region  has  gradually  fallen,  and 
so  desperate  is  the  condition  that,  at  last  accounts,  money  was 
loaned  upon  mining  licenses  at  the  rate  of  ten  per  cent,  a 
month,  with  a  foreclosure  at  the  end  of  the  first  month  if  the 
interest  was  not  paid. 

At  the  diamond  camp,  the  small  stones  form  the  basis  of 
value.  They  might  be  used  for  currency  except  for  one  fact. 
Gold  dust,  in  California,  was  used  for  currency,  for  a  long 
time.  Its  value,  of  course,  is  directly  proportioned  to  its 
weight,  a  pound  nugget  being  worth  exactly  twelve  times  as 
much  as  an  ounce  nugget  of  the  same  fineness,  but  the  value 
of  diamonds  increases  with  enormous  rapidity  as  they  grow 
heavier,  so  they  cannot  be  put  in  bunch  or  weighed  out  the 
same  as  gold.  Transactions  frequently  take  place  in  dia- 
monds, and  the  amount  of  exchange  is  often  very  difficult  to 
compute. 

The  last  region  of  which  we  have  any  account  is  known  as 
Kimberley,  and  a  city  of  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  with 
banks,  hotels,  churches,  and  theaters,  has  grown  up  there. 
In  its  general  features,  it  is  not  unlike  a  frontier  city  in  Cali- 
fornia or  Colorado,  except  that  its  streets  are  filled  with  carts 
carrying  earth  away  from  the  diggings,  and  with  great  numbers 
of  negroes  who  come  to  work  in  the  mines.  The  diamonds 
are  found  in  a  conglomerate  which  is  dug  up  from  the  bottom 


396  HOW  AN   ENGLISHMAN  LOST  A  DIAMOND. 

of  what  lias  once  been  a  deep  canon.  At  Kimberley,  the 
canon  is  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  one  thousand  feet  across. 
When  one  descends  into  this  place,  it  is  almost  impossible  to 
hear  the  human  voice,  on  account  of  the  noise  made  by  the 
wheels  and  buckets,  and  the  picks,  shovels,  and  other  tools  of 
the  miners.  In  the  early  times  of  the  mining  excitement  at 
the  Cape,  the  negroes  were  reasonably  honest,  but  association 
with  the  white  man  has  made  them  otherwise.  When  they 
can  steal  the  diamonds  they  do  so.  They  will  secrete  them  in 
their  ears,  their  mouths,  or  their  noses,  and  a  negro  has  been 
known  to  work  an  entire  day  with  two  or  three  diamonds  con- 
cealed between  his  toes. 

An  interesting  story  is  told  of  how  an  Englishman  lost,  one 
day,  a  valuable  diamond,  through  his  impetuosity.  He  had 
found  a  very  large  and  fine  stone  at  the  bottom  of  his  pit,  and 
was  coming  up  the  ladder,  carrying  the  diamond  in  his  mouth. 
A  negro  happened  to  shake  the  top  of  the  ladder,  whereupon 
the  Englishman  proceeded  to  swear  at  him,  as  an  Englishman 
might  be  expected  to  do.  The  result  was,  the  diamond  fell 
from  his  mouth  down  into  the  pit  or  into  a  neighboring  one, 
and  its  whereabouts  was  never  discovered  by  the  unlucky 
finder.  We  have  heard  of  mouths  that  speak  pearls,  but  it  is 
rarely  the  case  that  one  hears  of  a  mouth  swearing  diamonds. 

In  the  early  days  at  the  diamond  mines,  there  was  a  good 
deal  of  rioting  and  trouble.  There  was  not  much  observance 
of  law,  mainly  for  the  reason  that  there  was  no  law.  But  at 
present,  every  thing  is  orderly  and  peaceable.  The  diamond 
fields  are  partly  in  regions  controlled  by  the  British  govern- 
ment, and  partly  in  the  Republic  of  the  Orange  Free  States. 
The  latter  country  became  known  to  many  Americans  through 
the  Centennial  Exhibition  at  Philadelphia,  in  1876.  It  had  a 
small  display,  but  a  very  attractive  one.  First  and  foremost, 
of  course,  were  the  diamonds  in  the  rough,  which  included 
many  specimens  of  stones,  varying  in  color  and  size.  Then 
came  a  quantity  of  the  soil  in  which  the  gems  are  found,  and 
then  the  pebbles  which  accompany  the  diamonds.  Copper, 
iron,  and  other  ores  were  exhibited ;  many  excellent  specimens 


SCENE  AT  AN  AUCTION  397 

of  leather  were  displayed;  there  was  a  collection  of  stuffed 
birds ;  there  were  tusks  of  ivory,  skins  of  various  wild  beasts, 
specimens  of  wool,  and  a  model  of  the  carts  used  to  convey  it 
to  the  coast.  The  great  business  of  the  country  is  in  grazing, 
and  the  sheep  and  cattle  in  its  limits  may  be  counted  by  mil- 
lions. Its  population  is  estimated  at  about  one  hundred  thou- 
sand, of  which  three-fourths  are  whites.  Of  late  years,  the 
farmers  have  found  an  excellent  market  for  many  articles  of 
produce,  by  taking  them  to  the  diamond  mines. 

The  scene  at  the  sale  of  edibles  is  a  curious  one.  As  the 
fields  became  thickly  populated,  there  was  a  great  demand  for 
fruits  and  vegetables,  and  the  farmers  sent  in  everything  they 
could  spare.  At  one  time,  oranges  sold  for  twenty-five  cents 
each,  potatoes  for  seven  cents  a  pound,  and  eggs  one  dollar 
and  twenty-five  cents  a  dozen.  Nearly  everything  was  sold  at 
auction,  the  farmers  arranging  the  things  in  lots  to  suit  pur- 
chasers, and  then  submitting  them  to  the  care  of  the  market 
master.  The  scene  at  an  auction  is  thus  described : 

"At  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  market  master 
mounts  a  stool,  and  business  commences.  An  eager  crowd 
surrounds  him,  of  all  colors  and  nations,  yelling,  talking, 
laughing,  and  making  themselves  merry,  when  suddenly  a 
dead  silence  falls  on  the  reckless  assemblage,  as  a  pail  of  eggs 
are  held  up  to  their  gaze.  '  Now,  how  much  for  the  eggs,  at 
per  dozen? — one  shilling  bid?'  A  dozen  heads  bob  in  the 
affirmative.  Two  shillings ;  three.  The  price  rises,  until  the 
man  with  the  long  purse  becomes  their  owner.  Up  goes  a 
pumpkin.  A  rush  by  the  crowd.  Every  eye  seeks  that  of  the 
auctioneer.  Every  man  wants  to  bid;  but  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye  it's  gone.  '  For  how  much  ? '  an  outsider  asks  of 
another.  *  Cheap  at  three  "bob"'  (shillings),  he  answers. 
Up  goes  another  pumpkin,  and  another,  until  very  likely  a 
whole  wagon-load  is  disposed  of,  at  prices  which  make  the  old 
boer's  face  wrinkle  with  smiles.  Next  there  is  a  scramble  to 
get  exactly  over  a  heap  of  fine  potatoes  which  are  to  be  sold. 
Two  or  three  weaker  ones  get  upset  in  the  rush,  while  a  dense 
circle  of  giant  and  muscular  diggers  surrounds  the  center  of 


398  STRUGGLING  WITH    NATURE. 

attraction.  Of  course  the  unlucky  outsiders  have  no  chance 
of  catching  the  market-master's  eye,  and,  in  self-defense,  form 
an  opposition  circle  around  the  next  pile,  each  one  mentally 
calculating  the  amount  of  '  tin '  he  is  prepared  to  stake  on  the 
produce  before  him.  This  exciting  work  goes  on  until  nine 
o'clock,  when  the  crowd  of  diggers,  having  purchased  every- 
thing eatable,  leave  for  their  claims,  while  the  lucky  owners 
of  the  wagons  crowd  into  the  little  market-office,  eager  to 
receive  the  price  of  their  loads,  and  to  'trek'  away  from  the 
city  of  tents." 

The  diamond  fields  are  subject  to  heavy  rains,  and  also  to 
very  sudden  and  furious  winds.  The  amount  of  dust  and  flies 
in  circulation,  is  quite  uncalculable.  One  visitor  says  that  the 
flies,  troublesome  as  they  are,  are  much  more  agreeable  than 
the  dust.  "Although  persecuting  one  most  incessantly  by 
day,  night  puts  a  stop  to  their  torments,  while  no  sooner  does 
a  puff  of  air  come  from  yonder  plain,  than  you  inhale  a  volume 
of  dust — not  the  earthy,  loamy  dust  of  agricultural  land,  but 
the  whitish-gray  lung  powder  which  has  been  refined  by  the 
action  of  shovel  and  sieve,  until  it  is  as  light  as  air.  It  im- 
pregnates your  food,  your  hair  is  like  a  door  mat,  and  your 
eyes  have  a  chronic  soreness,  as  though  a  thousand  delicate 
needles  were  pricking  into  the  eyeballs,  while  your  body  is 
chafed  and  sore  from  the  friction  of  dusty  clothes.  All  this 
is  unpleasant;  but  we  will  suppose  that  the  gentle  wind  lias 
increased  to  a  howling  tempest,  that  storm  clouds  fill  the  sky, 
and  tents  shake  to  the  breeze ;  then,  and  then  only,  do  the 
diggers  reach  the  climax  of  misery.  From  hundreds  of  sieves, 
and  hundreds  of  conical  dust  heaps,  the  wind  gathers  its  load, 
and,  like  some  malicious  fiend,  sweeps  through  the  camp, 
turning  the  light  of  day  into  a  hideous  yellow  twilight, 
circling  around  unprotected  tents,  and  through  all  the  seams 
and  cracks,  filling  them  full  of  floating  dust.  The  diggers 
sneeze,  cough,  weep,  and  for  relief  rush  into  the  open  air,  or 
more  properly,  into  an  air  of  lime,  where,  utterly  choked  and 
blinded,  they  fall  on  their  faces,  there  to  gasp  for  breath,  like 
a  dying  turtle,  and  curse  the  day  they  saw  the  fields. 


STRUGGLING  WITH   NATURE.  399 

"This  sometimes  continues  for  hours:  business  is  sus- 
pended; people  desert  their  claims,  and  shut  themselves  up 
in  their  dwellings ;  the  streets  are  abandoned  to  the  dogs,  and 
no  one  has  rest  until  the  wind  falls,  or  a  blessed  shower  turns 
dust  to  mud.  Whirlwinds  of  any  size  or  power  are  always 
considered  unpleasant  visitors,  and  in  Du  Toit's  Pan  they  still 
keep  up  their  reputation.  They  do  not  actually  tear  things 
upside  down,  and  ruin  whole  tracts  of  country,  as  our  Western 
tornadoes  do,  but  they  have  an  elevating  influence,  which 
tents,  unfortunately,  find  it  hard  to  resist,  and  try  their  hand 
at  some  mischievous  trick,  which  involuntarily  makes  the 
sufferer  shake  his  fist  at  the  receding  column,  as  if  it  was 
some  naughty  boy  with  a  smart  pair  of  legs.  Now,  a  broad- 
brimmed  hat  leaves  its  owner's  head  with  a  rush,  and  when 
he  clears  his  sight,  and  spies  it  majestically  revolving  two  or 
three  hundred  feet  above  him,  and  evidently  having  a  through 
ticket  for  the  distant  plain,  his  heart  sinks  within  him,  and  he 
mournfully  descends  his  heap  to  purchase  another,  or  lets  his 
'angry  passions  rise,'  and  flails  his  Caffre  for  'hooraying'  at 
the  exciting  spectacle.  Again,  a  digger  is  industriously  sort- 
ing on  a  light  table.  He  has  nearly  finished  his  work,  when, 
on  looking  up,  he  sees  that  which  makes  him  shut  his  eyes, 
hermetically  seal  his  lips,  and  bob  his  head ,  under  the  table. 
It  is  an  unlucky  position,  for  the  whirlwind  upsets  the  table 
on  his  head.  It  skins  his  face,  and  then  dives  down  the 
adjoining  hole,  on  top  of  some  affrighted  black,  while  the 
column  of  wind  and  sand  rushes  on,  increasing  in  size  and 
power  until  it  appears  on  the  edge  of  the  camp,  to  the  dismay 
of  all  ladies  on  the  streets,  all  cooks  in  their  canvas  or  open- 
air  kitchens,  and  all  owners  of  crazy  or  dilapidated  tents.  A 
minute  or  two  more,  it  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  damage  is 
done.  The  column  is  far  out  on  the  dreary  plain,  and  people 
resume  their  occupations. 

"  One  spring  day,  a  tent-maker  who  lived  by  us,  had  placed 
a  large  and  light  frame  tent  upon  the  edge  of  the  road,  without 
fastening  it  in  any  way  to  the  ground.  He  was  warned  not 
to  leave  it  so  exposed,  but  it  being  a  calm  day,  the  advice 


400  STRUGGLING  WITH  NATURE. 

was  neglected.  About  an  hour  after,  he  was  inside,  husy 
decorating  its  walls  with  red  tape,  when  a  sudden  and  violent 
whirlwind  swept  off  the  claims  in  all  its  dusty  majesty,  and 
careering  down  the  road,  encountered  the  unfortunate  tent. 
A  moment  more,  it  rose  in  the  air  like  a  balloon,  the  astounded 
tent-maker  vainly  hanging  to  its  ribs,  until,  seeing  it  was  bound 
to  go  up,  he  dropped  out,  like  an  apple  from  a  tree.  Up  it 
went,  whirling  with  frightful  velocity,  and  pursuing  the  course 
of  the  road,  until  it  knocked  fiercely  against  the  gable  of  a 
neighboring  canteen.  In  went  the  roof,  while  out  came  the 
inmates,  amidst  the  smash  of  bottles  and  the  running  of 
brandy.  On  and  on,  and  round  and  round,  went  the  tent, 
until,  espying  a  jaunty  little  canvas  house  which  defied  wind 
and  rain,  in  a  fit  of  jealousy  it  went  into  it,  and,  with  a  grand 
smash,  both  lay  in  ribbons  on  the  ground,  while  the  disgusted 
tent-maker  settled  a  bill  for  two  ruined  houses,  instead  of 
being  paid  for  erecting  one. 

"  During  the  summer  months,  rain-storms,  with  heavy  thun- 
der and  lightning,  are  frequent.  They  generally  approach 
with  a  violent  breeze,  sharp  lightning,  and  loud  thunder.  The 
clouds  are  all  in  motion,  crossing  and  meeting  each  other, 
while  along  the  face  of  the  nimbus,  or  storm-cloud,  is  a  heavy 
gray  pall  of  vapor.  This  is  much  lower  than  the  rain-cloud, 
and  when  close  to  the  earth,  portends  a  fearful  storm.  The 
gathering  blackness,  increased  by  clouds  of  dust,  the  zig-zag 
lightning,  the  hoarse,  reverberating  sound  of  the  thunder,  and 
the  moaning  wind,  all  strike  the  spectator  with  awe.  He 
gazes  around  him  out  on  the  distant  plain,  where  all  is  dreary 
and  somber;  at  the  immense  gray  mounds  of  the  claims, 
deserted,  and  ,  looking  ghostly  and  unearthly  against  their 
pitchy  background — and  the  storm  is  upon  us.  Some  ominous 
rain-drops  strike  the  tent,  a  flash  of  lightning  blinds,  a  peal  of 
thunder  stuns,  and  the  gates  of  heaven  open.  The  war  of  the 
tempest  drowns  all  other  sound,  the  tent  shakes  and  trembles 
beneath  the  blast,  while  rivers  of  water  course  down  the  street, 
cutting  great  gullies  in  the  road,  and  quickly  undermining 
any  protective  earth-work  the  digger  has  placed  around  him. 


THE  LUCKY  ONES.  401 

Soon  the  canvas  begins  to  leak,  and  the  inmates  of  the  tent 
stand  in  dripping  silence,  listening  to  the  war  of  the  elements. 
One  night,  our  Caffres  were  drowned  out  by  one  of  these  heavy 
storms.  They  generally  slept  in  a  large,  circular  fire-place  of 
three  feet  deep,  just  sufficient  to  keep  the  cold  from  them,  and 
thus  were  snugly  ensconced  when  it  began  to  rain.  Above 
the  fire-place  was  a  hollow  which  drained  into  it.  As  this 
drainage  was  very  unpleasant,  and  often,  in  heavy  rains, 
flooded  out  the  fire,  we  built  a  dam  against  it  as  a  protection. 
On  the  night  in  question,  it  rained  so  fast  the  hollow  was  soon 
a  sheet  of  water,  which  pressed  with  such  force  against  the 
dam  that  it  gave  way.  In  an  instant,  the  fire-place  was  full 
to  overflowing,  and  the  Caffres,  thus  rudely  awakened,  gave 
one  mighty  yell  as  the  waters  covered  them.  Aroused  by  the 
noise,  I  peeped  forth  as  they  were  struggling  out,  their  black 
heads  showing  around  the  edge  of  the  fire-place  like  those  of 
so  many  hippopotami.  After  getting  out,  and  giving  some 
hearty  shakes,  they  commenced  fishing  up  their  bed-clothes 
from  the  treacherous  flood.  Long  before  sunrise,  next  morn- 
ing, they  were  at  the  tent  door,  calling  loudly  for  *  soupies,'  or 
what  we  denominate  '  eye-openers,'  and  certainly  their  condi- 
tion, after  what  they  had  gone  through,  demanded  relief." 

Some  of  the  stories  told  about  the  diamond  finds  are  decid- 
edly attractive.  Some  of  the  earlier  miners  made  large 
fortunes  in  a  short  time.  They  had  nothing  to  pay  for  their 
ground,  and  found  from  one  to  twenty  diamonds  every  day. 
When  the  price  of  claims  went  up,  they  sold  out,  anywhere 
from  two  to  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  went  home.  One  man 
made  fifty  thousand  dollars  in  a  month,  divided  his  claim  into 
six  parts,  sold  each  part  for  one  thousand  five  hundred  dollars, 
and  went  away  satisfied.  A  ship  was  wrecked  on  the  coast. 
The  captain,  of  course,  was  a  very  unfortunate  man.  Not 
knowing  what  to  do,  he  went  to  the  diamond  fields,  where  he 
stayed  three  months,  and  went  away  with  seventy-five  thousand 
dollars.  A  Dutch  Boer  found,  in  one  day,  thirty-one  diamonds, 
which  weighed  respectively  thirty-three  carats,  eighteen,  fif- 
teen, nine,  seven  and  a  half,  and  other  smaller  ones.  He 


402          A  CURIOUS  FACT  ABOUT  DIAMONDS. 

went  away  from  the  fields,  and  on  returning,  after  an  absence 
of  a  month,  his  black  servants,  whom  he  had  left  in  charge, 
turned  over  to  him  more  than  three  hundred  diamonds.  One 
man  found  a  stone,  at  the  end  of  four  days'  work,  which 
brought  him,  in  clean  cash,  eighty  thousand  dollars. 

A  curious  fact  about  the  diamond  is  that  it  sometimes 
bursts.  The  experts  at  the  Cape  can  generally  determine,  by 
examining  a  stone,  whether  it  will  burst  or  not.  When  first 
taken  out,  a  small  speck  is  seen  in  it.  If  it  is  put  aside  in  a 
dry  place,  it  is  in  fragments  by  the  next  morning.  The  miners 
keep  such  a  stone  in  water  or  oil,  generally,  until  they  find 
somebody  green  enough  to  buy  it.  The  bursting  is  caused  by 
disappearance  of  moisture  in  the  stone,  and,  of  course,  it  is 
retained  there  as  long  as  the  stone  is  kept  moist. 


XXVII. 

THE  UNDER-WORLD  OF  PARIS. 

THE  IMMORALITY  AND  LICENTIOUSNESS  OF  THE  CAPITAL.  —  COMPARISON  WITH 
OTHER  CITIES.  —  FRENCH  ETHICS  AND  LITERATURE. — DIFFERENT  GRADES 
OF  THE  DEMI-MONDE.  —  THE  TRUE  STORY  OF  CAMILLE.  —  THE  GARDENS  ON  THE 
SEINE.  — THE  DANCES  AND  THE  DANCERS.  —  THE  PETITS  SOUPERS  OF  THE  CO- 
COTTES.  —  AFTER- MIDNIGHT  SCENES.  —  ACTRESSES  AND  CHAMPAGNE.  —  AD- 
VENTURESSES AND  CHATEAU  MARGAUX.  —  INTERIOR  OF  A  THIEF'S  DEN  AND 

MURDERER'S   CELLAR.  —  BLOODTHIRSTY    VIRAGOES    AND    DESPERATE    CUT- 
THROATS. 

THE  demi-monde  is  aptly  named;  for,  while  it  is  so 
eminently  worldly,  the  world  rejects  it,  and  in  most  instances 
assumes  to  be  unconscious  of  its  existence.  In  the  French 
capital  it  is  accepted  as  a  fact,  and  it  can  hardly  be  any  more 
dangerous  there  on  that  account,  than  it  is  in  cities  where  it 
is  ignored.  The  French  have  gained  the  reputation,  but 
without  any  good  reason,  of  being  much  more  immoral  than 
other  nations.  We  Americans  are  constantly  asserting  this, 
and  our  iteration  has  had  the  effect,  no  doubt,  of  inducing  us 
to  believe  that  we  are  a  great  deal  better  than  they.  Our  as- 
sumptions are  unquestionably  loftier,  and  we  are  more  anx- 
ious to  hide  our  defects ;  but  that  we  have  fewer  vices, 
setting  aside  our  pretences,  and  stripping  off  our  shams,  must 
not  be  too  hastily  admitted.  It  is  to  the  disadvantage  of  the 
modern  Gauls  that  on  many  subjects  they  are  inclined  to  say 
what  they  think,  while  we  are  disposed  to  think  what  we  do 
not  say.  They,  too,  take  human  nature  as  they  find  it,  as  it  has 
been  from  the  first ;  having  no  expectation  of  changing  it  by 
shutting  it  up  on  one  side,  and  giving  it  free  vent  on  the 
other. 

French  authors  are  not  at  all  squeamish  or  puritanical,  and 
22 


40-i  THE  WORST   CITY  IN  THE  WORLD. 

are  addicted  to  the  treatment  of  themes  which  we  discuss 
only  in  private.  The  cities  of  France,  notably  Paris,  do  not 
robe  themselves  in  external  sanctity,  careless  of  the  inner 
quality  of  their  ethical  raiment,  and,  on  account  of  their  open- 
ness of  speech  and  deportment,  they  are  gravely  misjudged. 

Paris  is  bad  enough,  Heaven  knows  j  but  that  it  is  the  wick- 
edest city  on  the  globe,  as  is  frequently  asserted,  must  be 
taken  with  large  grains  of  allowance.  The  wickedest  of  cities 
are  numerous.  Not  only  has  Paris  that  reputation,  but 
Vienna,  Naples,  St.  Petersburg,  Berlin,  London,  New  Yorkf 
have  it  also.  Even  Boston,  the  centre  of  the  land  of  steady 
habits  and  high  moral  ideas,  is  pronounced  by  many  persons, 
who  know  it  intimately,  as  unequalled  for  private  profligacy. 
Stockholm,  in  the  far  and  frozen  north,  where  the  temperature 
might  be  fancied  to  freeze  the  evil  passions  before  they  could 
have  full  play,  has  often  been  declared  more  immoral  than 
Paris,  Naples,  Vienna,  or  London.  In  proportion  to  the  pop- 
ulation, there  are  more  illegitimate  children  born  in  Stock- 
holm, it  is  said,  than  in  any  other  capital  of  Europe ;  and  as 
marriage  is  held  to  be  the  best  and  purest  condition  of  men 
and  women,  this  extraordinary  extent  of  illegitimacy  must  be 
interpreted  to  the  Swedish  city's  discredit. 

It  is  all  folly  to  arraign  any  particular  community  as  worse 
than  another.  Communities  are  like  the  individuals  who 
make  them  up.  This  has  certain  defects  which  that  has  not. 
Circumstances  and  conditions  produce  different  results  in 
different  places  ;  but,  on  the  whole,  mankind,  when  thoroughly 
understood,  will  be  found  very  similar  in  most  of  the  centres 
of  civilization. 

As  Paris  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  capital  of  gayety  and 
pleasure,  and  as  morals  are  left  there  to  take  their  natural 
course  rather  than  to  be  hampered  without  benefit,  Paris  is  the 
best  place  to  observe  human  nature  in  its  disapproved  rela- 
tions. The  demi-monde  is  opposed  to  the  grand-monde,  and 
ought  to  represent,  therefore,  not  only  women  of  a  peculiar 
class,  but  the  members  of  both  sexes  whom  society,  as  the 
expression  of  conventionality,  refuses  to  acknowledge.  The 


CHARACTER  OP  THE  UNDER-WORLD.          407 

demi-monde,  in  this  sense,  means  the  under-world,  nowhere  so 
interesting  a  study  as  on  the  Seine. 

Outwardly,  the  French  capital  is  most  decorous.  Vice 
shows  like  virtue  because  it  is  relieved  of  grossness ;  even 
more,  is  softened  and  rounded  with  grace.  You  do  not  see 
there,  as  in  London  or  New  York,  repulsive  and  revolting 
scenes.  You  do  not  encounter  drunken  and  disgusting  men : 
you  do  not  hear  women,  who  have  unsexed  themselves,  in- 
dulging in  ribaldry  and  profanity  in  the  public  thoroughfares, 
or  anywhere  else  in  fact.  Everybody  and  everything  appears 
so  proper  that  inexperienced  and  innocent  souls  have  ex- 
pressed their  astonishment  at  the  ill  fame  the  city  has 
acquired,  and  have  concluded  that  its  bad  name  is  undeserved. 
Promenading  on  the  Boulevards  or  riding  on  the  Champs 
Elysees,  they  are  unable  to  distinguish  the  Faubourg  St. 
Germain  from  the  Quartier  Latin  —  the  upper-world  from  the 
under-world. 

It  is  estimated  that  more  than  fifty  thousand  of  the  women 
of  Paris  live  in  a  state  of  concubinage,  which,  in  a  population 
of  two  millions,  is  something  enormous.  The  proportion  is 
startling,  but  more  from  the  facility  attained  there  for  pro- 
curing statistics  than  from  the  fact  itself.  Actualities, 
whether  painful  or  not,  are  known  and  recorded  in  that  cap- 
ital, instead  of  being  unsuspected,  as  they  are  likely  to  be 
elsewhere.  This  vast  number  of  unchaste  women  are  by  no 
means  professional  courtesans, —  probably  five  thousand  would 
include  all  of  these,  —  but  embrace  half  a  dozen -grades  of 
illicit  relations. 

The  causes  that  contribute  to  prostitution  in  France  are, 
first,  the  unwillingness  of  men  of  education  and  position  to 
marry  girls  who  are  poor,  and  can  therefore  have  no  marriage 
portion.  Wedlock  among  the  Parisians  is  far  less  sentimen- 
tal and  romantic  than  it  is  with  us.  It  a  species  of  one-sided 
covenant  and  partnership,  in  which  the  wife  is  expected  to 
be  loyal,  and  the  husband  to  do  as  he  pleases.  He  cares  less 
for  sympathy  and  affinity  than  he  would  if  he  did  not  expect 
to  seek  them  outside  of  the  domestic  circle.  He  marries 


408  CAUSE  OF  PARISIAN  WICKEDNESS. 

generally  for  practical  reasons ;  because  it  will  benefit  him 
socially,  or  be  of  substantial  advantage.  In  consequence  of 
this,  young  women  in  humble  circumstances  are  little  likely 
to  be  wedded.  They  have  hearts  if  they  have  not  incomes, 
and  when  their  affections  are  enlisted,  they  listen  to  the  voice 
of  Nature  without  waiting  for  the  sanction  of  the  priest.  It  is 
not  the  custom,  either,  in  France  for  men  or  women  to  wed  out 
of  their  station,  though  love  or  passion  does  not  respect  social 
lines  or  distinctions  in  that  country  more  than  in  any  other. 
Hence  it  may  be  seen  that  unwedded  wives  must  be  numer- 
ous in  Paris. 

Another  cause  is  the  draft  that  the  army  makes  upon  the 
young  men  of  the  country.  Compelled  to  enter  the  military 
service  before  they  are  married,  their  habits  are  such,  after 
they  have  remained  in  the  army  the  allotted  time,  as  do  not 
conduce  to  matrimony.  The  whole  land  is  drained  for  the 
sake  of  steel-and-gunpowder  parade.  Thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands  of  people  who  have  no  interest  whatever  in,  and 
are  only  made  the  worse  for,  war,  are  compelled  to  furnish  its 
sinews  at  a  ruinous  cost  to  themselves. 

Still  another  cause  is  the  number  of  illegitimate  children, 
who,  regarded  as  the  children  of  the  state,  are  reared  and 
educated  by  the  state,  and  at  a  certain  age  are  left  to  provide 
for  themselves.  Many  of  the  young  men  seek  military 
service,  while  the  young  women,  for  the  most  part,  become 
what  their  mothers  have  been  before  them.  Their  tastes  and 
their  ideas  are  superior  to  their  rank.  They  are  unwilling  to 
look  for  husbands  in  a  lower  grade,  and  cannot  secure  them 
in  a  higher.  Gallants  and  lovers,  however,  are  abundant  and 
persevering,  and  under  the  circumstances  seldom  woo  in  vain. 
France,  moreover,  tolerates,  if  it  does  not  encourage,  relations 
that  other  countries  raise  their  hands  in  holy  horror  at.  It 
does  not  act  on  the  conviction  that  the  absence  of  one  virtue 
expels  all  the  other  virtues  ;  it  refuses  to  brand  and  ostracize 
a  woman  because  she  has  merely  been  unfortunate,  or  to 
make  her  responsible  for  the  wrong  she  has  sustained  at  the 
hands  of  man.  France,  it  must  be  admitted,  is  juster  to 


THE   DIFFERENT   GRADES.  409 

women  than  other  nations  are,  for  it  gives  them  an  opportunity 
to  be  independent  and  advance  themselves,  even  though  they 
have  committed  what  we  might  regard  as  the  unpardonable  sin. 

The  first  circle  of  the  demi-monde  in  Paris  and  other 
French  cities,  though  it  is  not  so  called,  includes  the  educated 
and  rather  refined  women  I  have  mentioned,  who  from  pover- 
ty, dependence,  or  want  of  fixed  position,  cannot  marry  in 
the  rank  to  which  they  properly  belong.  Their  antecedents 
shape  their  destiny,  and  they  hardly  regard  the  relation  they 
have  been  accustomed  to  consider  inevitable  as  they  would 
regard  it  had  they  been  differently  trained,  and  had  the  ethics 
of  the  nation  been  less  liberal. 

The  second  circle  is  represented  largely  by  the  grisettes. 
Many  of  them  marry,  and  live  domestically  all  their  lives ; 
but  many  others  have  a  gay  and  coquettish  disposition,  prefer 
lovers  to  husbands,  excitement  to  routine,  display  to  conven- 
tionality, and  the  exhilarations  of  to-day  to  the  serenities  of 
to-morrow.  These  are  truly  of  the  half  world,  for  they  are 
half  married,  and  yet  wholly  independent.  They  live  with  their 
masculine  friends  ;  take  care  of  their  apartments  ;  are  their 
companions  at  concerts,  balls,  and  theatres,  in  the  evening ; 
and  yet  they  have  their  regular  daily  duties  at  the  shops 
where  they  are  employed.  They  are  not  isolated  ;  they  have 
society  of  their  own ;  are  contented,  cheerful,  and  often  en- 
joy themselves  better  than  the  women  who  have  been 
honored  by  wedlock. 

The  most  showy  and  best  defined  type  of  the  demi-monde 
is  the  adventuress,  who  is  the  popular  representative  of  the 
entire  class.  The  French  playwrights  have  delineated  her  fully, 
and  made  her  familiar  to  everybody.  "  Camille,"  and  "  The 
Marble  Heart,"  have  heroines  of  this  sort.  The  former  drama 
treats  her  sentimentally,  and  the  latter  cynically.  She  is  not 
so  generous  and  self-sacrificing  as  Camille,  nor  so  selfish  and 
sordid  as  Marco.  After  Alexandre  Dumas  wrote  "  Camille," 
and  achieved  such  astonishing  success,  another  Parisian  lit- 
terateur composed  "The  Marble  Heart"  as  an  offset  to  it, 
declaring  Marco  to  be  the  real,  instead  of  the  ideal  lorette. 


410  TRUE   STORY  OP   CAMILLE. 

The  story  of  "  Camille,"  or  "  La  Dame  aux  Camelias,"  as  it 
is  termed  in  the  original,  is  founded  very  largely  on  fact. 
The  central  figure  of  Dumas'  pathetic  drama  had  genuine  ex- 
istence. Her  name  was  Marie  Duplessis.  She  was  as  lovely 
in  person  and  as  elegant  in  manner  as  she  is  portrayed  on  the 
stage.  Indeed,  the  theatric  picture  was  almost  a  photograph, 
and  the  incidents  of  Marie's  life  have  been  closely  followed. 
The  Annand  was  a  young  and  excessively  romantic  physician, 
who,  having  met  the  beautiful  cocotte  at  an  opera  ball,  fell  so 
desperately  in  love  with  her  that  he  wished  to  make  her  his 
wife.  She  had  too  much  good  sense  and  prudence,  indepen- 
dent of  feeling,  to  permit  such  a  sacrifice ;  but  his  devotion 
and  generosity  touched  her  nearly,  and  soon  awoke  an  an- 
swering passion.  In  spite  of  her  errors,  she  seems  to  have 
been  intrinsically  a  fine  and  noble  woman,  who,  under  favor- 
able circumstances,  might  have  been  pure  and  true.  So 
much  was  she  impressed  by  his  chivalry  that  she  cast  off  her 
admirers,  purchased  a  handsome  villa  near  Versailles,  and 
begged  her  new  lover  to  share  it  with  her.  He  did  so  ;  for 
he  was  infatuated  with  Marie,  and  would  not  listen  to  the 
sober  counsels  of  his  family  and  friends.  His  father,  in  very 
moderate  circumstances,  was  sorely  troubled  at  the  conduct 
of  his  son,  who  had  no  thought  nor  care  for  anything  but  his 
mistress.  The  old  gentleman,  unable  to  influence  the  head- 
strong boy,  sought  an  interview  with  the  lady  of  the  camelli- 
as, and  begged  her  to  break  off  the  connection.  She  under- 
took the  task,  and  succeeded  where  his  family  had  failed. 
Her  success,  however,  was  obtained  at  the  expense  of  truth 
and  her  own  heart ;  for  she  made  her  lover  believe  that  her 
attachment  to  him  was  waning. 

Armand,  with  all  the  gloom  of  the  Inferno  weighing  upon 
his  spirits,  went  to  Italy,  trusting  that  absence  and  travel 
would  enable  him  to  forget  the  woman  he  now  deemed  un- 
worthy of  him.  He  was  gone  a  twelvemonth.  He  bore  sep- 
aration much  better  than  she,  as  men  usually  do.  Before  half 
that  time  the  charming  lorette  fell  ill  and  died.  The  doctors 
asserted  that  her  ailment  was  consumption,  but  the  poets  in- 


CHARACTER  OF  THE  ADVENTURESS.          411 

sisted  it  was  a  clear  case  of  broken  heart.  Her  death,  with 
her  previous  history  and  romantic  reformation,  moved  the 
curiosit}'  and  appealed  to  the  sentiment  of  Paris,  especially 
after  the  tale  had  been  told  in  gushing  style,  and  in  any  num- 
ber of  short  paragraphs  in  one  of  the  gossipping  journals. 

When  the  villa  at  Versailles  was  advertised  for  sale,  with 
its  elegant  furniture  and  dainty  articles  of  virtu,  a  crowd 
gathered,  and  the  bidding  was  so  spirited  by  reason  of  active 
competition,  that  everything  brought  nearly  double  its  actual 
value.  Dumas,  then  quite  young,  was  present,  and  secured, 
as  a  memento,  a  handsome  ring  which  Marie  had  worn. 

Six  months  after,  some  one  called  at  Dumas'  house  to  see 
him  personally.  The  author  found  the  stranger  to  be  a  pale 
and  melancholy  young  man,  who  said  he  had  come  with  the 
hope  of  buying  the  ring  that  had  been  purchased  at  the  sale. 
Further  conversation  revealed  the  fact  that  the  stranger  had 
been  Marie's  lover ;  that  he  had  given  her  the  ring ;  and 
now,  overwhelmed  by  the  news  of  her  death,  of  which  he  had 
just  been  apprised,  he  begged,  as  a  special  favor,  that  he 
might  be  permitted  to  purchase  what  to  him  had  such  inesti- 
'  mable  value. 

Dumas,  deeply  touched  by  the  story,  insisted  upon  making 
a  present  of  the  trinket  to  the  bereaved  youth,  and  afterwards 
wrote  out  the  tender  tale  which  has  since  drawn  tears  from 
half  the  world. 

The  adventuress  is  usually  favored  by  nature,  and  carries 
her  fair  face  and  symmetrical  form  to  the  best  market.  If 
not  handsome,  she  is  winning,  has  great  chic,  clear  insight, 
a  thorough  understanding,  and  the  weaknesses  of  our  common 
humanity. 

Good  and  kind  at  first,  she  has  become  what  man  has  made 
of  her ;  and  in  the  vocation  she  has  chosen,  vanity  and  self 
are  her  impelling  powers.  Her  beauty  is  a  commodity  she 
offers  to  the  highest  bidder.  She  receives  large  sums,  but 
she  squanders  them  recklessly  ;  for  display  is  almost  the  only 
passion  of  her  being.  She  shines  in  the  Bois  ;  bets  desper- 
ately at  Baden ;  turns  heads  at  Vienna ;  shocks  the  proprie- 


412  CAREER  AND   FATE   OF   A   COQUETTE. 

ties  of  London ;  dashes  resplendent  along  the  Nevski,  in  the 
height  of  the  gayeties  of  Petersburg ;  creates  a  sensation  at 
Florence  ;  astonishes  the  staid  Germans  at  Berlin  ;  interrupts 
the  opera  at  Madrid  ;  and  finally,  furnishes  the  subject  of  a 
letter  for  the  New  York  Herald. 

Her  career  is  necessarily  brief,  for  her  reign  must  end 
when  years  begin  to  tell.  Between  twenty  and  thirty-five 
her  golden  harvest  must  be  gathered.  Not  unfrequently  she 
dies  by  her  own  hand  ;  but  oftener  she  has  learned  prudence 
ere  her  charms  have  waned,  and  is  contrite  when  it  is  no 
longer  easy  or  graceful  to  sin.  It  is  a  great  mistake  to  sup- 
pose that  the  adventuress  is  invariably  drawn  out  of  the 
Seine,  and  exposed  at  the  Morgue.  No  longer  able  to  repeat 
her  triumphs,  she  likes  to  withdraw  from  Paris,  in  some  re- 
tired town  seek  the  consolations  of  religion,  and  bestow  char- 
ity upon  the  poor.  She  is  more  interesting  at  forty  than  in 
the  flush  of  her  glowing  youth ;  since  then  the  flame  of  her 
self-love  has  been  allowed  to  smoulder,  and  the  radiance  of 
her  true  womanhood  returns  once  more. 

The  fourth  circle  of  the  demi-monde  are  those  priestesses 
of  Venus  who  sin  without  satisfaction,  and  laugh  without 
gayety.  They  are  not  materially  different  in  Paris  from 
what  they  are  in  other  cities.  They  have  gone  down  by  slip- 
pery and  sable  steps,  but  not  to  a  level  with  despair.  They 
do  not  despair  and  live,  in  the  air  of  France  ;  for  with  despair 
comes  the  pan  of  charcoal.  They  have  intervals  akin  to  cheer- 
fulness, and  highly-spiced  sensations  bounding  from  pleasure 
to  delirium.  They  need  not  cease  to  hope  or  fear,  since  there 
is  still  a  deeper  deep  ;  and  that  is  the  fifth  circle,  whose  rep- 
resentatives frequent  the  streets  at  night,  the  cheaper  cafes, 
and  the  common  gardens,  in  search  of  means  to  continue  in 
their  horrid  trade.  Even  these  are  not  so  degraded  as  the 
same  kind  of  unfortunates  are  with  us.  They  do  not  drink  ; 
they  do  not  swear  ;  they  do  not  importune  strangers  rudely  ; 
they  do  not  from  the  first  disgust  in  their  effort  to  attract. 
They  have  apartments  of  their  own,  a  certain  kind  of  society 
and  a  species  of  freedom  that  women,  however  fallen,  always 


OF  THH     • 

UNIVERSITY 


UN;  TY 

CALIFQSSS 
THE   LOWEST   CLASSES.  415 

enjoy  in  France.  They  are  not  labelled  outcasts,  as  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  and  therefore,  in  their  darkest  hours,  they 
have  glimpses  of  the  heaven  of  hope.  Careless  and  improvi- 
dent £s  they  are  in  their  youth,  they  frequently  provide  for 
the  future  as  years  go  on,  and  come  to  their  end  through  con- 
fession and  ecclesiastical  forgiveness  of  all  their  transgres- 
sions. 

The  sixth  class,  the  lowest  and  last  of  the  semi-mundanes, 
are  more  nearly  pariahs  than  any  others  of  their  kind.  They 
rarely  make  any  provision  for  to-morrow,  since  to-morrow  is  as 
dismal  and  as  painful  as  to-day.  Almost  always  in  want,  their 
wastefulness  is  such  that  they  would  be  poor  if  every  month 
were  marked  by  a  shower  of  gold.  It  is  they  who  accost 
strangers  at  night  on  the  Boulevards  ;  ask  loungers  in  the 
cafe's  to  buy  coffee  and  wine  for  them  ;  make  poses  and  smoke 
cigars  in  the  streets  ;  and  are  sometimes  arrested  for  brawls, 
intoxication,  and  pilfering.  When  they  have  reached  this 
grade  of  degradation  they  cannot  go  back  ;  they  cannot  stand 
still ;  they  cannot  fall  lower.  They  put  formidable  obstacles 
in  their  proper  path,  and  are  their  own  worst  enemies.  Such 
elasticity  and  endurance  as  they  may  have  is  soon  spent. 
Before  a  great  while,  a  damp  cellar  or  dingy  garret  is  broken 
open,  a  suffocating  odor  is  perceived,  the  rude  bed  holds  a 
corpse ;  a  brazier  of  charcoal  tells  the  story,  and  adds 
another  to  the  countless  tragedies  which  invariably  keep  the 
balance  with  life. 

The  gardens  of  Paris,  like  the  Mabille,  the  Closerie  de 
Lilas,  the  Chateau  Rouge,  and  many  others  reveal  another 
feature  of  the  under-world.  The  Mabille,  to  which  strangers 
generally  go,  is  the  least  indecorous,  and,  I  may  add,  the  dull- 
est. There  half  a  dozen  couples,  the  women  being  generally 
of  the  lowest  demi-monde  class,  are  paid  so  much  per  night 
for  dancing  of  the  most  extraordinary  sort.  What  it  lacks  in 
delicacy  is  made  up  in  energy.  The  greatest  ambition  of  the 
cocottes  is  to  kick  the  hats  from  the  heads  of  their  partners, 
and  to  throw  their  drapery  into  the  wildest  confusion.  Their 
movements  belong  rather  to  gymnastics  than  the  quadrille, 


416  MABILLE,   CHATEAU   ROUGE,   AND   PRADO. 

which  they  pretend  to  execute,  and  when  their  leaping  and 
plunging  begin  to  pall  upon  the  spectators,  they  have  recourse 
to  the  shamefully  indecent  can-can. 

The  Mabille  draws  strangers,  as  honey  draws  flies.  Emi- 
nently respectable  and  altogether  staid  persons  go  there, 
and  closely  observe  the  dancers,  without  any  apparent  dis- 
approval too,  when  they  would  be  supremely  shocked  at  home 
at  the  slightest  intimation  of  such  licentious  conduct.  I  have 
observed  pious  matrons  from  New  England  watching  the  salta- 
torial  goddesses  through  their  spectacles,  as  they  might  watch 
the  gambols  of  unknown  animals.  The  Mabille  soon  grows 
wearisome,  and  few  persons  frequent  it  on  their  second  visit 
to  Paris. 

The  Chateau  Rouge  is  a  more  extended,  demonstrative,  and 
free-and-easy  place  of  resort  than  the  Mabille.  It  is  much 
more  democratic  also  ;  the  prices  of  admission  for  men  (women 
are  admitted  without  charge)  being  one  franc,  instead  of  three. 
To  encourage  attendance,  prizes  are  offered  to  those  who 
shall  be  present  the  greatest  number  of  nights  during  the 
season,  and  the  announcement  of  the  prizes  is  placarded  upon 
the  wall,  so  that  every  one  may  see  them.  Silk  gowns  are 
the  temptations  for  the  gentler,  and  watches  for  the  sterner 
sex.  I  should  imagine  that  some  of  the  girls  expected  a  re- 
ward for  lifting  their  gaiters  in  a  direct  line  above  their 
heads,  so  often  do  they  attempt  it,  and  so  generally  do  they 
succeed. 

The  Closerie  de  Lilas,  called  the  Prado  in  winter,  is  the 
place  where  the  students  and  the  grisettes  go  in  crowds,  and 
where  they  whirl  and  make  merry  for  the  pure  love  of  the 
thing.  The  attendance  is  very  large  on  Thursday  and  Sun- 
day nights,  when  I  have  seen  five  or  six  hundred  persons  of 
both  sexes,  flushed  with  wine,  and  dancing  like  mad  dervishes. 
The  revels  there  are  fast  and  furious  enough.  License  reigns 
supreme,  and  Bacchus  and  Yenus  seem  to  inspire  the  orgies. 
Paris  always  limits  its  public  exhibitions,  and  minions  of  the 
law  are  ever  present  to  keep  licentiousness  within  bounds. 
Without  stimulants  the  grisettes  and  cocottes  become  wild 


A  DELIEIUM   OF  DANCING.  41T 

with  excitement  as  the  music  of  Offenbach  pours'  out  under 
the  sky  to  infect  them  with  its  sensuous  frenzy.  Doubtless 
the  students  and  their  lemans  enjoy  themselves  to  the  ut- 
most ;  for  they  could  not  counterfeit  enjoyment  so  excellently. 
They  smoke,  and  drink,  and  laugh,  and  talk,  and  chat,  and 
caper  together  without  the  smallest  reserve  or  restraint,  as 
if  they  had  not,  and  never  would  have,  any  other  thought  than 
of  the  present  moment  and  its  absorbing  pleasure. 

When  the  weather  is  unfavorable,  they  have  their  bails  in 
a  large,  covered  space  ;  and  to  see  and  hear  them  leaping, 
tumbling,  screaming,  and  roaring  in  one  confused  and  palpi- 
tating mass,  impresses  the  self-contained  and  impassive  Anglo- 
Saxon  very  strangely.  Those  French  revellers  have  few 
concealments.  They  do  their  wooing  in  the  presence  of 
hundreds  ;  they  have  their  little  quarrels  in  the  midst  of  their 
carnival  of  glee.  Elise  appeals  to  Jacques  with  shrugs  and 
starts,  and  streaming  eyes  ;  and  Yictoire  complains  of  neglect, 
and  emphasizes  his  jealousy  to  Marguerite  before  the  giddy 
throng,  as  if  they  were  in  the  privacy  of  their  own  apart- 
ments. They  make  up  their  differences  with  petting  words 
and  copious  caresses,  and  enact  their  melodramas  regardless 
of  curious  eyes  and  smiling  lookers-on. 

There  are  resorts,  and  not  a  few,  in  Paris,  of  a  more  private 
character,  where  decorum  is  not  observed,  and  where  restraint 
is  not  practised.  All  evil  passions  are  there  let  loose,  and  vices 
revealed  that  would  be  repulsive  to  any  but  morbid  minds. 
Such  shameful  entertainments  are  declared  to  be  in  imitation 
of  ancient  Grecian  revels  and  Roman  rites.  The  claim  is  note- 
worthy, for  Paris,  in  its  most  revolting  and  secret  sins,  never 
forgets  to  assure  itself  and  the  external  world  that  such  en- 
tertainments are  sanctioned  by  classicism.  These  may  be 
imagined  :  they  certainly  cannot  be  described. 

The  petite  soupers  of  the  under-world  are  reckoned  by 
many  among  the  attractions  of  the  French  capital.  They 
occur  at  many  of  the  restaurants,  though  at  Peter's  and  the 
Cafe  Helder  they  are  given  with  the  most  flavor.  These  little 
suppers  begin  after  midnight,  and  continue  until  dawn,  and 


418  FAST  SUPPERS. 

though  the  best  of  them  are  private,  the  public  ones,  or  rather 
those  in  public  places,  have  enticements  for  the  masculine 
mind,  on  account  of  the  eccentric  women  to  be  found  at 
them.  At  Peter's  and  the  Caf6  Helder  are  spacious  saloons, 
provided  with  small  tables;  and  about  one  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  parties  of  gayly-dressed  ladies,  with  their  gallants, 
and  often  without  gallants,  begin  to  arrive.  Many  come  in 
carriages,  but  some  on  foot,  albeit  the  pedestrians  are  attired 
like  stage  queens.  The  majority  of  the  women  are  lorettes, 
of  different  grades,  but  not  a  few  of  them  are  the  inferior 
actresses  of  the  Gaite*,  Varie'te's,  and  Gymnase,  and  the 
ballet  girls  of  the  Vaudeville.  Ambigu,  and  Folies  Dra- 
matiques.  There  they  completely  unbend,  cast  reserve  to 
the  breezes,  take  easy  positions,  chatter  like  magpies,  blow 
small  clouds  of  smoke  at  the  frescoed  ceiling,  or  keep  time  to 
the  clinking  of  champagne  glasses  with  their  symmetrical 
feet.  Those  unescorted  are  entirely  willing  to  be  invited  to 
partake  of  salads,  ices,  or  wines  by  the  gentlemen  who  drop 
in  from  mere  curiosity,  or  from  a  desire  to  make  feminine 
acquaintances. 

Between  two  and  three  o'clock  the  sexes  become  adjusted 
to  each  other ;  everybody  is  eating  and  talking,  drinking  and 
smoking,  at  the  same  time.  The  handsome  rooms  resound 
with  feasting  and  merriment.  Glasses  rattle,  forks  clatter, 
tongues  wag,  songs  are  sung,  toasts  given  amid  the  highest 
glee  and  enthusiasm. 

Standing  in  a  chair,  with  a  beaker  of  sparkling  Clicquot, 
is  the  pretty  soubrette  of  the  Gymnase,  making  a  mock- 
heroic  speech ;  and  at  the  end  of  every  sentence  she  is  greeted 
with  the  clapping  of  hands  and  loud  huzzas.  Near  her  the 
graceful  danseuse  of  the  Folies,  encircled  by  the  arms  of  the 
dramatic  critic  of  the  Figaro,  is  offering  a  toast  in  a  goblet  of 
Chateau  Margaux,  and  at  the  other  end  of  the  saloon,  two  bru- 
nette deities  are  giving  a  bit  of  the  can-can,  in  the  midst  of 
vociferous  cheering. 

Stretched  on  a  velvet  sofa,  her  heels  elevated  above  her 
head,  Marie  Basquinette,  a  famous  adventuress,  who  has  just 


THE  DANGEROUS   CLASSES   OF  PARIS.  419 

come  from  London,  is  entertaining  her  listeners  with  a  droll 
account  of  the  awkwardnesses  and  stupidities  of  the  English. 
(Whenever  the  French  wish  to  be  particularly  funny,  they 
always  caricature  John  Bull ;  and  many  of  them  really  believe 
that  no  Briton  can,  by  any  possibility,  appear  other  than  un- 
couth and  ridiculous.) 

The  French  prints  of  well-dressed  carousals  with  which  we 
are  so  familiar,  might  be  actual  photographs  of  the  petite  sou- 
pers  and  their  surroundings  at  the  Cafe*  Helder.  As  the 
night  wanes  apace,  and  as  the  east  grows  gray,  the  revellers 
begin  to  disappear.  There  is  something  ghastly  in  the  day- 
light surprise  after  a  debauch,  and  the  Parisians  flee  from  it 
as  if  it  brought  sermons  anA  endless  prayers. 

What  we  should  call  the  dangerous  classes  would  seem,  from 
the  fair  outside  of  Paris,  to  have  no  existence  there ;  and  yet, 
as  the  police  well  know,  many  of  the  most  cunning  thieves, 
audacious  burglars,  and  desperate  scoundrels  are  native  and 
to  the  manner  born.  They  keep  out  of  sight  by  day,  and  are 
rarely  seen  in  the  fashionable  quarters,  unless  they  have  some 
special  mission  of  villany.  These  fellows  have  their  organiza- 
tions and  their  amusements,  and  herd  together  and  hold  noc- 
turnal revel  in  out-of-the-way  dens,  where  no  one  but  the 
gendarme  or  government  spy  would  think  of  looking  for 
them. 

Having  some  desire  to  become  acquainted  externally  with 
French  scoundrels,  I  mentioned  my  desire  to  a  private  detec- 
tive, who  promised  to  take  me  to  the  district  known  as  the 
Batignolles,  where,  he  said,  many  of  the  choicest  miscreants 
of  the  city  were  in  the  habit  of  assembling  on  Sunday  nights. 
He  told  me  that,  while  there  was  not  likely  to  be  trouble  or 
danger,  it  would  be  well  to  be  armed ;  and  so,  with  two  revol- 
vers each,  we  sprang  into  a  caleche,  one  stormy  Sunday  even- 
ing, at  the  Grand  Hotel,  and  drove  to  our  point  of  destination. 

After  nearly  an  hour's  ride  through  narrow  and  dreary 
streets,  over  rough  pavements,  and  past  malodorous  neighbor- 
hoods, he  stopped  before  a  tall  stone  building,  that  looked  like 
a  deserted  mill. 


420  VISITING  A  DEN   OP  THIEVE8. 

Not  a  light  was  visible  anywhere,  and,  as  the  night  was 
dark,  I  asked  my  guide  if  he  were  not  mistaken  in  the  locality. 
He  assured  me  that  he  was  not,  and,  taking  my  hand,  told  me 
he.  would  lead  the  way.  I  could  see  nothing ;  but  after  we 
had  stumbled  along  for  a  few  seconds,  a  flash  of  lightning  re- 
vealed a  long,  narrow  stone  staircase  before  us,  and  down 
this  we  slowly  crept.  At  the  base  was  a  heavy  oaken  door, 
which  appeared  as  if  it  might  withstand  a  battering-ram,  and 
I  was  wondering  how  we  were  to  open  it,  when  the  detective 
put  his  mouth  to  the  key-hole,  and  gave  a  peculiar  whistle. 
The  door  swung  open  at  once ;  we  stepped  into  a  dismal  ves- 
tibule, and  were  confronted  by  a  huge  figure,  who  grunted 
out,  "  Tout  bien"  as  he  recognized  my  companion,  slammed 
to  the  door,  and  bolted  it  securely.  So  large  a  Frenchman  I 
had  hardly  seen.  He  was  a  giant  in  proportions,  and  I  dis- 
covered by  a  few  phrases,  that  he  was  an  Alsatian.  He  knew 
what  we  wanted,  and  told  us,  pointing  in  the  direction,  to  go 
to  the  main  hall,  where,  to  translate  him  freely,  the  boys 
were  very  lively,  and  having  a  good  time. 

A  few  steps  brought  us  to  the  hall,  —  it  should  have  been 
called  a  cellar,  —  and  in  it  were  some  fifty  of  the  most  villa- 
nous-looking  men  and  coarsest  women  I  had  ever  had  the  mis- 
fortune to  encounter.  It  was  evident,  at  a  glance,  that  they 
were  thieves,  robbers,  and  assassins;  the  slightest  acquaint- 
ance with  phrenology  and  physiognomy  made  that  clear  — 
that  some  of  them  were  of  the  sneak,  some  of  the  burglar,  and 
others  of  the  desperado  order.  The  place  was  dimly  lighted 
with  a  few  sputtering  candles  ;  the  ceiling  was  low,  and  the 
air  mephitic.  A  few  of  the  men  -were  standing  and  smoking 
pipes  ;  but  the  greater  part  sat  at  rough  tables  drinking  and 
talking  in  hoarse  tones,  with  vile  oaths,  on  subjects  in  which 
it  was  natural  they  should  be  interested. 

A  murder  that  had  been  committed  a  fortnight  before  in 
Marseilles,  an  account  of  which  had  been  printed  in  the  Paris 
journals,  occupied  much  of  their  attention.  They  were  very 
laudatory  of  the  skilful  manner  in  which  the  crime  had  been 
perpetrated,  and  of  the  adroitness  displayed  by  the  criminal  in 


LOOKING   AT   A  MURDERESS.  421 

getting  away.  They  had  not  a  particle  of  pity  for  the  victim, 
an  old  and  inoffensive  man,  whose  throat  had  been  cut  while 
he  was  asleep  in  bed,  that  a  trunk  in  his  apartment  might  be 
broken  open  and  plundered  of  a  thousand  francs. 

The  women,  if  they  might  be  termed  such,  were  more 
brutal  and  bloodthirsty  in  their  dispositions,  judging  from 
their  expression,  than  the  men  themselves.  They  were,  as 
I  was  informed,  either  thieves  themselves  or  aids  and  accom- 
plices of  the  thieves.  Some  of  them  were  what  we  should 
style  shoplifters ;  others  made  it  their  business  to  obtain  in- 
formation from  servants  in  regard  to  private  residences,  and 
imparted  it  to  the  burglars  with  whom  they  consorted. 

One  Amazon,  who  had  a  mustache  and  slight  whiskers,  had 
committed  two  murders,  the  detective  said  —  one  in  Lyons, 
and  the  other  in  the  arrondissement  Vaugirard.  She  had  been 
so  adroit  that  she  could  not  be  convicted  on  trial,  though 
there  was  not  the  least  shadow  of  doubt  of  her  guilt.  She 
was  a  species  of  she  devil  in  that  tophet,  and,  as  I  perceived, 
was  looked  up  to  as  something  of  an  oracle.  She  planned 
many  of  the  boldest  robberies,  and  was  herself  regarded  as 
absolutely  fearless.  She  must  have  been  very  strong ;  for  she 
was  as  broad  across  the  shoulders  as  a  grenadier,  and  her 
rolled-up  sleeves  showed  that  she  had  muscle  like  a  black- 
smith. I  would  much  rather  have  encountered  a  masculine 
ruffian  arid  assassin  than  that  virago,  who  seemed  fierce  and 
cruel,  not  from  passion,  but  from  nature.  There  was  a  tigress 
look  about  her  which  made  my  flesh  creep  and  my  hair 
bristle.  She  appeared  eo  bloodthirsty  that  I  should  not  have 
been  surprised  if  she  had  sprung  upon  me  and  fastened  her 
fangs  in  my  neck. 

The  thieves  and  robbers  in  the  cellar  knew  the  detective 
of  course,  as  they  know  detectives  all  the  world  over  ;  nodded 
to  him  familiarly,  and  asked  him  in  an  argot — which  had  to  be 
translated  to  mo  —  if  he  had  been  successful  in  making  any 
arrests  recently. 

I  observed  that  they  changed  their  tone  of  talk  as  we 
entered,  determined  not  to  give  him  any  clew  to  their  latest 


422  HISTORY  OP  A  HOUSE-BREAKER. 

crimes.  They  continued,  however,  to  discuss  the  exploits  of 
the  members  of  their  profession,  and  to  express  the  warmest 
admiration  fur  the  greatest  scoundrels.  It  hardly  seemed 
possible  that  human  beings  could  be  so  hardened  and  so 
vicious,  and  that  they  could  find  their  chief  gratification  in 
disorder,  violation  of  law,  and  revolting  iniquity.  These  fel- 
lows were  more  like  brutes  than  men  in  semblance.  Their 
eyes  had  a  fierce  and  lurid  expression;  their  mouths  were 
sensual  and  coarse  ;  their  jaws  had  a  heavy,  animal-like  firm- 
ness; and  their  whole  faces  were  dark  and  forbidding.  I 
noticed  that  many  of  them  drank  spirits,  which  is  uncommon 
in  France,  and  that  the  largest  potations  did  not  sensibly 
affect  them. 

Three  or  four  of  the  gang  were  so  repulsive  in  feature  that 
I  felt  a  curiosity  respecting  their  history,  and  made  inquiry 
thereabout  of  the  detective. 

"  That  chap  sitting  down  with  the  short  pipe  in  his  mouth," 
said  the  legal  bloodhound,  "is  not  more  than  thirty  years  old, 
though  he  looks  nearly  fifty.  He  was  born  and  reared  in  or 
near  this  city,  and  has  been  a  thief  since  his  earliest  child- 
hood. His  father  was  a  noted  burglar,  and  died  in  prison  at 
Bordeaux,  where  he  had  been  arrested  for  an  attempt  to 
break  into  the  vault  of  a  bank.  The  man's  name  is  Pierre 
Boudrot ;  but  he  is  called  by  his  associates  the  Mad  Bull, 
from  his  great  strength  and  violent  temper.  Until  he  was 
fifteen  or  sixteen,  he  was  a  petty  pilferer;  but  he  afterwards 
aspired  to  highway  robbery  outside  the  barrieres.  He  pros- 
pered in  this  for  some  time ;  but  having,  as  it  was  suspected, 
shot  and  killed  a  merchant,  he  was  forced  to  fly  to  England. 
Returning  three  years  after,  he  was  apprehended  and  tried 
for  the  crime.  No  direct  evidence  could  be  adduced  against 
him,  and  he  was  acquitted.  He  has  been  involved  in  any 
number  of  personal  encounters  with  his  fellow-villains,  and 
has  stabbed  and  shot  at  least  a  dozen  of  them.  Generally 
speaking,  they  have  refused  to  testify  against  him,  and  he  has 
therefore  escaped  punishment.  He  is  now  a  house-breaker, 
and  operates  so  skilfully  that  the  police  seldom  have  an  op- 


A   CRIME-STAINED    SCOUNDREL.  423 

portunity  to  interfere  with  him.  Some  sixteen  months  ago, 
he  was  living  at  Pantin  with  his  mistress,  a  young  woman  of 
some  intelligence  and  so  remarkably  handsome  that  it  was 
strange  she  could  fancy  so  ill-favored  a  wretch.  Having  be- 
come jealous  of  her,  they  had  several  boisterous  quarrels. 
One  morning  she  was  found  in  bed  with  her  throat  cut  from 
ear  to  ear,  and  he  had  disappeared.  He  was  suspected  at 
once,  and  publication  of  the  fact  was  made  in  the  newspapers, 
whereupon  he  surrendered  himself,  and  during  the  examina- 
tion which  followed,  several  of  his  accomplices  swore  that  the 
girl  had  committed  suicide,  giving  many  details  that  rendered 
their  statements  plausible.  As  his  witnesses  could  not  be 
impeached,  he  was  acquitted,  and  returned  to  his  old  calling. 
He  has  frequently  been  seized  by  policemen  while  carrying 
out  some  nefarious  design,  but  such  has  been  his  strength 
that  he  has  almost  always  managed  to  get  away.  On  one  oc- 
casion he  threw  an  officer  of  the  law  from  a  fourth  story 
window,  and  broke  his  neck.  Still  nothing  could  be  proved 
upon  him,  as  no  one  had  witnessed  the  deed.  He  must 
ultimately  come  to  the  guillotine,  however,  as  he  is  growing 
bolder  and  bolder  in  his  commission  of  crime,  and  more  reck- 
less of  the  means  he  adopts.  Intemperance  is  telling  upon 
him,  as  you  can  see  by  his  bloodshot  eye  and  bloated  face. 

"  The  gray-haired  man,"  continued  the  detective,  "  laughing 
so  loudly,  with  a  broad  scar  above  his  eye,  has  been  in 
nearly  every  principal  prison  in  France,  and  yet  has  never 
served  out  a  single  term.  Professional  thief  as  he  is,  he  does 
not  -appear  to  be  very  vicious  or  malignant.  He  has  never 
been  known  to  do  any  one  bodily  harm,  and  is  always  as 
cheerful  as  he  is  now.  He  would  not  be  such  a  bad-looking 
fellow  except  for  that  scar,  and  the  fracture  of  his  nose,  which 
was  caused,  some  years  ago,  by  his  jumping  from  a  wagon 
conveying  him  to  jail. 

"  The  very  dark  man,  sitting  on  that  bench,  and  swinging 

his  legs,  is  a  Spaniard.     He  came  here  from  Madrid,  where 

he  had   been  for  some  years  a  bull-fighter,  and  whence  he 

had  to  fly  for  poisoning  his  father  to  get  a  little  property. 

23 


424  THE   GREATEST   SCAMP   IX   PARIS. 

Poisoning  is  his  specialty,  and  he  is  believed  to  have  disposed 
of  a  number  of  persons  in  that  way.  Whenever  he  takes  life,  he 
has,  of  course,  a  purpose  in  it,  and  he  has  come  into  posses- 
sion of  a  good  deal  of  money  by  the  deaths  he  has  brought 
about.  A  greater  villain  than  he  probably  never  breathed : 
he  seems  to  have  no  more  objection  to  committing  murder 
than  he  has  to  smoking  a  cigar;  and  he  is  known  as  Pedro  the 
Killer  —  a  nickname  of  which  he  is  really  proud." 

"  There  is  a  young  person  I  have  noi  noticed  before,"  I  said 
to  my  companion,  pointing  to  the  left.  "  Who  is  he  ?  He  can't 
be  a  thief.  He  must  have  gotten  into  this  company  by  mis- 
take. Is  he  a  gentleman  seeking  for  acquaintance  with 
underground  life,  like  myself?  " 

The  man  I  had  designated  could  not  have  been  more  than 
twenty.  He  had  a  fresh,  handsome  face,  and  when  he  smiled, 
as  he  often  did,  his  smile  lighted  up  his  countenance  as  sun- 
shine lights  up  a  landscape.  It  was  hard  to  associate  him 
with  crime  or  vice  of  any  kind,  and  hence  my  question. 

The  detective  laughed,  and  said,  "  You  mean  the  Badger. 
He  is  one  of  the  greatest  scamps  in  all  Paris,  and  one  of  the 
most  desperate  scoundrels.  There  is  nothing  in  the  world 
he  would  not  do  for  money.  If  I  were  not  here,  and  anybody 
were  to  offer  him  five  francs,  he  would  walk  up  to  you,  salute 
you  politely,  and  blow  your  brains  out,  regarding  it  as  a 
capital  joke.  The  Badger  is  well  educated,  and  is  reputed  to 
be  the  son  of  a  prominent  lawyer  by  an  actress.  He  ran 
away  from  home,  and  turned  thief  on  instinct.  He  is  absolute- 
ly without  fear  and  without  conscience.  That  crime  is  nat- 
ural to  him  is  proved  by  his  enjoyment  of  it.  He  has  had 
marvellous  good  luck,  for,  though  frequently  arrested,  he  has 
never  been  punished,  and  the  fact  of  his  getting  off  again  and 
again  is  ascribed  by  some  to  the  influence  and  wealth  of  his 
father." 

The  detective  would  have  told  more ;  but  by  this  time  the 
thieves,  all  of  whom  had  drank  liberally,  began  singing  a 
coarse  and  profane  song,  in  which  morality,  religion,  and 
decency  were  burlesqued,  and  which,  rendered  by  the  harsh 


GOING  HOME.  425 

voices  of  the  men  and  women,  sounded,  in  that  dreary  cellar, 
like  a  chorus  of  infernal  fiends. 

Informing  my  guide  that  I  had  seen  and  heard  enough,  we 
went  out  of  the  stifling  cellar,  beyond  the  heavy  oaken  door, 
up  the  narrow  stone  staircase,  reached  our  caliche,  and  as 
the  fresh  breeze  welcomed  us,  and  the  clouds  overhead  broke 
away,  revealing  the  stars,  I  seemed  to  have  been  transferred 
to  another  sphere,  and  I  wondered  that  such  dens  of  crime 
could  exist  and  flourish  under  the  beautiful  exterior  of  Paris. 


XXVIII. 

THE  EAST  RIVER  BRIDGE. 

LAYING  THE  FOUNDATIONS  UNDER  WATER.  —  HOW  THE  WORK  WAS  PERFORMED. 
—  THE  CAISSON.  —  HOW  IT  IS  MADE. — ITS  MODE  OF  OPERATION.  —  WORKING 
UNDER  WATER.  —  EXPLORING  THE  BED  OF  THE  RIVER.  —  DESCENDING  INTO 
THE  BOX.  —  EFFECTS  OF  A  GREAT  PRESSURE  OF  AIR.  —  AN  UNPLEASANT 
SENSATION.  — A  STRANGE  SIGHT. — ACCIDENTS.  —  HOW  A  MAN'S  ARM  WAS 
CAUGHT. 

A  BRIDGE  to  connect  New  York  and  Brooklyn  has  long 
been  desired,  and  many  plans  for  such  a  structure  have  been 
made.  It  was  finally  determined  to  erect  a  suspension  bridge 
high  enough  to  permit  the  passage  of  ships  beneath  it,  and 
stretching,  in  a  single  span,  from  one  side  to  the  other  of  the 
East  River.  Work  was  begun  in  1870,  and  continued,  with 
occasional  interruptions.  The  bridge,  by  comparison  with 
similar  structures,  is  the  longest  and  largest  of  its  kind  in  the 
world. 

The  bridge  rests  on  two  piers,  one  on  the  east  and  the 
other  on  the  west  bank  of  the  river.  The  eastern  pier  was 
begun  some  time  before  the  other,  and  the  work  of  laying  its 
foundations  was  of  a  peculiar  character.  Ordinarily,  where  a 
pier  is  to  be  set  in  the  water,  a  coffer  dam  is  built  around 
the  place  where  it  is  to  stand,  and  the  water  is  pumped  out. 
But  in  the  present  instance,  this  mode  of  working  was 
deemed  impracticable,  and  it  was  decided  to  lay  the  foun- 
dations by  means  of  a  caisson.  This  is  quite  a  curiosity  in 
its  way,  and  well  deserves  a  visit  and  a  description.  I  did 
not  visit  the  one  on  the  east  side,  but  deferred  my  caisson 
explorations  till  the  work  on  the  west  side  was  under  way. 

On  the  invitation  of  Colonel  Paine  and  Engineer  Cotting- 
wood,  I  was  one  of  a  party  of  four  to  descend  into  the 


DESCRIPTION  OP  THE   CAISSON.  429 

caisson  to  examine  its  workings  and  inspect  its  machinery. 
Arriving  at  the  foot  of  Roosevelt  Street,  we  found  indications 
of  the  construction  of  a  large  building.  There  were  numer- 
ous derricks,  scaffoldings,  and  building  materials  in  the  vi- 
cinity, and  everywhere  there  was  activity.  Just  as  we 
reached  the  works  we  found  a  gang  of  sixty  men  indulging 
in  hot  coffee,  which  is  always  served  to  them  previous  to 
their  descending  the  shaft  of  the  caisson.  Their  coffee  drink- 
ing over,  and  the  roll-call  answered,  they  walked  in  single  file 
to  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  and  there  waited  the  arrival  of 
those  whom  they  were  about  relieving. 

Most  of  the  men  wore  nothing  but  their  shirts  and  trousers, 
with  water-proof  boots  reaching  above  the  knees.  At  a 
signal  given  by  the  foreman  of  the  gang,  some  of  them 
entered  an  elevator,  while  others  proceeded  down  a  spiral 
staircase,  and  were  soon  lost  to  view.  Before  taking  the 
reader  to  the  interior  of  the  caisson,  it  may  be  well  to  state 
that  it  is  nothing  else  than  a  large  box  of  iron  and  wood,  the; 
full  size  of  the  intended  abutment.  This  box  is  turned: 
bottom  upward,  and  rests  upon  its  edges. 

It  is  one  hundred  and  two  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and 
seventy-two  feet  long,  and  nearly  ten  feet  in  height.  Its. 
immense  weight  is  supported  by  several  solid  trusses  of  oak 
and  iron,  which  run  across  the  caisson;  and  in  addition  to  this,, 
it  receives  an  upward  support  of  forced  air  equal  to  forty 
thousand  tons.  The  pressure  of  the  air  in  the  caisson  is  forty- 
four  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  being  twenty-nine  pounds 
more  than  the  ordinary  atmospheric  pressure. 

The  air  is  sent  down  the  caisson  by  means  of  pumps,  there 
being  fourteen  engines,  each  of  twenty-four  horse  power,, 
constantly  at  work.  In  the  centre  of  the  caisson,  an  en- 
trance is  obtained  by  means  of  a  shaft  having  a  spiral  stair- 
case of  over  one  hundred  circular  steps,  and  there  is  another 
entrance  by  an  elevator,  which,  by  the  by,  is  the  most 
agreeable  way  of  descending,  particularly  if  the  visitor  is 
inclined  to  corpulence. 

It  was  down  this  entrance  I  went  with  the  rest  of  our  party. 


430  GOING  INTO   THE  INTERIOR. 

Like  the  workmen,  each  of  us  swallowed  a  small  quantity  of 
hot  coffee  and  biscuit,  as  we  were  told  that  we  should  suffer 
less  from  the  effects  of  the  descent.  Under  the  direction  of 
our  guide,  we  took  our  stand  inside  the  elevator,  for  the 
simple  reason  that  we  could  not  sit.  There  were  no  velvet- 
covered  seats,  as  are  generally  found  in  hotel  elevators. 

At  a  given  signal,  we  began  our  journey  into  the  East 
Biver,  and  descended  until  we  reached  what  our  conductor 
termed  the  "  lock."  Here  we  changed  our  stands  again,  and 
entered  the  lock  by  crawling  through  an  opening  at  the 
bottom  of  the  elevator  sufficiently  large  for  a  man  of  ordinary 
size  to  pass  easily.  This  lock  is  an  oblong  iron  box,  or 
boiler,  of  just  sufficient  size  to  allow  half  a  dozen  persons  to 
stand  erect.  It  is  eight  feet  long,  and  six  feet  in  diameter. 
At  the  bottom  of  the  lock  there  is  an  iron  door  or  opening, 
similar  to  that  through  which  we  entered,  which  gives 
admission  to  the  interior  of  the  caisson.  These  iron  doors 
,are  fitted  with  rubber,  so  as  to  make  them  perfectly  air- 
;tight. 

When  we  had  all  entered,  the  door  was  closed  upon  us. 
We  looked  at  each  other,  wondering  what  would  be  done  next, 
and  we  soon  found  out.  Our  conductor,  previous  to  starting 
the  lock,  gave  us  what  he  termed  a  few  useful  hints,  so  that 
we  might  be  able  to  make  the  trip  as  agreeable  as  possible 
under  ah1  the  circumstances. 

"  Now,  gentlemen,"  said  he,  "  in  descending,  you  will  find 
a  disagreeable  sensation,  particularly  about  your  ears.  You 
will  find  great  ease  by  closing  the  nostrils  every  few  seconds, 
—  as  the  pressure  of  the  air  will  act  upon  the  tympanum  of 
the  ear,  —  and  also  by  inflating  your  cheeks  to  their  full 
extent." 

These  instructions  were  given  that  we  might  cause  an 
artificial  pressure  upon  the  inside  of  the  ear,  and  thus  pre- 
vent its  rupture. 

Our  conductor  .then  proceeded  to  turn  a  cock,  to  admit  the 
air  forced  from  above.  In  a  moment  it  rushed  in  with  a 
'tremendous  force,  making  a  noise  similar  to  that  of  a  locomo- 


A  HEAVY   PRESSURE   OF   AIR.  431 

live  blowing  off  steam.  The  effect  of  this  was  anything  but 
pleasant.  A  sudden  deafness  seemed  to  overtake  us,  as  if  a 
cannon  had  been  fired  under  our  noses ;  our  voices  were  also 
changed,  and  appeared  cracked,  and  we  almost  wished  our 
curiosity  had  not  led  us  so  far. 

This  feeling  was  caused  by  the  air  rushing  too  fast  into  the 
orifice  of  the  ear.  There  was  just  sufficient  light  inside  the 
lock  to  discern  our  faces,  and  that  was  all.  It  took  five  or  six 
minutes  to  get  the  necessary  amount  of  pressure  into  the 
lock,  and  then  the  air  was  turned  off. 

We  seemed  suddenly  to  lose  our  footing,  and  then  to  regain 
it;  and  no  sooner  had  we  righted  ourselves  than  we  had 
another  sudden  shoot,  and  this  continued  until  we  reached 
the  bottom.  The  actual  descent  was  made  in  about  a  minute 
and  a  half,  or  perhaps  two  minutes;  but  owing  to  the  pain 
we  suffered,  it  appeared  to  be  three  times  as  long. 

The  sensation  we  experienced  was  certainly  very  disa- 
greeable and  painful,  and  for  a  pleasure  trip  I  certainly  would 
not  recommend  any  one  to  undertake  the  journey.  Should  a 
lady  go  down,  however  strong-minded  she  might  be,  I  would 
not  answer  for  the  consequences.  One  of  the  party  was  so 
much  affected  by  the  pressure  of  the  air  that  our  conductor 
had  to  turn  off  the  cock  frequently.  The  stranger's  ears 
pained  him  greatly,  and  blood  began  to  spurt  from  them. 

Having  reached  the  bottom  of  the  caisson,  where  the  work- 
men were  digging  out  the  earth  and  blasting  rock,  we  were 
detained  in  the  lock  some  minutes,  to  allow  the  admission  of 
air  of  the  same  density  as  that  below.  This  being  done,  I 
descended  a  short  iron  ladder  leading  into  the  bottom  of  the 
caisson,  and  speedily  found  myself  standing  on  the  bed  of  the 
river,  seventy-eight  feet  below  water-mark. 

There  were  several  men  working  in  their  shirt  sleeves,  with 
big  drops  of  perspiration  rolling  off  their  cheeks.  The 
subterranean  vault  was  very  well  lighted  with  gas  forced 
down  the  pipes  in  the  same  manner  as  the  air ;  and  it  is  a 
curious  fact,  that  in  the  compressed  air  a  foot  burner  gives 
as  much  light  as  a  four  foot  one  would  in  the  ordinary  atmos- 


482  OPERATIONS    BELOW. 

phere.  The  caisson  seemed  to  be  full  of  steam,  as  if  a  hun- 
dred washerwomen  were  plying  their  avocation  at  the  tub. 
The  bottom  of  the  caisson  is  divided  into  several  chambers 
by  means  of  iron  and  wood  partitions,  with  entrances  leading 
into  each  other.  The  air  does  not  seem  impure  nor  un- 
pleasant. According  to  an  examination  made  a  few  days 
before  my  visit,  it  was  then  found  to  contain  a  small  percent- 
age of  carbonic  acid,  but  not  enough  to  do  any  harm. 

As  soon  as  the  sand  is  dug,  it  is  sent  up  various  pipes,  four 
inches  in  diameter,  which  operate  in  the  same  way  as 
siphons.  It  is  odd  to  notice  with  what  force  the  sand 
ascends  to  the  top  of  the  caisson,  and  it  is  all  that  six  men 
can  do  to  shovel  it  in  fast  enough.  Boulders  of  trap  rock 
were  found  embedded  in  the  quicksand.  These  were 
broken  up  and  hoisted  out  by  an  apparatus  similar  to  a 
dredging  macbine,  working  in  an  immense  sbaft  filled  with 
water. 

The  shape  of  the  interior  of  the  caisson  resembles  very 
much  the  lips  of  an  enormous  bell,  and  in  reality  it  is  worked 
upon  the  same  principle  as  an  ordinary  diving-bell,  the 
water  being  kept  out  by  the  great  pressure  of  air.  As 
soon  as  the  caisson  is  perfectly  settled,  and  all  the  sand  and 
debris  down  to  the  bed  rock  is  removed,  the  interior  is  filled 
with  concrete  and  masonry,  and  thus  the  pier  obtains  a 
foundation  perfectly  solid. 

While  making  a  tour  through  the  various  chambers,  I  found 
a  pair  of  doves,  which  had  been  placed  there  for  testing  the 
effect  of  the  compressed  air.  The  birds  appeared  to  have 
become  accustomed  to  their  new  habitation,  where  they  had 
been  for  several  weeks.  They  looked,  however,  rather  dis- 
consolate and  sickly,  and  I  learned,  a  day  or  two  later,  that 
one  had  died  from  the  effects  of  its  imprisonment. 

A  black  and  tan  terrier  had  also  been  taken  into  the 
caisson,  but  after  it  had  been  down  a  few  hours  it  became 
paralyzed  in  its  hind  legs,  and  was  taken  up ;  and  for  more 
than  a  fortnight  it  did  not  recover  from  the  shock  to  its 
system. 


SCENES   IN  THE   CAISSON.  433 

The  scene  in  the  caisson  is  a  very  novel  one.  The  water, 
seen  through  the  gas  jets,  sparkles  in  the  pools  at  the  bottom 
of  the  river,  the  men  are  toiling  and  perspiring  amid  the 
rushing  and  rumbling  noise  of  the  sand  siphons,  and  every- 
thing appears  in  confusion.  While  our  party  was  making  its 
tour,  it  was  found  that  our  voices  had  completely  changed ; 
each  one  appeared  to  stutter,  and  altogether  the  voice  had 
a  very  unnatural  sound,  as  if  we  spoke  in  a  half  screech- 
ing key. 

An  attempt  was  made  to  whistle,  but  whistle  we  could 
not.  The  lips  might  be  puckered,  and  you  might  blow  as 
hard  as  you  pleased,  but  it  was  all  in  vain,  as  not  a  note  could 
be  heard.  Some  of  us  tried  to  whistle  by  our  fingers,  but 
were  unsuccessful. 

Communication  is  had  with  the  upper-world  by  means  of  a 
movable  iron  rod  and  a  couple  of  dials,  one  above  and  the 
other  below.  These  form  the  telegraph.  On  each  dial  are 
printed,  in  plain  letters,  the  words,  "  All  right,"  "  Start," 
"Faster,"  "Slower,"  "Stop,"  "Less,"  "More,"  "Bucket  is 
caught,"  "  Highest  corner,"  "  Stopped,"  "  Come  up  all ;  "  and 
the  last  is  the  most  pleasing  call  of  the  entire  number  to 
the  laborers  below. 

Adjoining  the  dial  is  a  thermometer,  which  indicated  the 
atmosphere  to  be  eighty-two  degrees  Fahrenheit. 

Accidents  occur  in  the  caisson,  in  spite  of  all  precautions. 
A  short  time  before  my  visit,  a  small  stone  caught  in  the 
pipe  of  the  siphon,  and  one  of  the  workmen  came  very  near 
losing  his  arm  while  attempting  to  pull  it  out.  His  hand  was 
drawn  into  the  pipe,  as  if  by  a  powerful  magnet.  The  man 
was  thrown  upon  his  face  by  the  great  power  of  the  atmos- 
phere, and  at  the  same  time  his  arm  was  drawn  up  the  pipe : 
had  it  not  been  for  four  of  his  comrades  instantly  pulling  his 
arm  down,  the  limb  would  have  been  torn  from  his  shoulder. 
He  received  severe  injuries,  and  is  not  likely  to  be  so  care- 
less again.  The  skin  of  the  arm  looked  as  if  a  quantity  of 
boiling  oil  had  been  poured  over  it,  and  it  soon  became 
blistered  from  his  shoulder  downward. 


434         CHANGE  OF  ATMOSPHERE.  —  THE  JAMS. 

After  a  stay  of  nearly  an  hour,  the  party  proceeded  to 
return  once  more  to  terra  firma.  We  entered  the  lock,  as  on 
making  the  descent,  through  the  small  iron  door ;  then  the 
compressed  air  was  allowed  to  escape  until  the  pressure  of 
the  air  was  equal  to  that  of  the  atmosphere  outside. 

While  this  was  going  on,  a  peculiar  sensation  was  experi- 
enced, but  it  was  not  as  disagreeable  as  that  of  making  the 
descent.  It  seemed  as  though  there  was  a  rush  of  water 
through  the  ears,  and  we  were  diving.  Ascending  to  the  top 
of  the  caisson  occupied  about  ten  minutes,  as  the  physician 
in  attendance  recommends  that  the  change  from  the  high 
pressure  should  not  be  made  rapidly.  We  were  all  glad  to 
breathe  the  pure  air  and  enjoy  daylight  again.  Several  of  the 
workmen  stated  that  nearly  every  day  some  of  them  suffered 
from  the  work  below,  and  said  one,  — 

"  We  have  all  had  the  jams." 

"  What  are  the  jams?"  said  I. 

"  Well,"  said  another,  "  they  ain't  the  jim-jams,  brought  on 
by  drink,  for  we  dare  not  take  much,  but  a  feeling  like  the 
flesh  a  tearin'  off  of  our  bones." 

"  We  have  the  cramps  in  our  legs,  body,  arms,  and  chest," 
said  another,  "  and  at  times  it  causes  us  so  great  pain  that  we 
cannot  work ;  we  do  not  notice  anything  amiss  until  we  have 
been  out  of  the  caisson  for  some  hours,  sometimes  not  until 
the  next  day.  These  'jams/  as  we  call  them,  go  away  as 
quickly  as  they  come,  but  sometimes  return  after  another 
visit  to  the  caisson." 

The  men  are  cautioned  to  abstain  from  drinking  spirits, 
but  with  some  the  caution  is  not  heeded,  and  those  that  will 
drink  spirits  in  preference  to  coffee  are  generally  the  great- 
est sufferers. 

The  construction  of  the  abotmenta  of  this  bridge  is  a  novel 
.one.  It  was  first  introduced  on  the  building  of  the  St.  Louis 
suspension  bridge,  and  since  then  great  improvements  have 
taken  place.  When  completed,  the  bridge  will  be  a  noble 
monument  of  engineering  skill. 


XXIX. 

THE    INUNDATION    AT    LALLE. 

INUNDATION  OF  A  MINE  ON  THE  LOIRE.  —  HOW  THE  MEN  WEBB  SAVED.  —  SONG 
OF  THE  PUPILS  OF  THE  MINING  SCHOOL  AT  ST.  ET1ENNE.  — TERRIBLE  FLOOD 
OF  A  MINE  AT  LALLE.  —  BREAKING  IN  OF  A  RIVER.  —  COURAGE  OF  AUBERTO, 
A  WORKMAN.  —  SAVING  SIX  LIVES.  —  PLAN  FOR  RESCUE.  —  DISCOVERING  THE 
WHEREABOUTS  OF  THE  PRISONERS.  —  ONE  MONTH'S  WORK  IN  THREE  DAYS.  — 
OPENING  THE  DRIFT-WAYS.  —  SIXTY  FEET  OF  TUNNELLING.  —  IN  THE  DARK- 
NESS WITH  A  CORPSE.  —  STORY  OF  THE  RESCUED.  —  THIRTEEN  DAYS  OF 
PERIL.  —  FINDING  THE  BODIES  OF  THE  DEAD.  —  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIVE 
MEN  DROWNED.  —  SAVING  A  CHILD.  —  EATING  WOOD  AND  LEATHER  TO  SAVE 
LIFE. — A  HORRIBLE  SIGHT. 

IN  one  of  the  mines  on  the  River  Loire,  about  thirty  years 
ago,  there  was  a  terrible  accident,  caused  by  the  sudden 
eruption  of  the  water.  The  water  came  in  like  a  torrent,  and 
drove  the  miners  up  an  inclined  gallery,  where  there  was  no 
outlet.  The  people  above  ground  rushed  to  their  assistance  ; 
the  engineers  brought  their  plans  of  the  mine,  and  determined 
where  the  enclosed  men  were  to  be  found,  if  still  alive. 
Workmen  volunteered  to  go  to  the  assistance  of  their  com- 
rades, and  a  new  gallery  was  begun  in  the  direction  of  the 
supposed  place  of  refuge.  The  blows  of  the  pick  upon  the 
wall  were  at  first  unanswered ;  but  after  a  while,  faint  sounds 
were  heard  in  response.  The  rock  was  hard,  and  progress 
was  slow;  but  every  man  did  his  best,  working  night  and 
day.  Sound  is  transmitted  through  rock  with  great  facility, 
and  in  a  little  while  the  workmen  could  hear  the  voices,  as 
well  as  the  knocking  of  their  imprisoned  friends.  Six  days 
passed  in  this  way,  and  at  length  a  hole  was  bored  through 
the  rock,  and  the  colliers  were  found  to  be  all  living. 

Though  they  were  near  starvation,  and  had  eaten  their 
candles,  and  even  their  leather  straps,  their  first  appeal  was 


486  SONG   OF  MINING   STUDENTS. 

for  light,  not  for  food.  Prolonged  darkness  is  distressing  in 
the  extreme,  and  these  men  had  suffered  the  total  absence  of 
light  nearly  the  whole  of  their  time  of  imprisonment.  Candles 
were  passed  through  the  bore-hole,  and  then  a  tin  tube, 
through  which  broth  was  poured.  The  work  of  relief  was 
pressed  forward,  and  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  day  the  sufferers 
were  released  and  brought  to  daylight,  amid  the  cheers  of  the 
men  assembled  around  the  mouth  of  the  mine. 

The  story  of  the  release  of  these  miners  is  familiar  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  that  region.  The  pupils  of  the  Mining 
School  of  St.  Etienne  composed  a  ballad,  of  which  the  follow- 
ing is  the  opening  stanza:  — 

"  Mineurs,  ecoutez  1'histoire 
De  trois  malheureux  ouvriers, 
Restes  sans  manger  ni  boire 

Pendant  six  grand  jours  entiers. 
Au  fond  d'une  galerie 

Serres  comme  en  un  local, 
Us  auraient  perdu  la  vie 
Sans  la  coupe  verticale." 

This  ballad  was  sung  two  or  three  times  daily,  at  the  be- 
ginning and  end  of  lessons  when  the  master  was  not  present. 
One  of  the  teachers  of  the  school  assisted  at  the  rescue  of  the 
miners,  and  used  to  tell  the  story  to  his  pupils.  He  added  a 
moral  to  it,  after  the  manner  of  ^Esop  with  his  fables,  and 
endeavored  to  impress  upon  the  school  the  importance  of 
vertical  shafts  from  all  the  principal  galleries  to  the  surface. 
Many  lives  have  been  lost  in  mines  in  consequence  of  the 
absence  of  these  shafts,  and  in  every  locality  where  mining  is 
conducted  on  an  extensive  scale,  the  law  should  compel  the 
owners  to  make  at  least  two  openings  to  the  outer  world. 

In  1862  an  inundation  occurred  at  the  mine  of  Lalle,  in 
France,  by  which  one  hundred  and  five  persons  lost  their 
lives.  The  story  is  thus  related  by  M.  Simonin :  — 

On  the  llth  of  October,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon,  a  violent  storm  visited  the  country,  and  it  is 
asserted  by  some  of  the  inhabitants,  that  a  waterspout  had 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


COURAGE   OF  AUBERTO.  439 

burst  there.  The  waters  of  the  River  Ceze,  as  well  as  those 
of  a  stream  and  of  a  ravine,  which  is  dry  at  ordinary  times, 
both  of  them  being  tributary  to  the  Ceze,  rose  higher  than 
they  had  ever  been  seen  before.  It  was  a  vast  inundation, 
or,  as  the  people  of  that  region  describe  it,  a  deluge.  The 
mine  extended  under  the  river,  and  its  mouth  was  not  far 
from  the  bank.  The  water  made  a  whirl  at  one  point,  and 
then  rushed  into  the  mine  through  a  large  opening  over  the 
outcrop  of  one  of  the  coal  seams.  There  was  a  rumbling  noise 
all  through  the  mine ;  all  hands  were  at  work  under  ground, 
and  there  was  danger  of  a  terrible  calamity.  Some  of  the 
men  managed  to  escape  by  the  ladders,  while  others  hastily 
ascended  a  shaft,  and  floated  upwards  on  the  surface  of  the 
water. 

A  noble  act  of  courage  and  devotion  was  performed  by  a 
Piedmontese  workman  by  the  name  of  Auberto. 

He  escaped  up  a  shaft,  and  as  he  did  so,  he  gave  the  alarm 
to  a  comrade  who  was  at  work  in  a  lower  level.  Auberto  then 
ran  to  another  opening,  fastened  the  tub  to  a  rope,  descended, 
and  called,  the  water  falling  all  the  while  in  a  perfect  torrent. 
Five  men  came  out ;  four  entered  the  tub,  and  were  saved ; 
the  fifth  hesitated  a  moment,  and  was  lost.  As  soon  as  they 
reached  the  surface,  Auberto  caused  himself  to  be  lowered 
again.  Perceiving  a  man  entangled  in  the  timbering  of  the 
lower  gallery,  he  drew  him  out,  threw  him  into  the  tub,  and 
was  drawn  up  at  the  moment  the  water  took  possession  of 
that  part  of  the  mine. 

Auberto  had  saved  six  lives,  and  would  have  saved  more, 
but  no  other  point  was  accessible,  the  whole  mine  being  then 
under  water. 

There  was  only  one  outlet  remaining,  and  this  had  been 
formed  by  the  breaking  of  the  ground  near  the  point  where 
the  waters  were  rushing  in.  Lights  were  seen  shining  there, 
and  ropes  were  thrown  in ;  but  the  violence  of  the  waters  in- 
creased, the  ground  fell  in  afresh,  this  last  outlet  became 
closed,  and  all  the  men  in  that  part  of  the  mine  were  drowned. 
In  half  an  hour  the  interior  of  the  mine  was  converted  into  a 


440  PLANS  FOR  BELIEF. 

lake.  The  air  and  gas  in  the  mine  were  compressed  by  the 
weight  of  the  water,  and  were  forced  out  through  fissures  in 
the  ground,  producing  the  effect  of  gunpowder,  throwing  the 
earth  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  in  some  cases  overturn- 
ing houses. 

Everybody  in  the  vicinity  rushed  to  the  mouth  of  the  mine, 
and  an  anxious  and  terrified  crowd  was  speedily  collected. 
The  engineers  and  superintendents  were  first  on  the  spot,  and 
were  speedily  joined  by  the  engineers  and  workmen  from  the 
neighboring  mines. 

No  immediate  relief  is  possible.  Perhaps  the  colliery  is 
only  a  vast  tomb,  for  out  of  a  hundred  and  thirty-nine  men 
who  entered  the  mine  in  the  morning,  only  twenty-nine  have 
escaped.  A  hundred  and  ten  are  scattered  in  the  interior 
of  the  mine,  some  at  one  point  and  some  at  another,  at  differ- 
ent depths  and  in  varying  conditions.  How  are  they  to  be 
found?  and  is  it  certain  that  even  one  of  them  is  living? 

A  dike  was  made  at  the  surface  to  keep  out  the  water,  and 
the  engineers  consulted  the  plan  of  the  mine,  in  order  to  de- 
vise the  surest  and  readiest  means  of  relief.  While  this  was 
being  done,  a  young  boy,  who  had  previously  been  employed 
in  the  mine,  entered  one  of  the  galleries,  and,  after  knocking 
for  some  time  on  the  walls,  thought  he  could  distinguish 
sounds  answering  to  his  own.  He  called  his  comrades,  and 
repeated  the  experiment  with  the  same  result.  The  engi- 
neers were  informed,  and  everybody  hastened  to  the  spot. 
M.  Parsan,  of  the  Imperial  School  of  Mines,  had  arrived  from 
Alais,  to  direct  the  work  of  salvage.  He  ordered  everybody 
to  maintain  the  most  perfect  silence,  and  then  he  made  a 
signal  by  knocking  with  a  pick  at  regular  intervals  of  time. 
He  has  written  an  exciting  account  of  these  operations. 

"  With  ears  resting  on  the  coal,"  he  says,  "  and  holding  our 
breath,  we  soon  heard,  with  profound  emotion,  extremely  faint, 
but  distinct  and  timed  blows,  —  in  fact,  the  miners'  signal,  — 
which  could  not  be  the  repetition  of  our  own,  because  we  had 
only  knocked  at  equal  intervals." 

Between  the  prisoners  and  their  rescuers  there  was  a  solid 


PUSHING  THE  WORK   OP  RESCUE.  441 

wall  more  than  sixty  feet  thick,  which  must  be  cut  through ; 
but  the  greater  part  of  the  miners  were  shut  up  in  the  mine. 
But  volunteers  were  ready  from  the  other  mines,  and  soon 
the  blows  of  the  pick  carried  hope  to  the  hearts  of  the  pris- 
oners. The  work  began  at  six  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the 
12th,  at  five  differents  points  in  the  gallery  where  the  sounds 
were  heard. 

The  five  drift-ways  were  made  towards  the  place  where  the 
sufferers  were  enclosed.  One  pickrnan  at  a  time  worked  in 
each  heading,  and  he  was  relieved  at  the  moment  when  he 
began  to  feel  wearied.  He  worked  with  all  his  energy,  and  the 
coal  which  he  removed  was  carried  away  in  baskets  as  fast  as 
it  was  detached.  The  labor  proved  more  difficult  in  conse- 
quence of  a  want  of  air,  and  it  became  necessary  to  put  up 
ventilators.  Sometimes  the  lamps  would  only  burn  in  front 
of  the  air-pipe.  At  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  14th, 
the  voices  of  the  imprisoned  colliers  could  be  heard.  "  There 
are  three  of  us,"  they  said ;  and  they  gave  their  names.  The 
coal  increased  in  hardness,  and  the  heat  became  unbearable. 
All  that  day  and  the  next  the  best  pickmen  went  to  the  front, 
hewing  the  coal  with  all  their  strength,  the  prisoners  all  the 
while  making  themselves  heard.  Finally,  at  midnight  of  the 
15th,  one  of  the  drift-ways  was  completed,  and  the  three  men 
were  reached. 

Only  two  were  alive.  The  youngest  was  sobbing,  the  other 
was  in  a  high  state  of  fever,  and  the  third,  an  old  man,  had 
been  unable  to  survive  the  trying  ordeal,  and  was  found  dead 
not  far  from  his  companions. 

The  two  survivors  were  covered  with  blankets,  refreshed 
with  cordials,  and  carried  to  the  hospital  of  the  mine,  where 
they  were  put  in  the  care  of  the  physician,  who  next  day  pro- 
nounced them  out  of  danger. 

The  work  of  rescue  had  continued  without  intermission  for 
seventy  hours.  On  calculating  the  amount  of  rock  and  coal 
removed  from  the  drift-ways,  it  was  found  that  a  full  month 
would  have  been  required,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  to 
do  the  work  which  had  been  performed  in  three  days. 


442  STORY   OP  THE  SUFFERERS. 

The  most  precise  details  of  the  circumstances  of  their  con- 
finement were  given  by  the  two  rescued  colliers.  They  were 
at  work  in  a  heading  when  the  water  was  heard  coming  upon 
them.  They  then  ran  to  the  upper  end  of  the  gallery,  where 
they  were  found — a  narrow  place  with  a  considerable  slope,  and 
very  slippery.  With  their  hands  and  the  hooks  of  their  lamps 
they  dug  a  little  place  in  the  shale  to  sit  down  in  ;  the  water  was 
up  to  their  feet,  and  they  were  in  a  sort  of  bell,  in  which  the 
air  was  highly  compressed.  They  felt  a  singing  noise  in  their 
ears,  and  for  a  time  they  lost  their  voices.  Their  lamps  went 
out-  for  want  of  oil.  They  tapped  with  the  heels  of  their  shoes 
on  the  walls  of  the  gallery  to  summon  assistance.  This  sound 
was  the  one  which  was  heard,  but  only  after  they  had  been 
imprisoned  twenty-four  hours ! 

Convinced  that  help  would  arrive,  the  eldest  of  the  three, 
the  one  who  was  destined  never  to  behold  the  light  of  day 
again,  shed  tears  of  joy*  Another,  mad  with  thirst,  descended 
into  the  level  with  the  water  up  to  his  armpits,  in  a  vain 
search  for  a  way  through  the  rubbish ;  but  he  afterwards  re- 
gained his  place,  being  guided  by  the  voices  of  his  compan- 
ions. The  youngest,  seventeen  years  of  age,  frequently  fell 
asleep,  and  would  have  fallen  into  the  water  but  for  the  help 
of  his  neighbor,  who  held  him  in  his  arms  like  a  child,  and  thus 
saved  him  from  death.  At  one  time  the  noise  of  the  ventila- 
tor connected  with  the  operations  of  their  preservers  reached 
their  ears,  when  they  imagined  that  a  new  influx  of  water  was 
about  to  occur,  and  they  became  discouraged.  The  old  man 
was  constantly  active.  Overcome  by^his  efforts,  he  slid  from 
his  resting-place  into  the  water,  and  was  drowned  without  a 
struggle,  and  without  uttering  a  cry.  Frozen  with  horror,  and 
held  motionless  in  their  places,  the  two  others  dared  not  move 
to  his  assistance,  and  they  even  refrained  from  announcing  the 
accident  to  those  who  were  working  to  relieve  them.  "  There 
are  three  of  us,"  they  cried,  when  in  reality  only  two  were 
alive. 

The  one  who  suffered  from  thirst  finally  determined  to  move, 
but  touching  the  dead  body  while  drinking,  he  clambered 


IN  DARKNESS  WITH  A   CORPSE.  443  * 

back  again.  Fatigue,  bad  air,  and  this  fearful  vicinity  to  a 
corpse,  rendered  him  delirious,  and  he  said  to  his  com- 
rade, "  Come,  let  us  leave  this."  The  other  was  frightened, 
and  in  order  to  divert  his  attention,  suggested  that  he 
should  go  and  drink  again.  He  we*nt,  and  returned,  striking 
against  the  dead  body  in  passing.  "  The  darkness,"  said  he, 
"  made  the  place  more  horrible  than  anything  I  had  ever 
imagined." 

In  the  mean  time  the  water  got  lower  in  the  level,  but  it 
was  cold  there,  and  the  two  captives  remained  in  their  places 
where  the  air  was  dry  and  warm,  though  constantly  growing 
more  impure.  At  last  they  were  recovered,  and  carried  into 
the  light  by  their  comrades.  By  a  strange  phenomenon  they 
had  lost  all  notion  of  time,  and  thought  they  had  not  been  in 
the  mine  more  than  twenty-four  hours.  Other  instances  of 
a  similar  nature  are  recorded.  Some  miners  of  Hainault, 
who  lived  twenty-five  days  shut  up  in  a  mine  during  an  in- 
undation, thought  they  had  only  been  there  eight  or  ten 
hours. 

While  the  operations  for  saving  the  lives  of  these  two  men 
were  in  progress,  other  works  were  undertaken,  with  the  view 
of  penetrating  the  interior  at  other  points.  Pits  were  dug  where 
the  miners  were  suspended  from  ropes  for  fear  of  explosions, 
while  other  workings,  which  had  been  injured  by  the  flood,  were 
repaired.  One  of  the  old  shafts  was  undergoing  repairs  at 
the  time  of  the  accident.  In  ordinary  times,  fifteen  days,  at  the 
least,  were  required  to  refit  the  engine,  put  up  the  ropes,  and 
get  everything  ready.  In  this  instance  everything  was  done 
in  four  days:  the  pumping  began  on  the  15th  of  October,  and 
was  not  again  interrupted. 

The  workmen  continued  to  bore  and  dig  shafts.  On  the 
24th  of  October,  thirteen  days  after  the  accident,  the  men 
working  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  heard  shouts.  Three  men 
were  still  alive,  only  separated  by  rubbish  and  a  vacant  space 
of  ground  from  the  point  where  the  workings  were  in  prog- 
ress. Disputes  arose  as  to  who  should  save  them,  each  man 
desiring  the  honor  of  going  down  first.  At  last  the  favor  was 
24 


444  A   CHILD   BURIED   IN   THE   COAL. 

given  to  one  of  the  overmen,  who  descended  and  found  two 
men,  who  clung  to  him,  and  begged  for  relief.  He  encouraged 
them,  and  fed  them  from  a  can  of  broth  which  he  carried.  In 
a  little  while  the  timbermen  made  the  place  secure,  and  the 
captives  were  brought  otft. 

A  third  prisoner,  a  child,  was  still  left.  His  comrades  de- 
scribed the  place  where  they  had  buried  him  in  the  coal  to 
keep  him  warmer.  The  engineer  hastened  to  the  spot,  and 
seized  the  child,  who  embraced  him  and  wept ;  the  three 
were  taken  at  once  to  the  hospital,  where  they  soon  found 
themselves  in  the  company  of  the  other  two,  who  had  already 
been  saved. 

Like  their  comrades  whose  story  I  have  just  told,  the  three 
last  colliers  had  fled  before  the  water  from  the  first  moment 
of  its  breaking  in,  and  finding  a  rubbish  passage  stopped  up, 
they  despairingly  made  an  opening  into  it.  They  afterwards 
clambered  to  the  heading  of  the  gallery  as  a  last  refuge. 
Their  lamps  were  out,  but  they  heard  the  water  rise,  and  re- 
treated before  it.  The  noise  occasioned  by  falls,  and  the 
breaking  of  timber,  as  well  as  the  sound  of  explosions  caused 
by  compressed  air,  reached  their  ears  distinctly,  like  a  fright- 
ful tumult,  which  seemed  to  announce  to  them  the  last  hours 
they  had  to  live.  One  of  them  had  a  repeating  watch,  which 
he  caused  to  strike  several  times ;  but  it  stopped  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  12th  of  October  at  a  quarter  to  three  o'clock. 
They  heard  the  noise  of  the  tubs  plunging  into  the  water  in 
two  adjacent  shafts.  They  conceived  the  idea  of  reckoning 
the  progress  of  time  by  means  of  the  short  intervals  of  rest 
caused  by  changing  the  gangs.  They  thus  formed  a  very 
near  guess  at  the  period  of  their  captivity,  which  they  reck- 
oned at  fifteen  days,  instead  of  thirteen. 

To  satisfy  their  hunger,  they  ate  the  rotten  wood  of  the 
timber  supports,  which  they  crumbled  in  water,  and  then 
devoured,  having  previously  eaten  their  leather  belts.  They 
could  quench  their  thirst  at  will,  and  that  sustained*  them. 
Afterwards  the  water  rose  to  where  they  were,  and  wet  their 
feet.  Subsequently  it  fell,  and  then  they  thought  of  fastening 


THIRTEEN  DAYS  IN  DARKNESS.  445 

one  of  their  boots  to  a  string  and  drinking  out  of  it.  Finding 
the  water  retiring,  the  child  resolved  to  go  in  search  of  an 
outlet.  Swimming  or  holding  on  by  the  walls,  he  groped  his 
way  along,  but  found  nothing.  Exhausted  and  chilled  with 
cold,  he  returned  to  his  companions,  who  lay  close  to  him  to 
warm  him,  and  then  covered  him  with  small  coal,  in  which 
position  he  was  found. 

These  men  were  liberated  after  being  shut  up  thirteen  days: 
the  temperature,  the  pressure,  and  the  composition  of  the  air 
in  which  they  were  found,  were  favorable  to  life,  and,  more- 
over, they  had  the  means  of  quenching  thirst.  Under  such 
conditions,  it  may  be  possible  to  live  a  month.  Our  nature 
can  endure  a  great  deal  when  it  is  compelled  to  exert  itself. 
The  energy  and  tenacity  of  life  are  great,  and  few  men  know 
how  much  they  can  undergo  until  they  are  driven  to  make  the 
experiment. 

Only  five  were  saved  in  this  catastrophe  at  the  mines  of 
Lalle.  All  the  rest  of  the  one  hundred  and  ten  perished. 
Drainage  of  the  mine  was  steadily  pushed  amid  innumerable 
accidents,  and  the  colliery  was  free  of  water  on  the  4th  of  the 
following  January,  fifty  million  gallons  of  water  having  been 
removed.  During  the  interval  the  bodies  were  slowly  dis- 
covered, and  heart-rending  was  the  spectacle  which  the  mouth 
of  the  shaft  presented  as  the  bodies  of  the  victims  were 
drawn  up,  relatives  and  friends  pressing  forward  and  endeav- 
ing  to  recognize  or  guess  at  some  well-known  face.  And  the 
scene  in  the  mine,  as  the  water  slowly  fell  and  the  bodies  were 
found  floating  on  the  surface  with  the  light  thrown  upon  them 
by  the  lamps  of  the  searchers,  is  described  as  horrible  in  the 
extreme. 

From  the  managers  to  the  humblest  workman,  everybody 
connected  with  the  rescue  did  his  full  duty.  Every  man 
vied  with  his  neighbor  in  doing  what  was  needed,  however 
difficult  it  might  be.  All  the  directors  of  mines  in  the  De- 
partment of  the  Gard,  assembled,  and  brought  their  overmen, 
surveyors,  and  workmen,  who,  in  every  instance,  gave  proof 


446  GOVERNMENT  MEDALS. 

of  a  courage  and  self-denial  which  never  failed  for  a  single 
moment.  The  government  bestowed  crosses  and  medals  upon 
those  who  rendered  material  assistance  in  the  rescue,  and  the 
sad  occurrence  will  long  be  *  remembered  in  and  around  the 
mines  of  Lalle. 


XXX 

PERILS    OF   THE    MINER. 

JTABROW  ESCAPE  OF  THE  AUTHOR.  —  CAUGHT  IN  A  LEVEL.  —  SETTLING  OF  THB 
ROOF.  —  BREAKING  TIMBERS.  —  A  PERILOUS  PASSAGE.  —  FALLING  OF  A 
ROOF.  — THREATENING  DANGERS.  — ADVENTURE  OF  GIRAUD,  THE  WELL- 
DIGGER.  —  CAUGHT  IN  A  FALL  OF  EARTH.  —  THREE  WEEKS  WITH  A  CORPSE. 
—  ONE  MONTH  WITHOUT  FOOD.  —  HOW  HE  WAS  RESCUED.  —  A  MINER 
COVERED  WITH  COAL.  —  HIS  RESCUE.  —  AN  IRISHMAN'S  JOKE.  —  INUNDA- 
TION.—  CURIOUS  THEORIES  OF  THE  MINERS.  —  EFFECT  OF  STRIKING  A 
VEIN  OF  WATER.  —  DRAWING  THE  MEN  IN  A  MINE.  —  THE  SEA  BREAK- 
ING IN.  —  CLOSING  THE  SHAFT.  —  A  TERRIBLE  STORY.  —  EXPERIENCE  OF  A 
FRENCH  ENGINEER.  —  CASUALTIES  AND  THEIR  NUMBER.  —  SUFFOCATION  OF 
THREE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-ONE  MEN  IN  ONE  MINE. 

I  WAS  once  in  a  mine  in  Colorado,  when  I  fervently  wished 
myself  out  of  it.  I  had  been  there  a  day  or  two  before,  and 
found  that  in  one  of  the  levels  I  was  just  able  to  stand  erect. 
At  the  visit  in  question  I  found  I  could  not  stand  erect  with- 
out hitting  my  head.  I  was  certain  that  I  had  not  grown  six 
inches  taller  in  the  mean  time,  and  I  accordingly  concluded 
that  the  roof  had  settled.  All  at  once,  while  proceeding  on 
my  walk,  I  was  astonished  at  hearing  a  crackling  sound 
behind  me  ;  and  on  looking  around,  I  discovered  that  some  of 
the  timbers  were  giving  way. 

Here  was  a  predicament.  The  breaking  timbers  were 
between  me  and  the  entrance  to  the  mine,  and  I  knew  that  if 
they  should  fall,  so  as  to  elose  up  the  passage,  I  should  be 
cut  off  from  escape. 

It  did  not  take  a  long  time  for  me  to  determine  what  to  do. 
At  the  risk  of  being  crushed  by  the  falling  timbers  and  rock, 
I  darted  backward,  extinguishing  my  light  in  the  rapidity  of 
my  movements,  and  becoming  wrapped  in  almost  complete 


448  AN  UNPLEASANT  PREDICAMENT. 

darkness.  Luckily,  however,  there  was  a  light  burning  in 
the  level ;  and  as  I  crept  among  the  breaking  timbers,  it  was 
as  welcome  to  me  as  the  polar  star  to  a  man  at  sea,  when  his 
compass  has  become  unreliable. 

Another  and  another  of  the  timbers  gave  way  as  I  walked, 
or  rather  crept,  beneath  them.  When  they  were  broken  in 
the  centre,  they  had  partly,  but  not  completely,  closed  the 
passage,  their  ends  being  held  firmly  in  the  rock.  I  managed 
to  reach  the  other  side,  and  as  soon  as  I  considered  myself 
safe,  I  turned  round  to  see  what  was  going  on.  The  timbers 
settled  very  slowly ;  there  was  no  one  on  the  level  beyond 
them ;  and  had  any  persons  been  there,  the  settling  of  the 
roof  was  so  slow,  that  they  would  have  had  plenty  of  time  for 
escaping. 

When  I  reached  the  outside,  I  made  a  vow  to  avoid  similar 
dangers  in  future,  and  it  was  some  time  before  I  again  ventured 
where  I  should  be  liable  to  a  similar  accident. 

Falls  of  the  roof  are  a  kind  of  danger  which  is  always 
thought  of  when  underground  works  are  considered.  In 
certain  kinds  of  rock  there  is  no  liability  to  occurrences  of 
this  sort.  The  roof  is  as  solid,  and  as  well  supported,  as  that 
of  any  house,  and  there  is  no  danger  of  its  yielding ;  but 
where  the  rock  is  slippery  and  loose,  or  where  the  ground 
is  soft,  the  peril  that  threatens  is  constant. 

Falls  of  earth  are  not  unfrequent  in  digging  wells.  Many 
a  man  has  lost  his  life  in  consequence. 

An  exciting  story  is  told  of  a  well-digger,  named  Giraud, 
who  was  excavating  a  well  near  Lyons,  about  twenty  years 
ago. 

The  earth  caved  in,  and  Giraud  found  himself  dashed  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hole  by  the  side  of  a  fellow-workman.  Luckily, 
the  timbers  fell  in  such  a  way  as  to  form  a  sort  of  arch  above 
their  heads,  and  thus  saved  them  from  being  crushed  at  once. 
Some  men,  who  were  above  at  the  time  of  the  accident, 
immediately  set  to  work  to  save  the  sufferers.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  dig  a  new  shaft  near  the  first,  and  then  connect  the 
two  by  a  drift-way,  which  would  reach  the  men  at  the  point 


TERRIBLE  FATE   OP  A  WELL-DIGGER.  449 

where  they  were  enclosed.  Their  efforts  were  constant,  but 
in  spite  of  them,  a  whole  month  was  spent  in  reaching  the 
spot,  as  fresh  falls  of  earth  were  constantly  occurring  in  the 
new  workings.  Giraud  and  his  comrade  could  hear  the  noise 
of  the  pick,  and  could  converse  with  the  workmen,  and 
assure  them  that  they  were  alive. 

At  the  end  of  a  week,  Giraud's  companion  died  of  exhaus- 
tion and  starvation.  Giraud  was  a  man  of  great  strength, 
both  of  mind  and  body,  and  bore  up  as  well  as  he  could  under 
his  suffering.  The  dead  body  of  his  companion,  which  lay 
near  him,  poisoned  the  little  air  he  had  to  breathe  ;  but  some- 
how he  lived  day  after  day  for  a  whole  month.  Every 
moment  his  rescuers  expected  to  reach  him,  when  some  fresh 
accident  occurred,  and  much  of  the  work  had  to  be  done  over 
again.  On  the  thirtieth  day  they  reached  the  prison,  and 
Giraud  was  saved. 

He  was  wasted  to  a  skeleton,  and  unable  to  stand.  His 
body  was  a  mass  of  sores ;  gangrene  had  attacked  all  his 
limbs,  caused  by  the  corpse  which  had  been  rotting  at  his 
side  for  three  weeks.  He  was  carried  to  the  hospital,  and 
every  attention  was  given  him  ;  but  he  had  suffered  too  much, 
and  died  within  a  month  of  the  day  of  his  rescue. 

Occasionally  masses  of  rock  drop  from  the  roof  without  the 
least  warning,  and  fall  upon  the  heads  of  the  miners.  Some- 
times a  man  may  escape  with  the  loss  of  a  limb,  or  he  may  be 
killed  outright.  In  other  cases,  the  walls  and  timbers  give 
way,  and  men  are  crushed  beneath  their  weight. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  miner  who  was  caught  by  the  fall  of 
some  coal  which  nearly  crushed  him,  but  he  had  sufficient 
strength  remaining  to  call  for  help.  A  comrade  heard  him, 
and  gave  the  alarm.  All  the  men  who  could  work  in  the 
small  space  were  immediately  gathered ;  and  a  part  of  the 
coal  having  been  removed  from  around  the  sufferer,  his  head 
and  one  of  his  hands  became  visible.  He  was  lying  on  his 
right  side  upon  the  floor  of  the  gallery,  with  his  legs  doubled 
beneath  him.  There  was  a  mass  of  broken  timber  above  him, 
so  that  he  could  not  move,  but  fortunately  his  chest  was  not 


450  AN  IRISHMAN'S  JOKE. 

compressed.  Air  was  supplied  him  by  means  of  a  ventilator 
and  a  tube.  The  rails  and  some  of  the  other  timbers  by 
which  he  was  enclosed  were  cut  through,  and  a  space  was 
opened  in  such  a  way  as  to  reach  him  from  below.  He  did 
not  lose  courage  a  moment ;  he  remained  perfectly  cool,  and 
gave  his  preservers  several  useful  suggestions.  Finally,  after 
six  hours  of  suffering,  he  was  removed. 

In  several  instances  miners  have  been  enclosed  in  such  a 
way  that  escape  was  impossible.  All  efforts  to  relieve  them 
were  unavailing,  and  those  who  remained  uninjured  from  the 
fall  of  the  rock  died  of  suffocation  or  starvation. 

Let  us  change  a  moment  from  the  horrible  to  the  ludicrous. 
A  few  months  ago,  an  Irishman,  who  was  digging  a  well  in 
Illinois,  left  his  work,  and  went  to  breakfast.  When  he 
returned,  he  found  that  the  earth  had  caved  in.  There  was  a 
clump  of  trees  a  few  yards  away,  and  after  looking  around  to 
ascertain  if  any  one  was  in  sight,  and  knowing  that  some 
friend  would  be  there  shortly,  he  took  off  his  coat,  hung  it 
upon  a  post,  and  then,  taking  his  shovel  and  pick,  retired  to 
the  shelter  of  the  trees.  He  had  just  concealed  himself,  when 
his  friends  made  their  appearance.  They  saw  the  coat  hang- 
ing upon  the  post,  and  they  saw  that  the  earth  had  caved  in. 
Immediately  concluding  that  their  friend  was  buried  below, 
they  set  at  work  to  rescue  him. 

They  worked  with  the  greatest  energy  for  two  or  three 
hours,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  had  removed  all  the  fallen 
earth.  But  no  Pat  was  there.  Just  as  they  were  wondering 
what  had  become  of  him,  he  walked  leisurely  from  his  place 
of  concealment,  and  thanked  them  for  what  they  had  done. 
At  first  they  were  inclined  to  be  indignant,  but  finally  con- 
cluded that  it  was  a  good  joke,  and  a  few  drams  of  bad 
whiskey  removed  all  differences. 

The  danger  of  underground  inundations  is  as  great  as  that 
of  falls  of  earth.  Water  is  constantly  accumulating  in  a  mine, 
and  sometimes  in  such  quantities  as  to  defy  all  attempts  to 
keep  it  under  control. 

Miners  have  curious  theories  about  streams  of  water  which 


FLOODING   A   MINE.  451 

enter  the  mines.  Some  of  the  English  miners  believe  the 
earth  is  alive,  and  they  compare  the  veins  of  water  in  the 
earth  to  the  veins  and  arteries  of  the  human  body.  Some- 
times they  say,  "  When  the  water  breaks  into  our  working- 
places,  it  is  the  Earth  which  revenges  itself  upon  us  for  hav- 
ing cut  one  of  his  veins."  The  Belgian  miners  have  the  same 
belief,  and  they  call  the  water  which  flows  out  of  the  coals, 
'  le  sang  de  la  veine,'  that  is,  i  the  blood  of  the  vein.'  " 

Inundations  of  mines  are  frequently  fatal.  Sometimes  the 
water  enters  with  great  force.  One  day,  in  an  English  coal 
mine,  the  water  fairly  drove  out  the  auger  with  which  the 
workmen  were  boring  a  hole.  It  came  as  if  from  the  nozzle 
of  a  fire  engine.  The  workmen  made  several  attempts  to 
plug  the  hole,  but  could  not,  and  were  driven  out.  A  few 
hours  later  the  mine  was  flooded.  Pumping  machinery  was 
set  up,  but  it  was  not  until  the  end  of  seven  years  that  the 
water  could  be  removed.  It  was  only  then  stopped  by  means 
of  banking,  that  prevented  its  further  entrance. 

In  a  mine  near  Newcastle,  many  years  ago,  there  was  an 
inundation  which  enclosed  ninety  men  in  a  place  where  it  was 
impossible  to  relieve  them.  Several  persons,  who  were  work- 
ing close  to  the  shaft  when  the  water  entered,  managed  to 
escape,  but  they  were  very  few  in  number.  The  accident 
occurred  in  May,  and  it  was  not  until  the  following  February 
that  the  bodies  of  the  drowned  men  were  recovered.  With 
one  exception  all  were  recognized. 

At  another  coal  mine,  which  was  worked  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  extended  a  distance  of  fifteen  hundred  yards  under 
the  Irish  j$ea,  the  manager,  in  his  anxiety  to  produce  a  large 
quantity  of  coal,  recklessly  cut  away  some  of  the  pillars 
which  supported  the  roof.  One  day  the  whole  neighborhood 
was  alarmed  with  the  report  that  the  mine  had  fallen  in.  The 
commotion  was  so  great  that  many  persons  on  the  shore  ob- 
served the  whirl  of  the  sea  directly  over  the  spot  where  the 
water  entered.  A  few  of  the  laborers  escaped,  but  thirty-six 
men  and  boys  were  drowned.  The  accident  happened  more 
than  thirty  years  ago.  The  coal  mine  is  now,  and  always 


452  DEATH  BY  SUFFOCATION. 

must  remain,  under  water,  and  the  bodies  have  never  been 
recovered. 

Some  of  the  most  terrible  mining  accidents  are  those  which 
occur  in  consequence  of  the  closing  of  the  shafts.  Where  a 
mine  has  two  shafts  there  is  little  liability  of  such  accidents ; 
but  where  there  is  only  a  single  shaft  the  danger  is  constantly 
threatening.  The  terrible  calamity  at  Avondale,  which  is 
fresh  in  the  minds  of  many  readers,  will  be  described  else- 
where. 

A  similar  accident  at  an  English  coal  mine,  a  few  years  ago, 
was  even  more  terrible  in  its  results  than  the  calamity  at 
Avondale. 

The  beam  of  the  pumping  engine  gave  way,  and  killed  five 
men  who  were  at  that  moment  coming  up  in  the  cage.  One 
hundred  and  ninety-nine  men  and  boys  were  then  working 
under  ground.  The  enormous  beam  of  the  engine  weighed 
more  than  forty  tons.  In  its  fall  it  carried  down  all  the  timbers 
of  the  shaft,  damaging  the  walls  in  several  places.  The  rubbish 
and  broken  timbers  accumulated  in  the  shaft,  and  closed  the 
only  mode  of  egress  for  the  miners.  The  beam  and  timber- 
ings cut  oft'  all^connection  between  the  interior  of  the  mine 
and  the  outside  world.  The  mine  was  furnished  with  venti- 
lating furnaces,  in  which  a  large  quantity  of  fuel  was  burning, 
and  it  was  supposed  that  the  imprisoned  miners  died  of  suffo- 
cation within  twenty-four  hours.  Some  of  the  men  who  were 
imprisoned  tried  to  force  an  outlet,  but  they  were  unable  to 
do  so,  and  died  in  the  effort. 

Many  accidents  of  this  kind  might  be  described.  In  the 
Various  coal-mining  countries  of  the  globe,  they  may  be  said, 
in  the  aggregate,  to  be  of  almost  weekly  occurrence.  Where 
the  owners  of  mines  neglect  or  decline  to  provide  their  works 
with  two  entrances,  it  is  imperatively  necessary,  for  the  pro- 
tection of  life,  that  the  law  should  interfere,  and  compel  them 
to  do  so. 

A  few  years  ago,  at  a  mine  in  France,  the  engineer  one  day 
observed  that  the  cages  did  not  work  properly  in  the  guides. 
Fifty-six  yards  below  the  surface  he  discovered  that  the  lin- 


ACCIDENT  AT  A   FRENCH  MINE.  453 

ing  of  the  shaft  deviated  from  the  perpendicular.  The  joints 
and  displacements  were  visible  at  several  points.  All  the 
men,  three  hundred  in  number,  were  ordered  to  leave  the 
mine. 

Men  went  down  the  shaft  to  cover  the  openings,  but  the 
result  was  only  to  create  fresh  ones.  For  the  next  two  days 
the  lining  of  the  shaft  repeatedly  cracked. 

The  planks  broke  one  by  one,  and  the  water  rushed  into  the 
works.  The  consulting  engineer  of  the  mine  was  called  in, 
and  when  he  arrived  he  descended  with  the  superintendent, 
both  of  them  in  fear  that  they  were  going  to  certain  death. 
Their  lamps  went  out  while  they  were  descending,  but  they 
carried  a  lantern,  which  was  hanging  to  the  bottom  of  the  tub 
in  which  they  descended.  By  the  light  of  this  lantern  they 
discovered  an  enormous  opening  in  the  middle  of  the  lining. 
Stone,  and  earth,  and  rubbish  were  continually  falling,  and  a 
torrent  of  water  ran  through. 

"  Let  us  go  up  again,"  said  the  engineer.  "  The  water  is 
master  of  the  situation,  and  all  hope  of  saving  this  working  is 
gone." 

In  relating  this  incident  afterwards,  the  engineer  said,  "  I 
lived  ten  years  in  half  an  hour.  My  hair  turned  white  in  that 
perilous  descent,  which  I  shall  never  forget  as  long  as  I  live." 

A  few  hours  afterwards,  holes  which  began  at  the  middle  of 
the  shaft  extended  from  top  to  bottom.  At  the  pit's  mouth, 
an  immense  opening  had  formed  nearly  forty  yards  in  diame- 
ter, and  ten  yards  deep.  Engine,  boilers,  buildings,  ma- 
chinery, and  scaffolding  gradually  fell  into  the  opening.  At 
each  movement  of  the  ground  a  fresh  ingulfment  took  place. 
The  sky  was  dark  and  covered  with  clouds.  The  timbering 
of  the  shaft  gave  out  sparks  under  the  enormous  friction 
which  was  caused  by  the  sudden  fracture  of  the  wood.  A 
peacock,  shut  up  in  the  neighboring  court-yard,  gave  signs 
of  alarm,  and  uttered  loud  cries  at  every  movement  of  the 
ground,  and  at  every  fresh  fall.  "No  poet  could  describe, 
nor  painter  represent,  the  desolating  spectacle  which  we  wit- 
nessed," said  the  engineer,  in  concluding  the  account  of  the 
occurrence. 


454  STATISTICS   OF  ACCIDENTS. 

In  this  country  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  give  correct  statis- 
tics of  the  number  of  lives  lost  by  these  accidents.  In  Great 
Britain  and  France  statistics  are  obtainable. 

In  those  countries,  according  to  the  report  of  the  inspectors 
of  mines,  about  one  half  the  mining  accidents  are  occasioned 
by  falls  of  the  roof  and  coal.  A  third  of  the  accidents  are 
in  the  shaft  in  various  ways.  The  remainder,  or  one  sixth  of 
the  casualties,  occur  from  blasting,  explosion  of  fire-damp, 
suffocation,  and,  finally,  inundation. 

According  to  an  English  report,  there  was  one  death  for 
every  two  hundred  and  sixteen  persons  employed  in  the 
mines.  It  was  estimated  that  one  life  was  lost  for  every  six- 
ty-eight thousand  tons  of  coal  obtained.  In  some  districts  of 
England  the  proportion  was  one  life  lost  for  every  twenty-two 
thousand  tons.  In  the  year  1866,  six  hundred  and  fifty-one 
lives  were  lost  from  explosions  of  fire-damp.  In  the  previous 
year  there  were  only  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight  deaths  from 
the  same  cause.  Altogether,  in  the  year  1866,  there  were 
fourteen  hundred  and  eighty-four  deaths  from  mining  acci- 
dents in  Great  Britain  alone.  The  total  number  of  deaths 
from  all  violent  causes  in  the  mines  of  Great  Britain,  in  ten 
years,  was  nine  thousand  nine  hundred  and  sixteen.  Twenty 
per  cent,  of  these  were  caused  by  fire-damp  explosions. 

The  greatest  number  of  lives  lost  at  any  one  time  through 
mining  accidents  was  at  the  Oaks  Colliery,  in  1866,  when 
three  hundred  and  sixty-one  miners  lost  their  lives. 

At  the  Hartley,  Wigan,  and  Bury  Collieries,  many  fearful 
accidents  have  taken  place  within  the  past  few  years,  where- 
by many  lives  were  lost.  These  accidents,  in  justice  to  the 
owners,  or  superintendents,  let  it  be  said,  are  not  always  due  to 
the  want  of  precaution  on  the  part  of  the  managers,  but  from 
gross  neglect,  or  through  non-observance  of  the  rules  under 
which  the  mine  is  worked.  For  example,  the  men  were  very 
careless  in  the  use  of  the  safety-lamps.  Every  lamp  is  locked 
before  it  is  given  out,  and  every  care  is  taken  to  prevent  its 
being  opened.  The  men  will  occasionally  amuse  themselves 
by  trying  to  pick  the  locks,  and  that,  too,  in  places  where  the 


GREAT  LOSS   OP  LIFE.  455 

air  is  full  of  explosive  gas.  So  accustomed  are  they  to  dan- 
ger, that  they  hold  it  in  great  contempt ;  and  the  result  is,  that 
fatal  accidents  were  much  more  common  than  if  men  were 
cautious  and  obedient. 

At  the  time  of  the  Oaks  Colliery  explosion,  great  sympathy 
was  manifested  throughout  England,  just  as  was  subsequently 
seen  in  the  Avondale  disaster  in  America.  For  days  after  the 
occurrence,  the  daily  papers  were  filled  with  long  details  of_ 
the  horror,  the  recovery  of  the  bodies  of  the  victims,  the  dis- 
tressing scenes  at  the  mouth  of  the  mine,  and  at  the  graveyard, 
and  the  brave  deeds  of  the  men  who  were  fortunately  absent 
from  the  mine  at  the  time  of  the  explosion. 

Subscriptions  were  opened  in  nearly  every  church  for  the 
benefit  of  the  survivors,  and  at  the  suggestion  of  Queen  Vic- 
toria, the  then  Lord  Mayor  of  London  and  Common  Council 
held  a  public  meeting  to  raise  money  for  the  families  of  the 
victims.  The  appeals  were  liberally  responded  to  through  the 
whole  country.  Many  of  the  wives  of  the  dead  miners  re- 
ceived life  pensions,  and  all  the  bereaved  families  were  placed 
above  immediate  want. 


XXXI. 

THE  MAMMOTH  CAVE. 

ROMANCE  AND  MYSTERY  OP  CAVES.  —  THE  FAMOUS  CAVES  OF  THE  WORLD.  — 
THE  GREATEST  CAVERN  ON  THE  GLOBE.  —  ITS  IMMENSE  FAME.  —  AMERI- 
CANS* NEGLECT  OF  IT.  —  CAUSE  OF  THEIR  INDIFFERENCE.  —  SITUATION  OF 
THE  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  —  ITS  MISERABLE  MANAGEMENT.  —  ANNOYANCES  AND 
IMPOSITIONS  PRACTISED  UPON  TOURISTS. — JOURNEY  THROUGH  THE  VAST 
TUNNEL. — WHAT  ONE  SEES,  FEELS,  AND  DOES. —  CONSUMPTIVE  GHOSTS. — 
WONDERS  OF  THE  STAR-CHAMBER.  —  DESCENT  INTO  THE  BOTTOMLESS  PIT. 
—  CROSSING  THE  STYX  AND  THE  LETHE.  —  MARVELLOUS  ECHOES.  — STAR- 
TLING ACCIDENTS.  —  WOMEN  IN  AWKWARD  SITUATIONS. 

CAVES  in  all  ages  have  been  associated,  not  only  with  mys- 
tery and  romance,  but  with  sorcery  and  superstition  of  every 
conceivable  kind.  Fable  and  tradition  have  converted  them 
into  the  abodes  of  demons  and  witches,  and  history  shows  that 
robbers'  and  law-breakers  have  always  made  them  places  of 
refuge  and  shelter.  Every  mountainous  or  picturesque  region 
I  have  visited  has  abounded  in  witches'  caves,  robbers'  caves, 
murderers'  caves,  and  caves  generally,  in  which  supernatural 
?ites  and  horrid  deeds  are  supposed  to  have  been  celebrated 
or  committed.  The  dark,  dreary,  and  weird  quality  of  many 
caves,  added  to  their  unique  and  fantastic  formation  and  un- 
certain windings  naturally  awake  a  feeling  of  awe,  and  appeal 
strongly  and  strangely  to  the  imagination. 

The  ancient  priests,  in  order  to  influence  favorably  the 
minds  of  the  ignorant,  pretended  that  the  divinities  they 
claimed  to  interpret  had  their  residence  in  deep  and  dreary 
caverns,  and  that  thence  they  revealed  their  mighty  purpose 
to  their  mortal  agents.  The  oracles  of  Delphos,  which  princes 
and  sages  were  wont  to  consult,  were  interpreted,  as  it  was 
assumed,  by  a  priestess  sitting  at  the  mouth  of  a  cave,  and 


MYSTERIES   OF  CAVES.  457 

claiming  to  predict  the  future  of  nations,  and  tell  the  destiny 
of  kings.  The  old  Norsemen  performed  their  barbarous  rites 
in  caverns ;  the  Indian  Brahmins  devoted  caverns  to  religious 
purposes,  and  from  natural  openings  in  the  rocks  constructed 
gorgeous  temples.  These  subterranean  chambers  were  doubt- 
less the  earliest  abodes  of  men,  and  even  now,  in  certain  un- 
civilized regions,  they  are  so  employed.  Petra  —  the  Selaand 
Joktheel  of  the  Bible  —  continues  to  be  visited  as  a  curiosity, 
because  its  ruins  plainly  indicate  that  its  inhabitants  dwelt 
in  spaces  hewn  out  of  the  solid  stone.  That  caverns  were 
used  for  the  dead  as  well  for  as  the  living  is  evinced  by  the 
Catacombs  of  Thebes,  Rome,  Naples,  and  Malta. 

The  greatest  caves  known  —  new  ones  are  constantly  being 
discovered  —  are  of  limestone,  and  of  comparatively  recent 
origin.  Geology  teaches  that  the  primary  formations  of  caves 
are  many,  though  small,  being  produced  by  the  action  of 
water  coursing  through  the  strata,  and  that  the  continuation 
of  this  process  for  ages  creates  the  vast  and  beautiful  cham- 
bers, which  all  of  us  are  so  fond  of  exploring.  Sweden  and  Nor- 
way boast  of  granite  vaults,  especially  Marienstadt,  of  extraordi- 
nary dimensions,  though  some  of  them  have  been,  as  yet,  but 
partially  penetrated.  The  vicinity  of  Quito  contains  caves  of 
modern  porphyry,  and  the  Isle  of  France  caves  of  lava.  Gurt- 
shellir  is  a  cavern  of  lava  in  Iceland,  forty  feet  high,  fifty 
broad,  and  one  mile  long.  The  caves  of  Agtelek  in  Hungary, 
and  of  Adelsberg  in  Carniola,  —  the  latter  noted  for  its  trans- 
parent white  pillars  and  brilliant  stalactites,  —  are  among  the 
most  remarkable  in  Europe. 

Adelsberg  has  an  unusual  interest  for  naturalists,  because  a 
strange  reptile,  called  the  proteus,  half  a  lizard  and  half  an  eel, 
has  its  habitat  there.  It  has  an  extremely  elastic  constitution, 
and  an  extraordinary  adaptability,  as  may  he  inferred  from  the 
fact  that  it  subsists  equally  well  on  land  or  in  water,  imbedded 
in  rock  or  buried  in  mud,  requiring  neither  air  nor  light,  food 
nor  drink,  for  the  sustainment  of  its  existence.  What  an  ex- 
cellent litterateur  the  proteus  would  be  as  respects  its  limited 
necessities  !  If  it  happened  to  be  an  unappreciated  genius, 


458  THE   CAVE   OP  GUACHARO. 

like  most  literary  men,  it  need  not  feel  any  concern,  for  it 
could  afford  to  wait  until  the  world  had  come  round  to  it,  and 
the  age  had  grown  worthy  of  its  thought.  Fame,  being  a 
bubble,  and  therefore  air,  could  not  injure  the  nondescript 
creature,  nor  could  the  throwing  of  mud,  as  is  the  custom  of 
journalists,  mar  it  in  the  least.  Much  as  it  might  be  in  (hot) 
water,  it  would  not  be  troubled,  and  as  to  detraction  and 
misrepresentation,  its  house  would  be  (occasionally  at  least) 
built  upon  a  rock,  and  would  therefore  stand  firm. 

In  Venezuela  is  the  celebrated  cave  of  Guacharo,  among 
the  loftiest  precipices  of  the  mountain  range ;  the  entrance 
being  through  a  gloomy  ravine,  running  above  a  subterranean 
stream,  the  banks  of  which  are  covered  with  luxurious  vege- 
tation. Guacharo,  as  the  name  implies,  is  the  resort  of  im- 
mense quantities  of  night  birds,  and  their  harsh  notes  resound- 
ing through  its  dismal  recesses  gave  it  the  reputation,  with 
the  ignorant  natives,  of,  being  the  abode  of  the  devil  and  his 
imps.  For  generations  they  have  had  traditions  of  dreadful 
ceremonies  and  hideous  orgies  held  there,  and  have  believed 
that  many  wicked  persons  have  been  seized  by  the  imps,  car- 
ried into  and  tortured  in  those  awful  recesses.  They  would 
not  enter  the  cavern  for  any  earthly  consideration,  sincerely 
believing  that  to  do  so  would  insure  the  loss  of  their  souls. 
Humboldt,  so  far  as  known,  was  the  first  man  who  ever  set 
loot  within  Guacharo  ;  and  he  then  succeeded,  after  unwearied 
patience  and  perseverance,  in  inducing  a  certain  number  of 
natives  to  accompany  him  as  guides.  They  had  not  proceeded 
far,  however,  when  the  clamor  of  the  birds  so  terrified  them 
that  they  fled,  in  spite  of  every  effort  of  the  great  naturalist 
to  calm  their  superstitious  fears. 

Near  Iletski,  in  Russia,  is  a  freezing  cave,  so  called  because, 
reversing  the  order  of  the  seasons,  it  is  partially  filled  with  ice 
in  the  summer,  and  altogether  free  from  ice  in  the  winter. 
Not  a  few  of  the  caverns  of  the  old  world  have  been  found  to 
contain  the  bones  of  extinct  species  of  animals.  One  of  these, 
at  Kirkdale,  in  Yorkshire,  was  discovered  about  half  a  century 
ago,  and  in  it  wero  quantities  of  remains  of  bears,  lions,  tigers, 


THE   GREATEST    CAVE   IX   THE   WORLD.  459 

fiyenas,  and  hippopotami,  all  of  orders  that  had  passed  away. 
It  is  presumed  that  the  Kirkdale  cave  was  for  a  long  while  a 
vast  den  of  hyenas,  and  that  some  great  inundation  destroyed 
them  and  their  kind. 

The  greatest  cave  known  on  the  globe  is  the  Mammoth  Cave 
of  Kentucky,  situated  in  Edmonson  County,  near  the  Green 
River,  ninety-four  miles  from  Louisville,  and  nine  miles  from 
Cave  City,  the  station  on  the  Louisville  and  Nashville  Railway 
where  passengers  get  off  when  they  wish  to  visit  tho  cele- 
brated cavern.  The  Mammoth  Cave  is  world-renowned.  I 
have  found  that  the  people  of  every  nation,  even  our  antipodes, 
are  acquainted  with  it,  though  that  may  be  the  only  thing  in 
America  of  which  they  have  any  clear  apprehension.  I 
question  if  there  be  any  other  natural  curiosity  half  so  well 
known  as  that.  Never  have  I  travelled  in  any  domain  inhab- 
ited by  intelligent  people,  who  had  not  only  heard  of  it,  but 
who  did  jiot  have  something  like  accurate  information  respect- 
ing its  extent  and  peculiarities.  Famous  as  it  is,  and  easy  of 
access,  comparatively  few  of  our  countrymen  have  explored 
it.  Indeed,  the  very  ease  of  its  access  has  prevented  a  great 
many  persons  from  going  there  who  would  otherwise  have 
gone.  What  we  can  do  at  any  time  we  are  not  likely  to  do 
at  all ;  for  any  time  is  really  no  time.  I  have  met  residents 
of  Naples  who  had  never  ascended  Vesuvius,  or  seen  the 
ruins  of  Pompeii.  I  am  acquainted  with  citizens  of  Schaff- 
hansen  who  have  never  set  eyes  on  the  magnificent  Rhine 
Falls.  There  are  Parisians  who  have  never  been  in  the  Louvre 
Gallery,  or  the  Park  of  Versailles ;  Romans  who  have  never 
stood  before  the  Apollo,  tho  Laocoon,  or  the  Transfiguration  ; 
Athenians  who  have  never  been  within  the  Parthenon ;  Cai- 
rines  to  whom  the  pyramids  are  a  dream ;  denizens  of  St. 
Petersburg  unacquainted  with  Moscow  ;  Viennese  ignorant  of 
the  Belvedere  and  Schonbrunn ;  Berlinese  unfamiliar  with 
Potsdam,  and  cultivated  Londoners  who  have  never  made  a 
pilgrimage  to  Stratford,  to  the  tomb  of  the  most  wonderful 
genius  the  world  has  yet  shown. 

It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  Kentuckians,  liberal  as 
25 


460  A  SWINDLING   MANAGEMENT. 

their  state  vanity  is,  should  often  die  without  "  doing  "  the 
Mammoth  Cave.  I  remember  how  often  I  went  within  a  few 
miles  of  the  cave  before  I  took  the  trouble  to  visit  it,  and 
that,  finally,  dissatisfied  with  myself  for  its  long  neglect,  I 
made  a  special  journey  from  New  York  to  carry  out  my  much 
deferred  purpose.  For  several  years  a  branch  railway  has 
been  talked  of  from  Cave  City  to  the  Cave  ;  but  it  has  never 
been  built,  needful  as  it  is  in  the  saving  of  time.  Eighteen 
miles  of  coaching,  in  these  rapid  and  driving  days,  appear  to 
the  average  traveller  considerable  of  a  task  ;  and  when  to  this 
is  added  the  two  full  days  required  for  an  exploration  of  the 
enormous  cavern,  it  is  easy  to  understand  why  so  many  per- 
sons refuse  to  examine  the  subterranean  chamber  lying  along 
the  Green  River. 

You  cannot  do  the  cave  in  much  less  than  four  days,  owing 
to  the  determination  of  the  coach-driver  and  the  keeper  of 
the  hotel  to  delay  tourists  as  much  as  possible.  I  still  recall 
my  first  experience,  and  the  second  and  third  have  not  been 
in  any  essential  respect  dissimilar.  The  train  reached  Cave 
City  at  twelve  o'clock,  but  the  vehicle  that  was  to  convey  me 
to  the  vast  cavern  would  not  leave  for  more  than  two  hours, 
this  arrangement  being  entered  into  by  interested  parties  to 
secure  each  passenger  for  dinner  at  the  railway  station  inn. 

The  conveyance  takes  its  departure  very  leisurely,  and 
before  you  are  fairly  inside  or  outside,  as  the  case  may  be, 
you  are  obliged  to  pay  not  only  your  fare  to  the  cave,  but 
your  fare  back,  even  if  you  have  no  intention  of  returning  for 
a  month.  This  ruffles  most  people,  and  impregnates  them 
with  the  notion  that  the  astuteness  of  negotiations  in  that 
neighborhood  is  not  far  removed  from  swindling  —  a  notion 
apt  to  be  strengthened  as  they  go  on.  Arriving  at  the  Mam- 
moth Cave  Hotel,  a  great,  rambling,  ill-kept,  uncomfortable 
collection  of  frame  buildings,  of  the  kind  of  which  travellers 
in  the  South  cannot  be  ignorant,  you  are  informed  that  you 
are  too  late  to  enter  the  cave  on  that  day. 

There  are  two  routes  —  the  long,  and  short ;  the  former 
extending  nine  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and  the 


DISCOVERY   OF  THE   CAVE.  461 

latter  three  miles.  The  day  following  you  cau  do  either  of 
these,  but  if  you  want  to  do  both  you  must  remain  two  days. 
There  is  no  need  of  this,  since  a  strong  man,  accustomed  to 
exercise,  can  make  the  double  subterranean  journey  in  ten  or 
twelve  hours  without  difficulty.  Were  he  to  do  so,  however, 
the  rustic  Boniface  would  lose  the  price  of  one  day's  board ; 
and  hence  the  tourist  must  be  put  to  serious  inconvenience 
and  delay  for  merely  mercenary  reasons.  Men  frequently 
offer  to  pay  twice  or  thrice  the  rate  of  the  day's  board  for  the 
privilege  of  making  the  entire  underground  journey  in  a 
single  day.  This  is  refused,  because  it  would  fully  expose 
the  trick,  and  give  an  opportunity  for  victims  to  advertise  the 
fraud. 

You  may  grumble  —  that  is  the  privilege  of  every  free- 
born  citizen  —  but  you  can't  help  yourself.  The  public  house 
employs  the  guides,  and  the  guides  will  do  nothing  contrary 
to  the  annoying  and  cheating  customs  it  has  established. 
The  hotel,  the  coachmen,  and  the  guides,  are  in  league  one 
with  the  other,  and  as  there  is  only  one  Mammoth  Cave,  and 
only  one  way  of  getting  into  it,  if  you  are  really  determined 
to  see  it,  you  may  growl  and  swear  as  much  as  you  please, 
but  you  must  conform  to  the  rules  that  have  been  laid  down 
for  the  private  benefit  of  the  little  ring,  and  for  your  own  dis- 
advantage. 

The  cave  was  accidentally  discovered  some  seventy  years 
ago  by  a  hunter,  and  ten  years  later  was  worked  for  the  pur- 
pose of  procuring  saltpetre  ;  the  company  so  engaged  finding 
it  unprofitable,  and  at  last  abandoning  it  to  curiosity-seekers. 
The  property  belonged  originally  to  a  Dr.  Croghan,  who  died 
some  years  since,  leaving  it  to  the  heirs  of  the  [General]  Jes- 
sup  estate.  These  heirs  are  so  anxious  to  make  money  out 
of  it,  and  so  narrow  at  the  same  time,  that  they  have  adopted 
a  penny-wise  and  pound-foolish  policy.  They  will  not  lease 
the  hotel  for  a  period  of  more  than  five  years,  and,  conse- 
quently, no  lessee  can  be  had  who  will  make  such  improve- 
ments in  the  house  and  grounds  as  are  needed.  They  are 
very  fearful  that  a  new  entrance  to  the  cave,  beyond  the 


462  A  NARROW  AND   MISTAKEN  POLICY. 

limits  of  their  real  estate,  will  be  discovered ;  and  for  this 
reason  all  visitors  are  forbidden  to  carry  compasses,  or  make 
topographical  observations  upon  the  bearings  or  directions  of 
the  great  natural  tunnel.  They  have  purchased,  since  1860, 
some  three  thousand  acres  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
cavern,  from  their  apprehension  that  on  the  land  which  they 
so  acquire  another  gateway  might  be  found.  They  realize, 
I  have  been  told,  from  fifteen  thousand  dollars  to  twenty 
thousand  dollars  per  annum  from  the  fees  (two  dollars  each  for 
the  short,  and  three  dollars  each  for  the  long  route)  charged 
inflexibly  to  every  tourist.  They  might  make  more  than 
twice  as  much  by  putting  up  a  good  hotel,  building  a  railway 
to  Cave  City,  and  dealing  fairly  with  travellers.  Numerous 
capitalists  have  tried  in  vain  to  buy  the  cave  property ;  but 
its  owners,  or  the  executors,  will  not  sell.  They  refuse  them- 
selves to  do  anything  for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  even  when 
their  interest  prompts,  and  they  refuse  to  allow  anybody  else 
the  desirable  privilege.  This  cannot  very  long  continue, 
however.  Time  removes  hunkses  as  well  as  difficulties,  and 
cures  meanness  by  putting  it  under  ground. 

The  region  about  the  cave  is  very  high,  —  four  hundred 
feet  above  Cave  City,  —  and  is  said  to  be  superlatively  salu- 
brious. The  neighborhood  is  very  sparsely  settled,  but  dwell- 
ers in  it,  according  to  popular  report,  are  compelled  to  move 
away  when  they  wish  to  die  ;  and  hence  it  happens  that 
wealthy  old  uncles  and  disagreeable  mothers-in-law  are  always 
informed  that  Edmonson  County  is  one  of  the  most  unhealthy 
localities  on  this  continent. 

Game,  such  as  quail,  rabbits,  wild  turkey,  and  even  deer, 
is  abundant  there,  which,  with  the  good  fishing  in  the  Green 
Kiver,  less  than  a  mile  distant  from  the  public  house,  should 
recommend  the  vicinity  to  sportsmen,  and  would  unquestion- 
ably, if  the  accommodations  were  what  they  ought  to  be. 
As  it  is,  most  visitors  get  so  vexed  with  the  obnoxious  ar- 
rangements appertaining  to  the  Cave  that  they  hurry  off  after 
exploring  it,  and  seldom  go  back.  Even  their  memories  of 
its  grandeur  are  infected  with  the  Little  Peddlington  spirit 


TEMPERATURE   OP  THE   CAVE.  463 

of  its  management,  and  the  poetry  of  the  place  overlaid  with 
the  prose  of  its  accompanying  sordidness. 

Nearly  all  the  old  guides  familiar  to  visitors  before  the 
War,  when  Bell's  Tavern  was  the  starting-point  for  the  under- 
ground journey,  have  yielded  to  nature  and  to  circumstance. 
One  of  the  ancient  band,  however,  Sara  Meredith,  still  lingers, 
—  at  least,  he  did  a  year  or  two  ago  —  and  is  a  genuine  au- 
tochthon. He  has  been  a  guide  for  a  quarter  of  a  century ; 
was  born  on  the  spot,  and  has  never  been  twenty  miles  be- 
yond the  limits  of  the  county.  He  is  naturally  intelligent, 
though  he  can  neither  read  nor  write ;  but  he  makes  up  for 
these  slight  defects  of  education  by  his  skill  with  the  rifle. 
He  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  shots  in  Kentucky ;  has  a 
wife  and  children,  and  a  small  farm ;  receives  fifteen  dollars  a 
month ;  does  not  know  that  the  world  is  round ;  believes 
Paris,  in  Kentucky,  is  the  capital  of  civilization,  and  is,  on  the 
whole,  as  contented  a  mortal  as  I  have  ever  met. 

In  addition  to  the  short  and  long  routes  already  mentioned, 
the  great  cavern  has  a  vast  number  of  avenues  and  branches, 
many  of  which  remain  as  yet  unexplored.  All  these  ramifica- 
tions, taken  together,  would  give  a  length  to  the  cave,  it  is 
said,  of  nearly  three  hundred  miles.  Its  temperature,  all  the 
year  round,  is  59°  Fahrenheit.  The  interior  air  is  believed 
to  be  much  purer  than  that  of  the  outer  world,  and,  on  ac- 
count of  its  elasticity  and  sweetness,  to  be  remarkably  invig- 
orating. There  seems  some  foundation  for  this  opinion,  inas- 
much as  tourists  can  make  much  more  exertion,  and  endure 
much  more  fatigue,  in  that  underground  region  than  they  can 
on  the  ordinary  surface  of  the  earth.  I  have  observed  weak 
men  and  delicate  women  perform  acts  of  pedestrianism  which 
astonished  themselves,  and  of  which  they  would  be  incapable 
outside  the  mouth  of  the .  cavern.  I  know  that  I  have  done 
thirty  miles  in  those  sombre  recesses  in  a  few  hours  without 
being  jaded  in  the  least,  and  on  one  occasion  I  accomplished 
the  last  mile  of  the  long  route  —  the  roughest  and  most  diffi- 
cult of  all  —  in  eleven  minutes  by  a  stop  watch,  which  the 
guide  pronounced  the  best  cave  time  on  record. 


464  DRESSED   FOR  THE   EXPEDITION. 

My  last  visit  to  the  cave  was  during  the  spring  of  1870. 
Early  as  the  season  was,  I  found  at  the  hotel  about  a  dozen 
persons  bent  on  the  same  errand.  Seven  or  eight  of  them 
were  anxious  to  traverse  the  long  route,  and  as  that  was  my 
purpose  also,  we  rose  betimes,  and  prepared  ourselves  for  the 
journey.  There  were  several  ladies  in  the  party,  and  they 
were  obliged  to  part  with  their  hooped  skirts  and  city  attire, 
and  put  on  water-proof  cloaks,  with  the  simplest  possible 
arrangement  of  their  hair  and  toilet.  We  tyrants  of  the  race 
donned  some  old  clothes,  heavy  boots,  and  caps,  each  taking  a 
lamp  attached  to  long  wires,  so  that  we  could  hold  it  easily 
and  swing  it  as  we  walked  along.  Our  conductor,  who  was 
no  other  than  Sam  Meredith,  looked  very  carefully  after  our 
lamps,  to  see  if  they  were  properly  supplied  with  oil  and 
properly  trimmed,  since  the  consequences  of  having  one's 
light  go  out  in  those  desolate  chambers,  and  of  being  left  in 
awful  solitude  and  darkness,  —  perhaps  forever,  —  are  in  no 
manner  pleasant  to  contemplate.  At  different  parts  of  the 
cave,  small  tanks  of  oil  are  kept,  from  which  the  lamps  may 
be  replenished  in  case  of  accident,  and  these  have  proved  to 
be  invaluable  in  numerous  instances. 

Eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  was  our  hour  for  starting,  and 
though  we  had  become  acquainted  the  evening  previous,  we 
were  so  changed  in  appearance  —  thanks  to  our  simple  attire 
—  that  we  were  scarcely  able  to  recognize  one  another  when 
we  assembled  for  the  march. 

The  masculine  excursionists  had  not  undergone  such  a 
metamorphosis  as  our  feminine  friends,  whose  mothers  would 
have  been  excusable  for  not  knowing  them  in  the  Spartan 
severity  of  their  costumes.  One  young  lady,  whom  I  had 
thought  quite  pretty,  was  anything  but  pretty  in  the  absence 
of  her  usual  chevelure  and  modish  robes.  Another  girl,  still 
in  her  teens,  who  had  appeared  decidedly  plain,  really  shone 
with  comeliness  and  grace  in  her  water-proof  and  generally 
dishevelled  state.  Her  common  raiment  so  set  her  off  that  I 
was  obliged  to  conclude  that  none  of  her  personal  charms 
depended  on  her  wardrobe,  and  that  the  less  she  wore  the 
lovelier  she  seemed. 


A   GROTESQUE   COSTUME.  465 

A  bright  and  intellectual  widow,  to  whom  years  had  brought 
a  breadth  of  figure  in  which  Hogarth's  line  of  beauty  could 
not  be  traced,  looked  positively  grotesque  in  her  unique 
garments.  Agility  acknowledged  no  kinship  with  her,  and 
symmetry  was  unquestionably  of  alien  blood.  She  expressed, 
from  the  beginning,  her  scepticism  as  to  her  endurance,  and 
particularly  inquired  of  our  rustic  fugleman  if  she  could  rest 
a  little  on  the  way,  provided  she  should  happen  to  be  spent. 
As  we  set  out,  she  evinced  a  lack  of  physical  elasticity  and 
clearness  of  movement  that  foreboded  ill  to  her  success.  But 
for  the  gallantry  due  to  all  her  sex,  I  should  say  she  waddled, 
and  presented  such  a  figure  that,  if  Cruikshank  had  caught  a 
glimpse  of  her,  he  would  have  claimed  her  for  his  own. 

We  were  off  at  last,  and  in  a  few  minutes  were  before  the 
mouth  of  the  mighty  Kentucky  marvel.  There  is  nothing 
remarkable  in  the  mouth,  which  conveys  the  impression  of  a 
decayed  and  abandoned  culvert,  and  such  I  should  take  it  to 
be,  had  I  not  known  otherwise.  The  path  by  which  you  enter 
is  damp  and  slippery,  unless  in  very  dry  weather,  and  the 
opening  of  the  cavern  promises  none  of  the  wonders  that  the 
interior  reveals. 

After  going  less  than  a  hundred  yards,  we  lost  the  spot  of 
daylight  which  the  mouth  furnished,  and  were  wrapped  in 
such  shadows  as  might  have  marked  primeval  chaos.  Our 
little  lamps  displaced  so  small  a  part  of  the  thick  darkness 
that  the  vast  volumes  which  remained  grew  blacker  than 
ever.  The  air  was  so  full  of  oxygen  as  to  be  sensible  at  once, 
and  I  could  not  help  but  notice  an  inflation  of  my  lungs  and  a 
lightness  of  my  limbs,  such  as  one  feels  on  mountain-tops. 
My  spirits  rose  rapidly,  and  my  mood  grew  involuntarily  hi- 
larious. I  jested  constantly,  I  laughed  at  the  smallest  trifle. 
Buoyancy  was  in  every  breath,  and  a  mercurial  quality,  by  a 
strange  paradox,  in  the  surrounding  gloom.  The  cave,  if 
not  delightful,  was  exhilarating  in  the  highest  degree,  and  I 
fancied  it  would  be  agreeable  to  spend  nights  there.  I  should 
say  days,  if  the  word  did  not  convey  an  impression  of  light. 
The  effect  of  the  place  on  me  was  entirely  different  from  that 


466  A   EEFUGE   OF   BATS. 

of  the  Paris  Catacombs,  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  oxygenated 
air.  The  peculiarity  of  my  temperament,  however,  which,  by 
a  principle  of  antagonism,  reflects  the  opposite  of  surround- 
ings, must  have  had  something  to  do  with  it.  Society  which 
is  considered  the  gayest  oppresses,  and  graveyards  enliven 
me.  It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  Mammoth  Cave, 
apart  from  its  atmosphere,  should  animate  my  spirits. 

We  noticed  that  the  walls  and  roof  of  the  cavern  were  fres- 
coed with  bats  hanging  by  their  claws,  heads  downward, 
though  some  of  them  were  flying  nimbly  about  in  the  dark- 
ness, evidently  disturbed  by  the  glare  of  our  torches,  and  the 
noise  of  our  speech.  During  the  winter  they  assemble  there 
in  such  quantities  that  the  curves  of  the  cave  are  black  with 
them.  Their  flitting  through  the  thick  gloom,  relieved  only 
by  the  flare  and  glare  of  the  lamps  (added  to  the  hollow  and 
dreary  echoes  awakened  by  our  voices,  and  succeeded  every 
few  moments  by  an  oppressive  stillness),  made  those  vast 
limestone  chambers  appear  so  dismal  that  the  women  of  the 
party  declared  they  should  go  mad  if  forced  to  remain  in  them 
for  any  length  of  time. 

Very  soon  we  came  to  the  remnants  of  a  number  of  rude 
habitations  erected  in  1845,  and  inhabited  by  certain  consump- 
tives who  had  been  recommended  to  try  the  equable  tempera- 
ture and  pure  air  of  the  tunnel,  with  the  hope  that  their  lungs 
might  be  healed.  The  poor  patients  had  high  expectations 
from  living  there,  and  though  their  first  experience  was  not 
favorable,  they  remained  several  months,  unwilling  to  believe 
that  they  would  not  be  ultimately  helped.  The  longer  they 
remained,  the  worse  they  grew.  After  a  while  their  faces 
became  livid  ;  the  pupils  of  their  eyes  expanded,  and  darkened 
until  the  iris  was  invisible,  having  the  appearance  of  two  spots 
burning  above  a  deathly  pallor.  They  lost  every  particle  of 
flesh;  crept  gloomily  about,  coughing  so  hollowly  as  to  sug- 
gest the  sound  of  the  first  earth  falling  upon  a  coffin-lid  ;  and 
added  to  the  natural  dreariness  of  the  vault  a  hundred-fold. 
Everybody  saw  and  knew  that  they  were  tottering  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave ;  and  yet,  such  was  their  hope  —  a  distinct 


AN   UNSUCCESSFUL  SANITARY  EXPERIMENT.  467 

and  inseparable  accompaniment  of  the  disease  —  that  they 
could1  not  be  persuaded  to  quit  that  purgatory.  They  even 
imagined  they  were  improving,  and  insisted  that  they  were 
stronger,  when  they  could  not  drag  their  leaden  limbs  after 
them. 

The  preciousness  of  existence  (to  most  persons)  was  strik- 
ingly illustrated  in  those  poor  consumptives  who  had  no  hold  on 
life,  and  still  could  not  be  resigned  to  death.  One  would  think 
that  serious  trouble  with  the  lungs  would  disarm  the  grave  of 
most  of  the  terrors  it  is  popularly  supposed  to  have  (those 
who  have  had  much  familiarity  with  death  are  aware  that  this 
is  an  error),  since  it  destroys  all  physical  comfort,  and  all 
mental  peace.  And  yet  quite  the  contrary  is  true.  Generally, 
no  man  is  so  unwilling  to  order  the  undertaker  as  the  man 
who  has  long  suffered  from  consumption,  which  shows  how  in- 
consistent and  unreasonable  human  nature  is,  especially  after 
it  has  been  badgered  by  doctors  and  dosed  with  drugs. 

Finally  three  or  four  of  the  consumptives  expired  in  the 
cavern,  —  there  were  nearly  twenty  of  them  in  all,  —  and  the 
remainder  having  it  borne  in  upon  them  that  neither  consump- 
tion nor  the  Mammoth  Cave  could  insure  immortality,  they 
consented  to  be  removed.  Every  one  of  them  died  —  if  they 
could  be  considered  to  have  been  in  any  true  sense  alive  — 
within  a  few  weeks  after  their  return  to  the  sky  and  the  sun- 
light. But  the  history  of  their  residence  in  those  dreary 
chambers  will  be  remembered  for  generations,  and  in  4873 
will  have  become  one  of  the  traditions  of  the  cave,  so  altered 
and  exaggerated  that  very  few  of  the  positive  facts  will  be 
left  or  allowed  to  mar  the  poetic  and  romantic  version  the 
current. 

The  cavern  varies  greatly  in  width  and  height,  and  so  many 
avenues  branch  off  from  it,  that  it  would  be  almost  impossible 
to  thread  your  way  without  a  guide.  ^  large  part  of  the 
passages  have  been  explored  at  different  times ;  but  some  of 
them  are  virgin  yet.  The  majority  of  the  branches  end  on 
the  bank  of  the  river,  and  it  is  very  strange  that  new  mouths 
to  the  tunnel  have  not  been  discovered.  It  is  not  improbable 


468  UNDERGROUND   CHURCH. 

that  they  have  been ;  but  the  owners  of  the  property,  as  I 
have  said,  are  so  fearful  of  suffering  from  a  rivalry  in  the 
show  business  that  they  would  be  the  last  to  disclose  any  such 
fact.  Different  quarters  of  the  cavern  are  differently  named, 
according  to  their  actual  or  fancied  resemblance  to  the  titles 
they  bear.  It  requires  a  deal  of  imagination  to  trace  the 
similitude  sometimes,  though  at  others  it  is  apparent  at  the 
first  glance. 

The  Methodist  Church,  one  of  the  first  localities  of  note,  is 
a  semicircular  chamber,  in  which  a  ledge  of  a  rock  represents 
the  pulpit.  Theological  service  has  been  performed  there, 
and  the  logs  brought  in  for  seats  are  still  in  perfect  preserva- 
tion, though  they  have  been  there  more  than  half  a  century. 
More  recently  service  has  been  improvised  by  enthusiastic 
itinerants  of  the  Methodist  creed,  who,  having  heard  that  the 
groves  were  God's  first  temples,  may  infer  that  caves  have  an 
equal  fitness  for  divine  worship.  The  imagination  on  which 
religious  fervor  so  largely  depends  could  not  fail  to  be  kindled 
by  burning  tapers,  swelling  music,  and  earnest  appeals  in 
those  natural  aisles  and  chancels,  nor  could  they  do  other  than 
remind  the  pious  participants  of  the  primeval  Christians  who 
fled  to  caverns  and  to  catacombs  that  they  might  adore  their 
Creator  in  secret,  and  be  preserved  from  persecution. 

Just  beyond  the  church  is  a  figure  of  gypsum  on  the  roof, 
a  sort  of  bas-relief  called  the  American  Eagle.  Patriotism  pre- 
vents me  from  indorsing  this  symbolic  bird,  which,  whatever 
it  may  have  been  originally,  is  now  sorely  shorn  and  shattered. 
One  leg,  a  wing,  and  part  of  the  body  are  literally  relieved, 
being  no  longer  visible  under  the  light  of  a  dozen  lamps ;  and 
the  entire  animal  is  so  deranged  that  it  might  as  well  be 
styled  a  dromedary  or  a  griffin.  The  American  eagle  is  usually 
on  such  admirable  terms  with  itself  that  I  am  confident  this 
bird  would  be  ashamed  to  pretend  that  it  is  what  it  is  repre- 
sented to  be.  If  it  be  an  eagle,  I  will  be  sworn  it  does  not 
know  it.  I  choose  to  consider  it  a  unicorn,  since  a  unicorn  is 
a  fabulous  beast,  and  may  be  presumed  to  resemble  anything, 
even  that  amorphous  gypsum  figure  on  the  roof.  If  the  like- 


THE  FAT  MAN'S  MISERY.  469 

ness  cannot  be  traced  by  ordinary  observers,  they  may  be  re- 
minded that  it  consists  in  the  —  or  more  properly  in  a  —  horn. 

Minerva's  Dome  is  remarkable  for  its  fluted  walls  and  a 
honeycombed  roof,  though  why  it  should  be  devoted  to  Mi- 
nerva, who  is  not  herself  present  in  any  form  of  natural  sculp- 
ture, is  an  enigma  not  to  be  solved.  The  probability  is,  that 
Kentucky  orators  have  so  constantly  referred  to  Minerva 
springing  full-armed  from  the  brain  of  Jove,  that  the  goddess, 
even  if  she  once  had  her  image  there,  has  removed  it,  lest  its 
sight  might  induce  the  five  or  six  public  speakers  in  the  state 
who  have  not  used  the  time-honored  simile  to  force  it  into 
their  next  brilliant  effort. 

Near  the  Dome,  those  who  wish  to  traverse  the  short  route 
only,  branch  off,  while  the  long  route  is  continued  until  the 
cave  contracts,  and  Fat  Man's  Misery  is  reached.  This  is  a 
passage  through  the  rocks  so  very  narrow  that  a  man  of 
average  proportions  is  compelled  to  go  sidewise.  It  must 
have  been  worn  by  a  stream  of  water  in  the  dim  ages  past ; 
and  now  the  only  stream  of  water  visible  is  that  which  flows 
clown  the  sight-seer's  face,  as  he  toils  along,  and  crawls  through 
the  Valley  of  Humility,  where  the  roof  is  so  low  that  you  are 
obliged  to  bend  nearly  double.  Persons  with  weak  backs,  or 
inclined  to  lumbago,  have  to  return  here  with  the  fleshy  peo- 
ple who  have  surrendered  at  the  Fat  Man's  Misery.  The 
Great  Relief  is  a  broad  passage,  a  little  farther  on,  where 
tourists  bring  themselves  to  an  erect  position  once  more,  and 
mop  their  brows  with  their  handkerchiefs,  so  frequently 
brought  into  activity  during  their  arduous  journey. 

There  are  numerous  streams  in  the  cave,  the  chief  of 
which  have  been  christened  the  Echo  and  Roaring  Rivers, 
the  Styx  and  the  Lethe ;  the  last  often  called  Oblivion,  be- 
cause the  unclassical  public  is  resolved  to  pronounce  the 
Greek  title  as  if  it  were  a  monosyllable.  The  Echo  River  is 
renowned  for  its  echoes.  It  is  much  larger  and  more  striking 
than  the  other  streams,  and  when  it  is  high,  as  it  usually  is  in 
the  spring,  it  is  difficult  to  cross.  When  I  last  made  the 
passage,  I  had  to  lie  almost  flat  in  the  little  boat  to  get  under 


470  RIVERS  IN   MAMMOTH   CAVE. 

the  shelving  rocks,  and,  only  a  few  days  before,  the  guides 
had  to  stop  there  in  consequence  of  the  swollen  stream.  After 
we  had  rowed  out  a  little  way,  we  shouted,  and  called,  and 
sang,  and  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  our  words  come  back  to 
us  again  and  again,  with  almost  perfect  articulation.  Even 
the  tone  of  the  voice  and  the  emphases  are  preserved,  and  1 
could  scarcely  believe  sometimes  that  persons  were  not  con- 
cealed, and  repeating  our  phrases.  The  thick  darkness,  and 
the  weird  aspect  of  the  cavern  at  that  point,  aid  the  fancy,  and 
stimulate  the  feeling  of  superstition,  said  to  exist,  more  or  less, 
in  every  human  breast.  Two  hundred  years  ago,  countless 
witnesses  might  have  been  found  to  tell  of  hobgoblins  and 
demons  they  had  heard  with  their  own  ears,  and  seen  with 
their  own  eyes,  too,  in  the  ghastly  vault. 

The  Roaring  River  does  not  roar  much,  • —  indeed,  not  at 
all,  —  and  is  not  especially  noteworthy.  It  is  a  dark  and  tur- 
bid stream  when  it  is  high,  though  at  its  lower  stage,  it  is 
as  clear  as  any  of  the  south-western  waters.  We  rowed  over 
it,  as  we  had  rowed  over  the  Echo  River,  our  little  scow  be- 
ing as  inconvenient,  awkward,  and  dirty  as  its  fellow. 

The  Styx  flows  about  a  hundred  feet  below  the  floor  of  the 
cave,  and  is  passed  by  a  rough  wooden  bridge.  We  could 
hear  the  murmur  of  the  stream  below,  and  tried,  with  the  aid 
of  our  lamps,  to  see  it.  We  did  not  succeed  until  the  guide 
attached  two  or  three  of  the  lights  to  a  long  pole,  and  let  them 
down  over  the  bridge.  Then  we  saw  a  great  fissure  in  the 
rock  (manifestly  made  by  the  water),  the  walls  of  which  are 
tolerably  smooth.'  ^The  borders  of  the  chasm  were  so  slippery 
that  great  caution  was  necessary  to  prevent  one  from  falling 
into  the  yawing  gulf.  Near  the  Styx  is  the  Bottomless  Pit  — 
a  nominal  no  less  than  an  actual  hyperbole,  because  it  has  a 
bottom  not  more  than  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  from 
the  spot  were  we  stood.  We  peered  down  into  it  as  best  we 
could,  and  concluded  that  it  merited  its  title  in  point  of  gloom 
and  dreariness. 

Until  within  a  few  years  the  pit  had  never  been  descended  ; 
but  several  enterprising  and  rapid  Kentuckians,  who  had  done 


DESCENDING  THE  BOTTOMLESS  PIT.  471 

nothing  to  distinguish  themselves,  thought  they  would  render 
their  names  historic  by  becoming  acquainted  temporarily 
with  the  region  which,  they  feared,  they  might  know  per- 
manently in  the  future.  They  went  to  the  spot  well  prepared 
with  lights,  ropes,  hooks,  and  ladders ;  but  the  place  looked 
so  ugly  that  only  one  of  them  had  the  nerve  to  go  down.  He 
came  within  an  ace  of  breaking  his  neck  several  times  before 
he  was  lowered  to  the  base,  where,  after  groping  about  for 
half  an  hour,  and  finding  nothing  but  rough  rocks,  he  ex- 
pressed a  desire  to  be  pulled  up  again. 

This  was  easier  said  than  done,  in  consequence  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  managing  the  rope.  On  his  upward  passage  he  was 
jammed  against  the  walls,  and  cut  by  sharp  ledges,  until  he 
was  exhausted,  more  from  terror  and  pain  than  from  loss  of 
blood  ;  and  finally  he  was  dragged  to  the  top,  just  as  the  rope, 
in  several  places,  held  only  by  a  few  slight  strands.  He  did  not 
recover  from  his  wounds  and  the  shock  to  his  nervous  system 
for  a  long  while,  and  he  frequently  asserted  that  he  would  not 
repeat  the  excursion  for  any  consideration  under  heaven.  He 
never  recovered,  I  may  say,  from  the  indirect  effect  of  his 
exploit ;  for  it  gave  him  a  certain  local  notoriety,  and  he 
nourished  his  fame  on  such  generous  quantities  of  Bourbon 
whiskey,  known  in  the  state  as  Kentucky  wine,  that,  after  sev- 
eral brilliant  seasons  of  imbibition  at  Frankfort,  the  delirium 
tremens  and  two  undertakers  took  him  to  his  eternal  home. 

Since  then,  the  descent  of  the  Bottomless  Pit  has  been 
made  not  unfrequently,  one  of  George  D.  Prentice's  sons 
having  performed  the  feat,  and  furnished  a  two-column  article 
of  sophomorical  extolment  thereon  in  the  Louisville  Journal. 

The  Lethe  has  steep  and  rocky  banks,  and  as  we  floated 
down  its  current,  through  the  almost  tangible  darkness,  with 
our  flickering  torches  and  the  hollow  murmur  of  our  voices, 
it  really  seemed  as  if  we  might  be  disembodied  spirits  on  the 
sad  Plutonian  shore.  When  we  ceased  to  chatter,  the  dropping 
of  water  through  the  roof  into  the  stream,  and  the  dip  of  the 
oars,  broke  the  silence  with  strange  impressiveness. 

Sam  Meredith  was  not  musical :  but  I  remember  on  a  pre- 


472  MUSIC   ON   THE  LETHE. 

vious  occasion,  that  our  ancient  sable  guide  treated  me  to  a 
dirge  on  the  flute,  while  we  glided  over  the  bosom  of  the  river 
of  oblivion.  The  effect  was  magical ;  the  solemn  strains 
were  so  in  keeping  with  the  sombreness  of  the  surroundings, 
the  flame  of  the  torches  was  so  weird  and  fitful,  the  faces 
of  the  tourists  looked  so  pale  and  wondering,  and  the  ebony 
player  assumed  such  an  impishness  of  form  and  feature,  that  I 
should  not  have  been  in  the  least  astonished  to  meet,  sailing 
along  in  another  boat,  spirits  long  departed  from  the  world. 

Would  it  had  been  Lethe  indeed  !  How  gladly  I  should  have 
drank  of  its  waters  !  how  willingly  have  forgotten  the  earthly 
life  and  all  its  sorrows,  including  the  bad  breakfast  I  was  to 
get  at  the  hotel  the  next  morning,  and  the  boredom  I  was 
doomed  to  encounter  for  the  fortnight  to  come  ! 

On  the  long  route  the  most  noticeable  localities  are  the  pas- 
sage of  El  Ghor,  a  long,  narrow,  covered  causeway;  the  Brown 
Chamber,  so  called  from  the  color  of  its  walls,  and  its  square, 
apartment-like  shape ;  Martha's  Vineyard,  the  roof  of  which 
resembles  clusters  of  grapes  cut  in  marble ;  Snow-ball  Grotto, 
showing  a  remarkable  likeness  to  sculptured  (floral)  snow- 
balls overhead  ;  the  Rose  Chamber,  a  fine  counterfeit  of  roses 
in  rock ;  Silliman's  Avanue,  a  narrow  gallery  so  regular  that 
it  might  have  been  the  work  of  engineers  ;  and  numerous 
chambers  of  different  proportions,  and  marked  by  striking 
geological  features. 

The  Maelstrom  is  an  ordinary  pool  containing  an  eddy  and 
a  great  disappointment  at  the  same  time.  It  is  no  more  of 
a  sham,  however,  than  the  famous  (fabulous)  whirlpool  off  the 
coast  of  Norway,  which  was  supposed  to  carry  down  ships 
and  whales,  and  which  in  reality  is  not  perilous  to  vessels  or 
even  small  open  boats,  except  during  winter  and  in  time  of 
violent  storms. 

The  Rocky  Mountains,  the  end  of  the  long  route,  extend 
about  a  mile,  and  are  nothing  more  than  an  extremely  rough 
surface  detrimental  to  the  physical  comfort  and  shoe-leather 
of  those  going  over  them.  Women  seldom  attempt  this 
passage,  which  has  little  to  commend  it  except  the  difficulty 


EYELESS   FISH  IN  THE  ECHO   2IVER.  473 

of  its  execution,  and  the  probability  of  fatigue  in  its  ac- 
complishment. 

I  should  have  mentioned  the  celebrated  eyeless  fish,  pecu- 
liar to  the  Echo  and  other  rivers.  They  have  been  the  cause 
of  many  scientific  theories  and  speculations  among  savants, 
who  have  deduced  from  them  either  that  Nature  does  not 
furnish  organs  which  are  of  no  use,  or  that  organs  unemployed 
cease  to  exist.  Abundant  as  the  fish  are,  it  is  difficult  to 
catch  them,  and  I  was  considered  extremely  fortunate  because 
I  secured  three  or  four  in  as  many  minutes.  I  gave  them  to 
a  man  who  had  dabbled  somewhat  in  science,  and  he  was  very 
grateful  for  the  present.  I  told  him  he  need  not  be,  for  I 
would  rather  have  half  a  dozen  brook  trout  or  a  Spanish 
mackerel  for  breakfast  than  all  the  eyeless  fish  the  Mammoth 
Cave  contained.  These  sightless  little  creatures,  generally 
about  four  inches  long,  resemble  ordinary  minnows,  though  of 
a  rather  darker  hue,  and  more  inclined  to  translucency. 

On  the  short  route,  the  Giant's  Causeway,  the  Gothic 
Chapel,  the  Grand  Dome,  and  the  Star  Chamber,  especially 
the  last,  have  the  most  reputation  and  attract  the  most  atten- 
tion. The  Causeway  receives  its  name  from  its  likeness  to 
the  Causeway  on  the  coast  of  Ireland,  and  the  likeness  is  con- 
siderable, as  I  can  testify  by  actual  observation. 

The  Chapel  is  striking  and  picturesque,  albeit  there  is  no 
more  reason  to  call  it  Gothic  than  Doric  or  Ionic.  It  close- 
ly resembles  a  chapel,  and  I  should  fancy  Nature  might 
have  been  in  an  ecclesiastico-architectural  mc-od  when  she 
formed  it. 

The  Grand  Dome  is  seen  through  a  large  opening  in  the 
wall,  and  shows  to  great  advantage,  being  about  one  hundred 
feet  below  the  ordinary  level,  and  one  hundred  feet  above, 
and  possessing  a  vastness  and  majesty  to  which  few  other 
parts  of  the  cave  can  lay  claim. 

The  amount  of  rhetoric  the  Star  Chamber  has  given  rise  to 
is  beyond  calculation.  It  has  supplied  innumerable  similes, 
and  has  been  discoursed  upon  in  every  language.  The 
Chamber  is  some  seventy  feet  high,  and  the  roof  is  composed 


474  WONDERS  OF  THE  STAR  CHAMBER. 

of  crystal  of  gypsum,  and  black  oxide  of  manganese.  As  soon 
as  we  entered  the  Chamber,  the  guide  took  several  of  our 
lamps,  descended  into  a  hollow  in  the  rock,  and  threw  the 
light  therefrom  upon  the  ceiling.  The  effect  was  wonderful. 
The  light,  striking  upon  the  crystals  of  gypsum,  made  them 
look  precisely  like  stars,  and  —  all  the  lower  part  of  the  vault 
being  in  deep  shadow  —  created  so  complete  an  illusion  that 
I  could  hardly  doubt  but  that  I  was  standing  under  the  even- 
ing sky.  Never  was  space  so  elongated.  Those  seventy  feet 
seemed  immeasurable.  The  longer  I  gazed,  the  more  the 
shining  ceiling  appeared  like  the  heavens.  1  could  scarcely 
believe  that  I  was  under  ground,  and  that  the  green  grass  and 
trees  were  growing  above  my  head.  I  was  completely  lost 
for  a  while,  just  as  any  one  will  be  after  a  long  and  earnest 
contemplation  of  the  stars ;  and  when  the  guide  stepped  out 
of  the  hollow  with  the  lamps,  and  changed  the  scene  entirely, 
I  felt  as  if  I  had  been  awakened  from  a  dream.  My  companions 
were  unreserved  in  their  expressions  of  astonishment  and  de- 
light, and  "  beautiful,"  "  splendid,"  "  magnificent,"  "  marvel- 
lous "  were  the  adjectives  that  dropped  momentarily  from  their 
lips.  The  Mammoth  Cave  would  be  well  worth  visiting,  if  its 
only  wonder  were  the  Star  Chamber.  I  have  seen  it  a  num- 
ber of  times,  and  each  time  its  beauty  is  greater,  and  its  illusion 
more  complete. 

The  dimensions  of  the  cave  find  their  extremes  in  the  Fat 
Man's  Misery  and  the  Grand  Dome  —  the  former  not  more 
than  twelve  inches  wide,  and  the  latter  over  a  hundred  feet. 
The  height  varies  quite  as  much.  The  Valley  of  Humility, 
where  one  is  obliged  to  make  a  crawling  L  of  himself,  is  off- 
set by  the  loftiest  rocky  chambers  ;  and  the  frequently  smooth 
limestone  floor  is  diversified  by  streams,  ledges,  and  rough- 
nesses culminating  in  the  so-styled  Rocky  Mountains.  What 
the  cave  lacks  more  than  aught  else  is  stalactites  and  stalag- 
mites, though  these  are  found  well  represented  in  the  Gothic 
Chapel.  The  great  cavern  is  noted  for  its  variety,  having 
nearly  all  the  remarkable  features  that  characterize  other 
celebrated  caves.  It  is  no  less  attractive  to  the  ordinary 


t 

' 


VIEWS    IN    MAMMOTH    CAVK,    KKXTUCKY. 


FATIGUES   OF   THE   JOURNEY.  477 

sight-seer  than  it  is  to  the  naturalist,  the  geologist,  or  the 
general  lover  of  science.  It  appeals  to  every  taste  —  to  that 
of  the  poet  and  of  the  philosopher,  of  the  curious  and  the 
enthusiastic,  of  the  reverent  arid  the  sceptical,  of  the  worldling 
and  the  mystagogue. 

How  did  your  party  come  out?  The  masculine  portion  of 
it  very  much  as  it  went  in,  except  that  some  members  com- 
plained very  bitterly  of  fatigue.  The  feminine  portion  suf- 
fered in  various  ways.  The  young  woman  who  had  been 
changed  for  the  worse  by  the  cave  costume,  grew  homelier 
and  homelier  every  mile  she  went,  and  so  disenchanted  her 
immediate  companion  —  he  was  her  lover,  I  think  —  that  after 
the  excursion  he  ceased  to  regard  her  with  fond  and  favor- 
ing eyes. 

The  other  young  woman,  who  needed  not  the  foreign  aid  of 
ornament,  steadily  improved  with  fatigue,  drippings  of  water, 
and  splashings  of  mud.  If  she  had  fallen  into  the  Styx  or 
Lethe,  and  then  been  drawn  for  half  an  hour  over  the  floor  of 
the  cave,  I  have  little  doubt  she  would  have  appeared  charm- 
ing. I  never  knew  one  of  her  sex  to  make  such  aesthetic  ad- 
vances under  adverse  circumstances. 

The  plethoric  widow  gave  out  a  dozen  times  during  the 
journey,  detained  us  materially,  and  was  at  last  left  behind, 
in  company  with  a  sympathizing  friend,  until  the  rest  of  us 
had  retraced  our  steps,  and  literally  taken  her  up  again.  She 
declared  that  she  never  would  be  able  to  get  rested  ;  and  two 
weeks  after  her  journey  I  heard  she  was  still  an  inmate  of  the 
hotel,  bemoaning  her  fatigue  and  disordered  nerves. 

Persons  have  been  lost,  from  time  to  time,  in  the  cave,  but 
not  nearly  so  often  as  has  been  reported.  Some  years  ago, 
one  of  a  party  who  made  the  exploration  disappeared  in  the 
Star  Chamber,  and  all  effort  to  find  him  proved  abortive. 
When  they  went  back  to  the  hotel,  the  greater  part  of  the 
valuables  belonging  to  the  excursionists,  which  had  been 
deposited  with  the  landlord,  had  faded  out  of  sight.  In- 
vestigation established  a  close  connection  between  the  disap- 
pearance of  the  man  in  the  Star  Chamber  and  the  watches 
26 


478  ACCIDENTS  IN  THE   CAVE. 

and  jewelry.  The  fellow  was,  unquestionably,  a  professional 
thief,  but  had  pretended  to  be  a  clergyman  from  St.  Louis. 
After  the  party  had  set  out,  ho  hurried  back  to  the  house,  and 
informing  Boniface  that  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  had  altered 
their  minds,  and  preferred  to  take  their  valuables  with  them, 
the  latter  was  unsuspecting  enough  to  hand  them  over.  The 
pretended  divine  rejoined  the  excursionists,  kept  his  own 
counsel,  and  consulted  his  interests  by  disappearing  from  the 
Star  Chamber  when  the  lamps  had  been  removed. 

In  1835  two  men  from  Bourbon  County,  Kentucky, —  their 
appearance  indicated  that  they  had  for  a  long  time  quaffed 
the  fiery  beverage  of  that  region,  —  arrived  at  Bell's  Tavern, 
and  declared  that  they  could  go  all  through  the  cave  without 
a  guide,  and  come  out  safely.  They  even  laid  wagers  to  that 
effect,  and  though  they  were  warned  against  such  folly,  they 
started  upon  their  expedition.  They  certainly  went  in,  but 
they  have  never  come  out ;  arid  as  thirty-seven  years  have 
elapsed,  it  is  highly  probable  they  have  deferred  their  return 
indefinitely.  It  is  supposed  that  they  got  lost  in  some  of  the 
windings  off  the  main  route,  and  starved  to  death. 

In  the  summer  of  1840,  a  middle-aged  lady  from  Boston 
suddenly  swooned  from  fatigue,  while  making  the  under- 
ground journey,  and  sinking  to  the  earth  in  silence,  the  re- 
mainder of  the  party  went  on  without  missing  her.  On  their 
way  back,  the  guide  observed  her  sitting  on  a  stone,  chatter- 
ing to  herself  like  a  monkey.  The  poor  woman  had  become 
insane.  Recovering  her  consciousness,  and  finding  herself  in 
the  darkness,  —  for  in  her  fall  she  had  extinguished  her  lamp, 
—  she  had  believed  herself  lost,  as  it  is  supposed,  and  the 
terror  had  shattered  her  intellect.  The  excursionists  had  not 
been  absent  two  hours  ;  and  yet  that  brief  time  was  sufficient 
to  destroy  her  reason  utterly.  She  never  recovered,  and  died 
two  years  after  in  the  Worcester  (Massachusetts)  Insane  Asy- 
lum, a  raving  maniac. 

To  be  lost  in  the  Mammoth  Cave  would  be  enough  to  over- 
turn the  strongest  brain,  since,  with  all  its  beauties  and  won- 
ders, it  has  capacities  for  terrible  tragedy  and  ineffable 
liorror. 


XXXIL 

INSURANCE  AND  ITS  MYSTERIES. 

HISTORY  OF  FIRE  AND  MARINE  INSURANCE.  —LIFE  INSURANCE.  —  OBJECTIONS 
OF  A  CALIFORNIA^.  —  HOW  HE  ANSWERED  AN  AGENT.  —  FRAUDS  UPON 
COMPANIES.  —  A  DEEP-LAID  SCHEME.  — JOHNSON  AND  HIS  THIRTY  THOUSAND 
DOLLARS.  —  OPENING  A  GRAVE.  —  A  FICTITIOUS  CORPSE.  —  PURSUIT  BY  DE- 
TECTIVES AND  CAPTURE  OF  THE  SWINDLER.  —  LITIGATIONS  ABOUT  INSUR- 
ANCE. —  CHINESE  TRICKS  ON  AGENTS.  —  SUBSTITUTES  FOR  EXECUTION. 

THE  system  of  fire  and  marine  insurance  has  been  in  use 
for  centuries.  The  Chinese  claim  to  have  invented  it,  as  they 
have  claimed  nearly  everything  else  ;  but  the  probabilities  are, 
that  it  was  of  western  origin.  It  is  alluded  to  in  the  English 
laws  about  the  middle  of  the  thirteenth  century.  Its  earliest 
form  was  in  that  of  marine  insurance ;  afterwards  the  system 
of  fire  insurance  was  invented.  Still  later  came  insurance 
against  death,  which  has  grown  in  recent  years  to  very  great 
proportions. 

Many  people  are  unable  to  understand  how  insurances  can 
be  effected  against  an  event  which  is  sure  to  happen.  There 
is  a  story  of  a  man  in  California  who  was  approached  by 'an 
insurance  agent  with  a  request  to  take  out  a  policy  on  his 
life.  The  agent  painted  in  glowing  colors  the  advantages  of 
insurance,  and  the  man  listened  to  him  very  patiently.  When 
the  agent  had  finished  his  story,  the  victim  said  with  great 
deliberation,  "  Stranger,  I  have  lived  in  this  yere  country 
twenty-five  years.  I  have  bucked  agin  nearly  every  game 
that  they  have  ever  brought  out,  but  I'll  be  hanged  if  I  want 
to  play  at  anything  where  I  have  got  to  die  before  I  can 
win." 

The  objection  which  this  individual  made  against  insuring 


480  OBJECTIONS   TO   INSURANCE. 

his  life,  was  a  very  natural  one,  and  is  an  objection  made  by 
many  people,  though  in  a  different  form.  The  insurance  com- 
panies, some  of  them  at  least,  meet  this  objection  with  a  plan 
by  which  a  man  arriving  at  a  certain  age  without  dying,  can 
draw  the  money  that  would  come  to  his  heirs  in  case  he  died 
before  the  specified  age  was  attained.  They  have  devised 
other  plans  to  meet  the  objections  of  all  classes  of  people, 
and  it  is  safe  to  say,  that  the  system  of  life  insurance  is  about 
as  near  perfection  as  it  is  possible  to  bring  it.  It  is  a  ques- 
tion whether,  in  many  cases,  the  companies  do  not  reap  a 
much  larger  advantage  than  is  their  just  due.  It  is  notice- 
able that  the  companies,  as  a  general  thing,  pay  enormous 
salaries  to  their  officers,  erect  costly  buildings,  pay  heavy 
dividends,  and  have  a  good  time  generally.  The  conclusion 
is  natural  that  the  rates  of  insurance  are  altogether  too  high, 
and  the  advantages  are  much  greater  for  the  companies  than 
for  their  patrons. 

It  is  possible,  sometimes,  for  dishonest  men  to  defraud  the 
insurance  companies,  though  it  is  not  always  easy.  The 
companies  are  generally  on  the  safe  side ;  they  require  the 
most  positive  proof  of  the  death  of  a  person  whose  life  has 
been  insured,  and  they  throw  a  great  many  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  the  collection  of  the  amount  of  the  insurance.  I  have 
known  them  to  demand  one  certificate  after  another,  and 
compel  the  person  who  was  endeavoring  to  collect  the  insur- 
ance money  to  make  ten  or  twelve  visits  to  the  office  before 
meeting  his  just  demands.  Very  often,  after  the  death  of  an 
insured  person,  questions  are  raised  which  were  never  before 
mentioned.  The  premiums  may  have  been  paid  for  years, 
and  the  officers  of  the  company  claim  to  make  a  discovery 
that  relieves  them  from  all  responsibility.  In  some  cases 
their  action  in  this  respect  is  just,  but  in  many  others  it  is 
about  as  unjust  as  anything  that  can  well  be  conceived.  It 
would  seem  proper  that  where  a  person  has  been  accepted 
for  insurance,  and  the  premiums  on  the  amount  of  money 
called  for  have  been  regularly  paid  and  received  without  ob- 
jection, no  objection  should  be  raised  after  the  person's  death. 


NEAT  FRAUD  ON  A  COMPANY.  481 

Some  interesting  stories  are  told  of  the  way  in  which  in- 
surance companies  are  sometimes  defrauded.  One  was  told 
to  me  by  the  secretary  of  a  prominent  company  in  New  York, 
which  indicates  great  ingenuity  on  the  part  of  the  swindler. 

"  One  day/'  said  the  secretary,  "  a  man  called  at  our  office, 
and  said  he  wished  to  effect  an  insurance  of  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars on  his  life,  and  was  ready  to  submit  himself  for  imme- 
diate examination. 

"  The  physician  of  the  company  was  called  in,  and  made  a 
careful  examination  of  this  man,  whom  I  will  call  Johnson. 
Johnson  was  pronounced  a  good  subject.  All  sorts  of  ques- 
tions were  asked,  and  he  answered  all  of  them  satisfactorily. 
He  was  closely  inspected.  His  limbs  were  pinched,  and  his 
chest  was  thumped  in  the  orthodox  way,  but  no  defect  could 
be  discovered.  To  all  appearances  he  was  good  for  three- 
score and  ten,  and  possibly  more.  He  gave  us  references, 
stated  that  he  was  a  clerk  in  an  up-town  house,  and  his  state- 
ment was  fully  verified.  I  called  upon  his  employer,  inquired 
about  his  clerk,  and  was  told  that  his  character  was  of  the 
best,  and  that  he  was  a  very  industrious  and  strictly  temper- 
ate young  man.  We  were  satisfied,  and  injured  his  life  for 
the  full  amount. 

"  In  a  little  while  he  made  a  request  to  be  permitted  to 
travel  west,  and  of  course  we  granted  it.  His  parents  lived 
in  a  small  town  in  Connecticut.  He  had  married  in  New 
York,  and  had  been  married  for  three  or  four  years.  Occa- 
sionally he  took  his  wife  on  a  brief  visit  to  his  old  home.  He 
went  west  soon  after  his  application,  and  we  lost  sight  of 
him.  His  wife  accompanied  him,  and  he  announced  his  inten- 
tion of  finding  employment  and  settling  in  one  of  the  west- 
ern cities. 

"Six  or  eight  months  after  his  departure,  his  wife  tele- 
graphed to  her  friends  in  the  east  that  her  husband  was  very 
ill  with  pneumonia.  Two  days  later  she  telegraphed  that  he 
was  dead,  and  that  she  would  bring  the  body  to  Connecticut 
for  burial. 

"  In  due  course  of  time  she  arrived,  dressed  in  deep  mourn- 


482  AN  EXTENSIVE  SWINDLE. 

ing,  and  evidently  suffering  from  deep  grief.  The  funeral 
was  held,  his  parents  attended,  the  coffin  was  opened,  and  the 
features  were  visible  through  the  glass  plate,  though  they 
were  much  dimmed  by  the  moisture  which  collected  on  the 
inside. 

"  A  few  days  after  the  funeral,  the  widow,  whose  name  had 
been  inserted  in  the  policy  at  the  request  of  her  loving  hus- 
band, called  at  our  office,  presented  the  proper  papers,  and 
made  the  necessary  application.  We  made  an  investigation, 
were  satisfied  that  everything  was  correct,  and  paid  over  the 
money. 

"  We  lost  sight  of  the  widow  after  that,  but  learned  casually 
that  after  a  short  residence  in  New  York  she  had  gone  to 
California. 

"  We  happened  to  learn  also,  soon  after,  that  the  same  man 
had  insured  his  life  for  ten  thousand  dollars  in  another  com- 
pany, a  Massachusetts  one,  having  an  agency  in  New  York ; 
and  also  in  a  Hartford  company  for  the  same  amount.  Of 
course  this  naturally  raised  our  suspicions.  The  premium  on 
thirty  thousand  dollars  is  a  very  heavy  one  for  a  man  on  a 
clerk's  salary,  and  we  became  convinced  that  all  was  not 
right ;  so  we  began  an  investigation. 

tl  We  saw  the  merchant  that  had  employed  Johnson  while  in 
this  city,  and  learned  that  the  young  man  went  west  at  the 
time  indicated.  The  merchant  had  heard  of  his  death,  but 
had  no  positive  proof  or  knowledge  of  it.  Then  we  went  to 
the  village  in  Connecticut  whence  Johnson  had  hailed,  and 
though  we  made  the  most  searching  inquiries,  we  could  learn 
nothing  to  confirm  our  suspicions.  His  parents  were  positive 
of  his  death.  Had  they  not  seen  his  widow  ?  and  had  they 
not  seen  his  features  through  the  glass  plate  of  the  coffin  ? 
and  had  they  not  seen  that  coffin  buried  in  the  public  ceme- 
tery ?  To  their  minds  everything  was  perfectly  straight,  and 
they  were  indignant  at  our  supposing  that  there  might  be 
something  wrong. 

"  I  had  a  suspicion  that  the  body  in  the  coffin  might  be  a 
'  dummy '  with  a  wax  face,  in  imitation  of  the  features  of 


PURSUING   A  WIDOW.  483 

Johnson.  So  I  hired  the  sexton  in  charge  of  the  cemetery 
to  open  the  grave  and  allow  me  to  examine  the  interior  of  the 
coffin.  We  did  the  work  at  night,  and  unknown  to  Johnson's 
parents,  as  we  knew  they  would  be  greatly  offended  if  they 
learned  what  was  going  on.  But  I  was  doomed  to  disappoint- 
ment, as  the  corpse  proved  to  be  genuine,  and  as  good  a  one 
as  ever  was  buried.  Plainly  I  was  on  the  wrong  scent  when 
searching  for  a  body  of  straw  and  a  face  of  wax. 

"  The  three  companies  agreed  to  work  in  concert,  and  share 
the  expenses  of  an  investigation  into  the  whole  affair.  We 
sent  a  detective  to  the  city  where  Johnson  had  died,  and  after 
a  little  inquiry  he  ascertained  that  a  man  answering  to  the 
name  of  Johnson,  and  the  proper  description,  had  actually 
died  in  that  city.  His  body  had  been  sent  to  the  east,  and 
that  was  all  that  was  known  ;  but  it  was  ascertained  that  in- 
stead of  dying  of  pneumonia  after  a  few  days'  illness,  the 
man  had  lingered  some  time  with  a  disease  strongly  resem- 
bling consumption.  Here  was  a  clew  which  we  determined 
to  follow  up. 

11  As  the  widow  had  gone  to  California,  we  told  the  detective 
to  follow,  and  trace  her  out.  She  had  written  no  letters  to 
the  parents  of  her  dead  husband,  except  a  single  one  an- 
nouncing her  arrival  at  San  Francisco,  and  giving  a  brief  de- 
scription of  her  overland  journey.  She  said  she  had  friends 
living  near  San  Francisco,  and  she  expected  to  reside  a  short 
time  with  them ;  perhaps  she  might  remain  in  that  place 
through  the  winter,  and  perhaps  not ;  could  not  tell ;  would 
write  again. 

"  The  detective  had  a  long  search  for  the  widow,  and  visited 
every  place  around  San  Francisco,  and  even  advertised  for 
the  missing  Mrs.  Johnson.  His  advertisement  stated,  after 
describing  her  in  sufficiently  explicit  terms,  that  by  sending 
a  note  to  a  certain  address  she  would  learn  something  to  her 
advantage.  This  was  not  exactly  true,  as  she  would  have 
learned  something  greatly  to  her  disadvantage,  had  the  detec- 
tive been  able  to  find  her  ;  but  in  the  pursuit  of  criminals,  it 
is  generally  considered  proper  to  tell  a  few  falsehoods  in 
order  to  serve  the  ends  of  justice. 


484  A  SHARP  EYE  FOR  MONEY. 

"  One  day  the  detective  visited  a  ship  which  had  just  come 
in  from  the  Sandwich  Islands.  He  went  there  with  an  ac- 
quaintance who  knew  the  captain,  and  was  invited  on  board. 
While  they  were  in  the  cabin  enjoying  the  captain's  welcome, 
the  detective  heard  the  ship's  steward  telling  a  friend,  who 
had  called  to  see  him,  something  about  their  last  voyage  out. 
He  said  there  were  a  lady  and  gentleman,  very  nice  people, 
who  occupied  a  state-room,  which  he  indicated,  and  who 
seemed  to  be  very  fond  of  each  other.  '  They  had  a  good 
deal  of  money  with  them/  said  the  steward,  i  and  they  were 
pretty  liberal  with  it,  though  they  would  never  allow  me  or 
anybody  else  to  go  into  their  state-room,  unless  one  of  them 
was  there.  They  had  their  money  in  a  small  trunk,  which 
they  kept  under  the  lower  berth ;  and  whenever  they  were 
both  out  of  the  room  at  the  same  time,  they  always  carried 
the  key  with  them. 

"  *  When  their  room  was  fixed  up  in  the  morning,  one  of 
them  always  stood  near  the  door ;  and  if  we  wanted  to  steal 
ever  so  much,  we  would  not  have  had  a  chance.  To  make 
everything  sure,  they  had  a  spring-lock  on  the  door  —  a  lock 
they  brought  with  them,  and  fixed  there  with  the  captain's 
permission.  They  were  not  going  to  have  anybody  get  into 
their  room  with  a  pass-key.' 

"  The  steward  went  on  to  describe  the  couple,  and  the  detec- 
tive found  himself  interested.  So  he  questioned  him  very 
closely,  and  became  pretty  well  satisfied  that  the  gentleman 
was  the  veritable  Johnson  who  was  supposed  to  be  dead  and 
buried  some  months  before  in  Connecticut,  and  that  the  lady 
was  the  disconsolate  widow  who  had  drawn  the  money  from 
the  insurance  company. 

"  Here  was  a  dilemma ;  the  captain  and  steward  only  knew 
that  their  passengers  had  gone  to  Honolulu.  They  sailed  not 
under  the  name  of  Johnson,  but  under  the  very  rare  name  of 
Smith.  John  Smith,  I  believe,  was  the  gentleman's  name, 
while  the  lady  was  Mrs.  John  Smith.  It  is  not  easy,  as  every- 
body knows,  to  trace  out  a  man  bearing  this  name  ;  and  even 
if  he  could  be  traced,  very  little  good  could  come  out  of  it,  if 


HOW   THE   FRAUD    WAS   ARRANGED.  485 

the  man  were  in  one  of  the  South  Pacific  Islands,  or,  in  fact,  in 
any  place  where  our  extradition  laws  could  not  reach  him. 

"  While  we  were  about  it,  we  thought  it  would  be  well  to 
know  the  whole  truth  of  the  matter ;  and  so  we  sent  the  de- 
tective down  to  the  islands,  and  told  him  to  follow  them  up, 
but  not  to  make  it  expensive.  He  went  to  the  islands,  and 
there  found  that  the  parties  had  gone  to  Australia.  Then  he 
went  to  Australia,  and  traced  them  to  New  Zealand,  and  in 
New  Zealand  he  found  that  they  had  gone,  according  to  the 
best  of  his  information,  in  about  three  different  ways ;  so  he 
went  back  to  Australia.  After  a  long  and  vigilant  search  he 
found  them  in  Melbourne. 

"  He  had  no  authority  for  the  arrest  and  detention  of  Johnson, 
though  he  made  him  believe  that  he  had,  and  frightened  him 
into  giving  up  half  of  the  money  he  had  fraudulently  obtained, 
on  condition  that  he  should  not  be  further  troubled,  and  on 
the  condition  also  that  he  should  tell  the  whole  story  of  the 
accomplishment  of  his  fraud.  As  long  as  we  could  not  get 
the  fellow,  we  thought  his  story  would  be  an  interesting  one, 
and  would  serve  to  put  us  on  our  guard  in  future.  The  de- 
tective obtained  what  he  believed  the  whole  story,  and  with 
the  money  Johnson  had  returned  he  made  his  way  as  speedily 
as  possible  to  New  York. 

"  The  deception  began  at  the  very  outset  of  the  scheme. 
Bear  in  mind  that  the  man's  name  was  Johnson,  that  he  was 
from  a  town  in  Connecticut,  had  married  his  wife  in  New 
York,  and  was  in  the  store  of  a  merchant  of  the  great  me- 
tropolis. There  was  a  clerk  in  that  store  by  the  name  of 
Johnson,  and  he  was  from  Connecticut ;  we  will  say  Smithville. 
He  had  married  in  New  York  about  fpur  years  before  this  oc- 
currence. He  was  a  steady,  well-behaved  man,  and  contem- 
plated going  west.  His  wife  had  a  small  amount  of  property 
in  her  own  name,  but  she  was  not  personally  known  to  the 
merchant,  and  the  merchant  did  not  know  that  Johnson  hailed 
from  Smithville.  There  was  another  clerk  in  the  adjoining 
store  whose  name  was  likewise  Johnson.  For  convenience  in 
designating  the  two  men,  I  will  call  the  second  one  Roberts. 


488  POPULARITY  OF  SUICIDE  IN  CHINA. 

families,  and  have  then  deliberately  killed  themselves.  The 
insurance  companies,  in  those  cases,  have  resisted  the  pay- 
ment of  the  claims ;  but,  I  believe,  they  have  been  generally, 
though,  not  always,  allowed. 

There  are  some  countries  in  the  world  where  an  insurance 
company  would  be  ruined  in  a  very  short  time,  if  it  paid  the 
insurance  claims  of  men  who  kill  themselves.  In  China,  for 
instance,  let  a  company  start  upon  this  basis,  and  it  would  do 
a  flourishing  business  for  a  short  time.  Men  in  China  are 
much  more  ready  than  others  to  die  for  the  benefit  of  their 
families  or  themselves  ;  and  a  Chinese  who  could  make  a 
good  thing  by  killing  himself  would  be  sure  to  do  it.  A 
company  doing  business  in  the  way  I  have  just  stated  would 
find,  some  pleasant  morning,  that  about  half  of  its  policy-hold- 
ers were  dead,  and  the  other  half  were  making  their  prepara- 
tions for  blotting  themselves  out  of  existence.  The  Chinee 
loves  his  family,  and  would  think  he  was  doing  a  nice  stroke 
of  business  by  insuring  his  life  for  their  benefit,  and  then, 
quietly  bidding  them  good  by,  "  handing  in  his  checks."  If 
he  could  effect  an  insurance  for  a  thousand  dollars,  he  would 
spend  a  hundred  in  having  a  glorious  spree,  and  leave  nine 
hundred  dollars  to  his  afflicted  widow. 

The  indifference  of  the  Chinese  to  death  may  be  well  illus- 
trated by  an  allusion  to  the  substitute  system,  as  practised  in 
the  Celestial  Empire.  Persons  condemned  to  death  for  certain 
offences  are  allowed  to  die  by  a  substitute.  This  would  be 
utterly  impossible  in  America,  as  one  could  nowhere  buy  a 
substitute  who  would  .be  willing  to  die  for  a  stipulated  sum ; 
but  in  the  Celestial  Empire  it  is  easy  enough  to  find  a  man 
who  is  ready  to  take  the  place  of  one  accused  of  a  crime  and 
ordered  to  be  executed.  The  real  culprit  sends  a  friend  to 
make  the  negotiations.  The  broker  can  find  a  man  for  about 
six  hundred  dollars,  half  down,  and  the  balance  on  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  contract.  .  The  cash  is  paid,  and  the  time  fixed 
for  the  execution,  both  of  the  contract  and  substitute.  With 
the  money  in  hand,  the  substitute  assembles  his  friends,  and 
they  have  a  right  royal  spree.  Everybody  gets  blind  drunk 


CHINESE  SUBSTITUTES.  491 

on  sam-shoo  or  opium,  and  when  the  money  is  all  expended, 
the  substitute  bids  farewell  to  his  friends,  and  delivers  him- 
self up  for  sacrifice.  He  is  led  to  the  place  of  execution, 
where  he  drops  on  his  knees.  His  head  is  bent  forward,  the 
executioner's  sword  whizzes  through  the  air,  and  the  substi- 
tute is  a  head  shorter  by  the  operation.  The  culprit,  who  has 
thus  satisfied  the  law  by  proxy,  pays  over  the  balance  of  the 
money  to  the  widow  of  the  departed ;  everything  is  lovely, 
and  everybody  is  happy. 


XXXIIL 

RAILWAY  TUNNELS. 

TUNNELS  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  HOW  THEY  WERE  MADE.  —  MODERN  TUN- 
NELS AND  THEIR  LENGTH.  —  LAUGHABLE  INCIDENTS  IN  RAILWAY  TUNNELS. 
—  THE  TWO  L'OVERS.  —  THE  ANXIOUS  FRENCHMAN.  — ROBBERS.  — THE  HOO- 
SAC  TUNNEL.  — ITS  HISTORY. — THE  AUTHOR'S  VISIT.  —  NATURE  AND  PROG- 
RESS OP  THB  WORK.  —  AN  EXPLOSION.  —  ACCIDENT  FROM  NITRO-GLYCER- 
INE.  —  THE  CENTRAL  SHAFT.  —  THE  TERRIBLE  CALAMITY  OF  1867. 

QUITE  recently  I  picked  up  a  newspaper  about  thirty  years 
old,  and  read  in  it  an  account  of  the  great  engineering  diffi- 
culties which  had  been  overcome  in  the  construction  of  the 
Boston  and  Lowell  Railway. 

This  road,  twenty-five  miles  in  length,  was  among  the  earli- 
est constructed  in  America,  there  being  less  than  half  a  dozen 
railway  lines  which  are  older.  The  account  proceeded  to  say 
that  the  great  obstacle  was  the  deep  cut  through  solid  rock, 
near  the  city  of  Lowell ;  and  I  can  remember,  in  my  boyhood 
days,  riding  over  this  road,  and  as  we  reached  the  cut,  the 
attention  of  passengers  was  called  to  it,  and  at  least  half 
our  number  projected  their  heads  through  the  windows  to 
look  at  the  wonderful  work.  Three  times  was  the  work  let 
out  on  contract,  and  twice  did  the  contractors  fail,  one  of 
them  failing  not  only  to  complete  the  work,  but  to  pay  the 
men  he  employed.  The  third  contractor  succeeded,  but  I  be- 
lieve he  made  no  money  out  of  his  speculation. 

This  once  famous  cut  through  solid  rock  is  only  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  in  length,  and  I  think  about  forty  feet  in  depth.  It 
has  dwarfed  into  almost  microscopic  insignificance  by  hun- 
dreds of  other  railway  cuts  in  this  country  and  in  Europe. 

Railway  tunnels  were  at  that  day  unknown,  though  tunnels 
existed  in  Europe  for  other  purposes,  some  of  them  of  very 
ancient  date. 


•  ' 

LENGTH  AND  EXTENT  OF  TUNNELS.          493 

Tunnelling,  in  civil  engineering,  is  an  underground  passage 
usually  constructed  for  conducting  a  canal  or  road  beneath 
elevated  ground.  In  mining  the  term  is  also  sometimes  ap- 
plied to  horizontal  excavations.  Tunnels  are  more  common 
in  Europe  upon  railways  and  canals  than  in  this  country.  In 
the  United  States  the  total  length  of  tunnels  is  not  more  than 
one  mile  for  every  thousand  miles  of  road.  In  Great  Britain 
it  is  considered  cheaper  to  tunnel  through  rocks  than  to  make 
open  cuts  deeper  than  sixty  feet.  In  England  the  Wood-head 
Tunnel  exceeds  three  miles  in  length  ;  and  there  is  another  on 
the  London  and  North-western  Railway  nearly  three  miles 
long.  Twelve  or  fifteen  others  on  different  roads  exceed  one 
mile  each.  The  Box  Tunnel  on  the  Great  Western  Railway, 
between  Bath  and  Chippenham,  is  thirt}r-one  hundred  and 
twenty-three  yards  long,  or  rather  more  than  one  and  three 
fourth  miles. 

On  the  canals  of  England  there  are  five  tunnels  exceeding 
three  thousand  yards  in  length.  The  longest  of  these  is  the 
Marsden  Tunnel,  fifty-five  hundred  yards  long.  In  France 
there  is  one  tunnel  on  the  St.  Quentin  Canal  over  thirteen 
thousand  yards  long. 

Some  of  the  tunnels  of  the  ancient  Romans  were  quite  ex- 
tensive in  their  character.  One  which  ^as  constructed  by 
the  Emperor  Claudius  was  cleared  out  some  years  since  by 
the  Italian  government.  It  proved  to  be  about  three  miles 
long,  thirty  feet  high,  and  twenty-eight  feet  wide  at  the 
entrance,  and  was  nowhere  less  than  twenty  feet  high. 

The  excavation  seems  to  have  been  conducted,  after  the 
plan  practised  at  the  present  time,  by  means  of  a  number  of 
vertical  shafts  first  sunk  on  the  line  of  the  tunnel,  and  from 
the  bottom  of  these  shafts  the  work  was  carried  on  simultane- 
ously in  opposite  directions. 

Another  tunnel,  made  in  the  early  period  of  the  Roman  re- 
public for  the  partial  drainage  of  the  Alban  Lake,  is  more  than 
one  mile  long. 

Most  of  the  tunnels  in  America  are  on  the  lines  crossing 
the  Alleghany  Mountains.  There  is  one  tunnel  on  the  Penn- 


494  TUNNELS   IN  AMERICA. 

sylvania  Kaihvay  thirty-six  hundred  feet  long.  It  was  built 
in  two  years,  and  cost  half  a  million  dollars.  There  are  many 
short  tunnels  on  the  line  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio  Railway 
and  there  is  a  tunnel  on  the  Blue  Ridge  Railway  in  Virginia 
forty-two  hundred  feet  long.  In  South  Carolina  there  are 
several  tunnels,  one  of  them  nearly  six  thousand  feet  long. 
The  Long  Dock  Tunnel  in  Bergen,  New  Jersey,  opposite  New 
York  city,  was  completed  in  1860.  It  is  forty-three  hundred 
feet  long,  twenty-three  feet  high,  and  thirty  feet  wide.  On 
the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railway,  over  the  Sierra  Nevada 
Mountains,  there  are  several  tunnels,  the  longest  of  them  ex- 
ceeding a  mile ;  and  railway  engineering  was  carried  to  such 
perfection  in  the  construction  of  this  road  that  its  tunnels 
were  completed  in  a  shorter  time  than  in  works  of  the  same 
kind  and  with  an  equal  hardness  of  rock  anywhere  else  in  the 
United  States. 

A  journey  through  a  railway  tunnel  is  always  more  or  less 
interesting  to  a  novice,  but  an  old  traveller  soon  gets  accus- 
tomed to  it,  and  pays  very  little  attention.  On  most-  roads, 
when  a  long  tunnel  is  approached,  it  is  customary  in  the  day- 
time to  light  the  lamps  but  this  is  by  no  means  the  general 
rule.  Some  queer  incidents  occur  in  these  dark  journeys 
through  tunnels. 

The  darkness  is  so  thick  that  one  could  almost  cut  it  with  a 
knife.  It  affords  opportunities  for  enterprise,  either  for  enter- 
tainment or  mischief.  Enterprising  robbers  sometimes  con- 
duct their  operations  in  railway  tunnels.  Half  a  dozen  of 
them  will  jostle  a  passenger,  pick  his  pocket,  and  carry  away 
his  satchel,  and  when  he  emerges  from  the  tunnel  the  robbers 
will  have  disappeared.  It  not  unfrequently  happens  that  lov- 
ing couples  bestow  attentions  upon  each  other  in  passing 
through  tunnels  which  they  would  hardly  indulge  in  were 
they  in  open  daylight,  and  under  the  eyes  of  their  fellow- 
passengers. 

Every  one  has  read,  and  many  have  seen,  demure  couples 
sitting  quietly  in  their  seats  as  the  train  enters  a  tunnel. 
There  would  be  heard  the  sounds  of  a  slight  struggle,  and 


INCIDENT  IN  BERGEN  TUNNEL.  495 

also  of  less  slight  kisses.  When  the  train  emerges  into  the 
daylight,  the  pair  will  be  sitting  as  demure  as  ever,  but  with 
reddened  cheeks  and  a  general  appearance  of  disorder. 

On  one  occasion  I  was  riding  on  a  train  approaching  the 
Bergen  Tunnel,  near  New  York.  The  lamps  were  not  trimmed 
and  burning,  and  when  in  the  tunnel  we  were  as  much  in  the 
dark  as  an  ignorant  newsboy  attempting  to  read  a  page  of 
Sanscrit. 

In  front  of  me  was  a  young  couple,  and  by  their  devoted 
attention  to  each  other  I  concluded  that  they  were  not  mar- 
ried, or,  if  married,  were  wedded  to  somebody  else  than  to 
themselver.  The  gentleman  was  reading  a  newspaper ;  the 
lady  was  busy  with  a  novel,  and  giving  an  occasional  glance 
out  of  the  window.  As  soon  as  the  train  entered  the  tunnel 
it  was  so  dark  that  you  could  not  see  anything.  I  heard  a 
struggle.  There  seemed  to  be  a  dislocation  of  hair,  accom- 
panied by  a  shower  of  hair  pins.  The  gentleman's  hat  fell  to 
the  floor,  and  I  heard  his  paper  crush  as  though  it  had  been 
taken  up  by  a  clothes-wringer.  Then  there  were  several  warm- 
osculations,  accompanied  by  ejaculations  which  sounded  like,, 
"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed.  Somebody  will  hear  you." 

These  utterances  seemed  to  be  more  a  matter  of  form  than 
anything  else,  as  the  kissing  went  on  like  a  company  of  infan- 
try engaged  in  file-firing.  You  would  have  imagined  that  a 
whole  flock  of  school -girls  had  met  another  flock  of  school- 
girls, from  whom  they  had  been  separated  at  least  six  months. 

By  and  by  the  train  came  out  of  the  tunnel. 

The  gentleman  recovered  his  hat  and  pretended  to  be  read- 
ing his  newspaper ;  he  had  it  upside  down,  and  it  was  torn, 
half  through.  The  lady's  book  was  open  at  about  the  first 
page,  though  she  had  been  reading  it  for  three  hours.  Her 
hair  had  been  loosened,  and  was  falling  down.  Her  lace  col- 
lar was  disordered,  and  quite  in  keeping  with  the  collar  of  her- 
masculine  friend,  one  side  of  which  was  turned  up  like  the- 
toe  of  an  old  boot,  while  his  neck-tie  had  lost  its  trim  knot,, 
and  its  ends  were  dangling  like  a  pair  of  fish  lines  over  the 
side  of  a  ship.  The  gentleman  and  lady  were  very  red  in  the 
27 


496  AN  UNHAPPY  FRENCHMAN. 

face,  and  somewhat  exhausted,  and  altogether  they  looked  like 
a  pair  of  butterflies  that  had  been  run  through  a  sausage 
machine. 

A  story  is  told  of  a  Frenchman  travelling  in  a  railway 
coach  in  England,  who  was  very  anxious  to  change  his  shirt 
in  order  to  make  a  visit  after  the  train  had  arrived,  without 
taking  the  trouble  to  go  to  a  hotel.  His  guide-book  indicated 
a  tunnel  on  the  road,  and  he  asked  the  guard  or  conductor 
how  long  the  train  would  be  in  the  tunnel.  The  guard  mis- 
took his  question,  and  supposed  he  asked  how  long  before  the 
train  would  reach  the  tunnel.  He  answered  briefly,  "  Half  an 
hour." 

The  coach  in  which  the  Frenchman  was  travelling  was 
filled  with  ladies  and  gentlemen.  The  traveller  got  down  his 
valise,  unlocked  it,  and  made  everything  ready  for  a  change 
of  apparel  while  they  were  in  the  tunnel.  As  soon  as  they 
entered  it  he  pulled  oif  his  shirt,  and  prepared  to  put  on  a 
clean  one ;  but  imagine  his  surprise,  and  that  of  his  com- 
panions, on  discovering  that  the  train  remained  only  three 
minutes  in  the  tunnel,  instead  of  thirty.  As  they  came  out  in 
open  daylight  he  was  standing  in  their  midst  in  a  condition 
quite  unfit  for  a  mixed  company  of  ladies  and  gentlemen. 

The  longest  railway  tunnel  in  the  United  States,  is  the 
Hoosac  Tunnel,  in  Massachusetts.  Its  total  length  is  twenty- 
four  thousand  five  hundred  feet,  or  more  than  four  and  one-half 
miles.  Its  width  is  eighteen  feet,  arid  its  depth  fourteen  feet. 
As  long  ago  as  1825,  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  route  was  surveyed, 
and  a  legislative  commission  was  appointed  to  investigate  the 
practicability  of  building  a  canal  from  Boston  to  the  Hudson 
River.  They  made  their  report,  in  which  they  recommended  a 
tunnel  through,  the  mountain. 

In  1828  another  commission  reported  to  the  legislature  of 
Massachusetts  that  they  could  get  over  the  mountain  with  a 
railway  more  quickly  and  more  cheaply  than  through  it,  and 
recommended  the  Boston  and  Albany  line,  which  was  opened 
for  travel  in  1842. 

From  Boston  to  ike  Hudson  River  the  route  by  way  of  the 


THE   HOOSAC   TUNNEL.  497 

Hoosac  Mountain  is  very  feasible,  with  the  exception  of  the 
mountain  itself. 

A  story  is  told  that  Loammi  Baldwin,  the  engineer  who 
made  the  first  survey  for  the  canal,  was  very  much  in  favor 
of  this  route.  With  a  map  or  plan  spread  before  him,  he 
would  say  to  the  listener,  "  Why,  sir,  it  seems  as  if  the  finger 
of  Providence  had  marked  out  this  route  from  the  east  to  the 
west."  "  Perhaps  so,"  said  a  listener,  one  day  ;  "  but  what  a 
pity  it  is  that  the  finger  of  Providence  had  not  been  thrust 
through  the  Hoosac  Mountain  !  " 

In  1848  a  company  was  chartered  to  construct  a  railway 
between  Troy  and  Greenfield.  Three  years  later  the  work 
was  begun,  and  the  directors  voted  to  expend  twenty-five 
thousand  dollars  in  making  experiments  upon  the  proposed 
tunnel.  An  enormous  machine  was  constructed  and  set  to 
work  in  the  winter  of  1852.  It  was  expected  to  perform 
wonders,  and  it  did  ;  but  they  were  all  the  wrong  way.  The 
chief  wonder  was,  that  the  machine,  so  carefully  constructed, 
at  such  great  cost,  could  do  nothing  whatever. 

According  to  the  description,  it  was  "  designed  to  cut  a 
groove  around  the  circumference  of  the  tunnel  thirteen  inches 
wide  and  twenty-four  in  diameter,  by  means  of  a  set  of  revolv- 
ing cutters.  When  this  groove  had  been  cut  the  proper 
depth,  the  machine  was  to  be  run  back  on  its  railway,  and  the 
centre  core  blasted  out  by  gunpowder,  and  split  off  by  means 
of  wedges."  This  wonderful  engine  was  not  all  that  fancy 
painted  it.  It  cut  a  very  smooth  and  beautiful  hole  into  the 
rock  for  about  ten  feet.  Then  it  became  deranged,  and  then 
—  it  never  smiled  again.  Its  cutting  days  were  over,  and 
when  it  was  withdrawn  it  was  quickly  discarded  and  sold  for 
old  iron. 

Another  boring  machine  of  the  same  sort,  which  was  to  cut 
a  hole  only  eight  feet  in  diameter,  was  tried  at  the  other  end. 
That,  too,  made  a  most  glorious  failure.  Its  failure  was  even 
more  brilliant  than  that  of  the  first  machine,  for  it  never  suc- 
ceeded in  cutting  a  single  inch  of  rock. 

Different  engineers  have  tried  their  hands  and  their  skill 


498  CROSSING  THE  HOOSAC   MOUNTAIN. 

on  the  Hoosac  Tunnel.  In  1854,  the  legislature  of  Massa- 
chusetts appropriated  two  millions  of  dollars  to  the  Troy  and 
Greenfield  Bailway,  and  in  the  following  year  they  were  at 
work  in  earnest. 

General  Haupt,  who  became  famous  in  the  late  war  as  a 
bridge-builder,  attempted  to  pierce  the  Hoosac  Mountain ;  but 
after  several  years  he  abandoned  the  work,  and  the  whole 
property  of  the  company  was  transferred  to  the  State  of 
Massachusetts.  When  the  state  took  possession  it  began 
work  on  its  own  account,  and  in  1868  the  legislature  ap- 
propriated five  millions  of  dollars,  and  made  a  contract  with 
Walter  and  Francis  Shanly,  of  Canada,  for  the  completion  of 
the  tunnel.  They  began  work  in  the  following  March,  and 
there  is  very  little  doubt  of  their  completing  the  tunnel. 

In  1870  I  made  an  excursion  up  the  valley  of  the  Connecti- 
cut as  far  as  Greenfield,  and  there  took  the  railway  train  to 
the  Hoosac  Mountain.  At  the  east  side  or  end  of  the  tunnel 
I  abandoned  the  cars,  and  took  to  a  six-horse  coach.  I 
managed  to  obtain  a  seat  near  the  driver,  a  burly,  moon-faced 
fellow,  who  collected  fifty  cents  extra  for  the  privilege  of 
riding  near  him.  He  treated  everybody  on  the  outside  as 
politely  as  though  he  were  king  of  the  Cannibal  Islands,  and 
we  were  his  subjects.  For  downright  impudence,  with  a 
good  deal  of  rudeness  to  the  bushel,  I  will  back  an  American 
stage-driver  against  any  other  man  in  the  world. 

Soon  after  dinner  we  drove  away  from  the  station,  and 
after  the  horses  had  given  us  a  little  circus  exhibition  on 
their  own  account,  which  threatened  to  overturn  us  and 
break  half  a  dozen  necks,  we  climbed  slowly  up  the  valley 
skirting  the  edge  of  a  forest,  whose  leaves  were  tinged  with 
the  varying  colors  of  autumn.  Our  progress  up  the  eastern 
face  of  the  mountain  was  slow,  but  when  we  came  down  the 
western  side  the  case  was  different.  On  the  upper  part 
of  the  mountain  there  is  a  long  and  comparatively  level 
stretch  of  ground,  on  which  there  are  many  fine  farms,  and  a 
general  appearance  of  prosperity.  Approaching  the  westen? 
face  of  the  mountain,  we  overlooked  the  flourishing  town  of 


VISITING  THE   TUNNEL.  499 

North  Adams,  and  a  region  of  country  spread  out  before  us 
like  a  beautiful  panorama.  I  have  looked  from  mountains  in 
many  countries,  but  rarely  have  I  gazed  upon  a  landscape 
more  beautiful  and  more  attractive  than  this.  It  is  not  grand — 
awfully  grand  —  in  its  character,  like  many  other  landscapes, 
but  there  is  an  air  of  beauty  about  it  which  makes  it  charm- 
ing in  the  extreme. 

The  road  winds,  in  a  sort  of  zigzag,  down  the  side  of  the 
mountain,  and  our  horses  went  at  a  good  speed.  The  coach 
swung  from  side  to  side,  and  the  baby  of  a  feminine  passen- 
ger screamed  as  if  a  dozen  pins  were  being  driven  an  inch  or 
so,  into  its  arms  and  legs.  Down,  down,  down  the  mountain 
we  went,  and  soon  we  were  inside  the  busy  town,  and  were 
driven  up  in  front  of  the  Wilson  House.  There  I  concluded 
to  remain,  and  take  my  point  of  departure  the  next  day  for 
the  tunnel. 

On  the  following  morning  it  was  raining,  not  exactly  cats 
and  dogs,  but  a  drizzly,  misty,  damp  —  very  damp  —  sort  of 
rain.  I  did  not  care  very  much  for  rain,  though,  especially  as  it 
made  no  difference,  when  once  in  the  tunnel,  what  the  outside 
weather  might  be.  When  breakfast  was  over,  I  started  for 
the  tunnel  under  the  escort  of  the  proprietor  of  the  hotel. 

The  western  portal  of  the  tunnel  is  two  miles  south  of  the 
village.  The  road  leading  to  it  is  among  some  small  hills  that 
appear  trying  to  hug  the  mountain.  Mr.  Haupt  began  his 
work  on  this  side  of  the  mountain,  in  a  limestone  rock,  from 
which  he  expected  to  pass  directly  into  the  solid  primary  rock, 
forming  the  base  of  the  mountain ;  but  to  his  surprise  and  mor- 
tification, his  hopes  were  not  realized. 

Instead  of  reaching  the  solid  rock,  he  entered  into  a  mass 
that  is  known  as  demoralized  rock,  a  sort  of  combination  of 
mica,  quicksand,  water,  and  everything  else  that  is  disagree- 
able. It  was  perfectly  unmanageable.  As  fast  as  they  dug 
it  out  it  flowed  in.  Imagine  a  mouse  attempting  to  construct  a 
tunnel  through  a  barrel  of  swill,  and  you  can  form  a  very 
good  idea  of  the  difficulty  of  working  in  this  rock.  You 


500  DEMORALIZED    ROCK. 

might  as  well  attempt  to  make  a  tunnel  through  a  thousabd 
cart-loads  of  soft  mud ;  in  fact,  you  could  get  along  easier  in 
the  mud  than  in  this  demoralized  rock,  because  you  could 
take  precautions  against  the  flowing  in  of  the  mud,  which 
you  could  not  take  against  this  disintegrated  mica.  It  is 
a  sort  of  soft  stuff  which  French  miners  denominate  "  mou- 
tarde,"  and  English  miners  allude  to  as  "  porridge.'7 

In  order  to  escape  this  porridge,  the  engineer  tried  to 
make  a  tunnel  farther  up  the  hill-side ;  but  it  was  of  no  use. 
There  was  the  stuff  again,  and  somehow  it  must  be  met.  Not 
only  was  it  impossible  to  prevent  its  caving  in,  but  it  was 
necessary  to  prevent  its  rising  upward.  Consequently  an 
arch  must  be  made  below,  as  well  as  above ;  in  fact,  it  was 
necessary  to  construct  the  brick-work  in  such  a  way  that  it 
would  form,  when  completed,  a  perfect  cylinder,  as  the  pres- 
sure of  the  porridge  would  be  exerted  in  all  directions.  As 
the  work  was  put  forward  and  completed,  a  casing  of  timber 
was  made,  and  inside  this  casing  of  timber  the  brick  arch 
of  the  tunnel  was  built. 

Our  first  visit  was  made  to  the  western  portal,  into  which 
we  penetrated  several  hundred  feet.  For  about  seven  hun- 
dred feet,  the  tunnel  is  laid  in  brick  seven  or  eight  courses 
thick,  and  forms  a  complete  arch.  Beyond  that  the  rock  is 
quite  soft,  but  sufficiently  hard  to  sustain  itself  long  enough 
to  permit  the  construction  of  an  arch.  When  this  work  is 
completed  there  will  be  some  two  thousand  feet  of  brick 
arching. 

We  thought  that  in  entering  this  western  part  of  the  tun- 
nel, we  should  get  out  of  the  rain;  but  we  found  streams 
of  water  occasionally  coming  through  the  brick-work,  and  es- 
pecially through  the  stone  at  the  heading,  where  the  work  of 
arching  was  going  on.  Quite  a  stream  of  water  ran  through 
the  bottom  of  the  tunnel,  and  I  managed,  in  the  course  of  my 
walk,  to  get  my  feet  pretty  thoroughly  soaked.  However,  I  had 
been  wisely  encased  in  a  suit  of  old  clothes,  and  when  I 
emerged,  there  was  more  mud  than  clothing  visible  about  me. 

Climbing  out  of  the  western  portal,  we  took  the  open  road 


EASTERN    ENTRANCE. 


WESTERN    ENTRANCE. 


THE    HOOSAC    TUNNEL,    MASSACHUSETTS.— LENGTH    24,500    FBET.      COST 

AKOUT    $15,000,000.      FIRST    TRAIN   C-F    CARS   PASSED    THROUGH 

APRIL   6,    1875. 


FLOODING   A  TUNNEL.  503 

again,  and  went  to  what  is  known  as  the  western  shaft.  The 
work  through  the  demoralized  rock  and  porridge  was  so  slow 
that  the  engineers  determined  to  sink  a  shaft  farther  up  the 
mountain.  It  is  about  half  a  mile  from  the  portal,  and  is 
three  hundred  and  eighteen  feet  deep. 

As  soon  as  the  shaft  was  sunk,  the  miners  turned  and 
worked  outwards  through  the  soft  rock,  cutting  a  small 
passage  through  to  the  western  portal,  so  as  to  allow  the 
water  to  drain  off,  and  thus  save  the  use  of  the  pumps.  In 
the  other  direction,  that  is,  towards  the  east,  the  miners  had 
found  the  solid  rock  of  the  mountain.  At  the  time  of  my  visit 
they  were  about  half  a  mile  from  the  bottom  of  the  shaft. 

Along  our  road  forming  the  portal  to  the  shaft,  there  was  a 
small  stream  of  water.  My  guide  explained  to  me  that  in 
the  great  flood  a  year  before,  the  water  came  down,  tearing 
away  the  embankment  which  separated  the  brook  from  the 
tunnel.  In  a  few  minutes  the  embankment  was  all  torn  away, 
and  the  whole  force  of  the  stream  was  poured  into  the 
tunnel.  An  alarm  was  given  as  quickly  as  possible,  and  by 
running  rapidly,  the  men  who  were  working  in  the  tunnel 
escaped,  with  the  exception  of  one  who  was  doing  his  first 
day's  work  there,  and  was  probably  delayed  by  his  unfamil- 
iarity  with  the  place.  In  a  very  short  time  the  water 
completely  filled  the  tunnel,  and  it  was  some  weeks  before 
the  works  were  restored  to  their  old  condition. 

Along  this  brook  and  around  the  west  shaft  there  was  quite 
a  village  occupied  by  the  miners  and  their  families.  The  town 
of  North  Adams  provided  a  school-house  and  a  school  for  the 
children,  of  whom  nearly  one  hundred  received  instruction  there 
during  the  week.  For  a  part  of  the  year  the  school-house  was 
occupied  at  different  hours,  on  Sunday,  by  two  Sunday  schools, 
one  conducted  by  some  of  the  Protestant  churches,  while  the 
other  is  under  the  care  of  the  Roman  Catholics. 

Around  the  shaft  were  the  usual  buildings  and  shops  for  the 
repair  of  tools,  and  for  the  ordinary  machinery  used  about 
the  mine.  After  a  pleasant  talk  in  the  office  of  the  superin- 


504.  WALKING  UNDER   GROUND. 

tendent,  I  was-  requested  to  dress  in  an  oil-skin  suit  and  a 
lantern,  preparatory  to  going  below.  When  all  was  ready,  we 
went  to  the  shaft,  entered  a  cage,  and  descended.  From 
the  bottom  of  the  shaft  we  struck  out  along  the  tunnel  to 
make  our  way  to  the  heading. 

Our  guide  explained  to  us  that  there  would  be  a  blast  in 
about  twenty  minutes,  and  that  we  must  move  forward  at 
good  speed  in  order  to  see  it.  u  Step  right  out  without  fear," 
said  he  ;  "  there  is  no  danger  of  falling  through,  as  the  bot- 
tom is  perfectly  solid.  You  need  not  mind  splashing  those 
boots  with  water  and  mud,  as  they  are  used  to  it." 

I  obeyed  his  directions  and  followed  him,  and  I  did  some 
very  rapid  walking.  The  lanterns  gave  out  just  about  light 
enough  to  make  darkness  visible.  Away  in  the  distance  we 
could  see  the  lights  of  the  miners,  and  hear  the  noise  made 
by  the  machinery  and  the  tools  of  the  workmen.  An  iron 
pipe  six  inches  in  diameter  lay  at  one  side  of  the  floor,  and 
through  this  was  forced  the  air  which  furnished  the  power  to 
the  drilling  machinery,  and  at  the  same  time  ventilated  the 
tunnel.  A  channel  had  been  cut  in  the  solid  floor  to  carry 
off  the  water  which  flowed  in  from  various  seams  in  the 
rock. 

A  short  distance  from  the  foot  of  the  shaft  were  the  stables, 
containing  several  mules,  which  were  used  for  hauling  the 
cars.  The  mules  seemed  to  look  at  us  with  a  desponding  gaze, 
as  if  connecting  us  in  some  way  with  the  outside  world,  which 
they  would  never  see  again. 

"  Did  these  animals,"  said  I,  "  come  down  in  the  cage  where 
we  descended?" 

"  Certainly,"  said  the  assistant  superintendent.  "  How  else 
could  they  come  down?  They  were  sent  down  in  that  box, 
not  all  together,  but  only  one  at  a  time." 

I  endeavored  to  ascertain  how  it  was  possible  to  pack  a 
live  animal  into  that  cage  without  killing  him.  The  assistant 
said  it  was  easy  enough  if  you  only  knew  how,  and  could 
induce  the  animal  to  do  as  you  wanted  him  to.  "  They  are 
good  mules,"  said  he,  "  and  with  a  strong  rope  you  can 


SUGGESTION  OP  A   VISITOR.  505 

double  them  up  any  way,  though  they  do  not  exactly  like  it. 
If  they  live  two  years  longer,  they  will  get  out  alive,  other- 
wise they  will  die  here.  It  does  not  pay  to  be  hoisting  live 
mules  out,  and  lowering  other  live  mules  in.  When  they  get 
here,  they  stay  till  we  are  through  with  them." 

About  half  way  from  the  shaft  to  the  heading  we  passed  a 
couple  of  surveyors,  who  were  making  an  alignment  of  .the 
tunnel,  to  see  that  everything  was  correct.  They  had  the 
ordinary  instruments  used  for  levelling  purposes  in  the  open 
air,  but  it  seemed  rather  odd  to  find  them  using  the  same 
instruments  by  the  light  of  lanterns,  and  laying  out  the  track  far 
down  in  the  interior  of  the  mountain.  Every  foot  of  the  work 
of  the  tunnel  had  to  be  laid  out  with  the  utmost  care,  in  order 
that  the  ends,  when  they  met,  could  be  made  to  join  perfectly. 

There  was  a  narrow  track  along  the  bottom  of  the  tunnel, 
where  cars  drawn  by  mules,  for  the  removal  of  the  rock  to  the 
foot  of  the  shaft,  where  it  could  be  hoisted  out.  My  guide  told 
me  that  a  recent  visitor  to  the  tunnel  asked,  with  apparent 
innocence,  why  they  hoisted  out  all  that  rock,  and  suggested 
that  it  would  be  much  easier  to  dig  a  hole  in  the  bottom  of  the 
tunnel,  and  bury  it  there ;  but  he  did  not  suggest  what  should 
be  done  with  the  rock  which  they  removed  to  make  the  hole. 
We  encountered  several  of  these  cars,  and  at  one  place  were 
crowded  rather  closely  against  the  walls. 

Originally  gunpowder  was  used  for  blasting  purposes  in  the 
tunnel,  but  later  in  the  work  nitro-glycerine  was  adopted. 

Several  accidents  with  explosive  materials  occurred  during 
the  construction  of  the  tunnel,  one  of  the  most  serious  being  in 
1869.  The  magazine  where  the  nitro-glycerine  was  stored  for 
operations  on  the  eastern  part  of  the  tunnel,  was  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  from  the  portal.  Three  of  the  miners  went  one 
morning  to  prepare  the  nitro-glycerine  for  the  day's  use,  and  an 
explosion  occurred,  killing  them  all.  Two  of  them  were  inside 
the  building  at  the  time,  and  nothing  but  a  few  pieces  of  them 
were  found ;  the  other,  who  was  outside  the  building,  was  so 
badly  disfigured  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  identify  him, 
and  the  force  of  the  explosion  was  so  great  that  not  a  plank  or 
a  timber  of  the  building  remained. 


506  THE  GREAT   EXPLOSION. 

On  the  19th  of  October,  1867,  a  terrible  accident  occurred  at 
this  shaft.  A  depth  of  nearly  six  hundred  feet  had  been 
reached,  and  thirteen  men  were  at  work  below.  The  gasoline 
apparatus  used  for  lighting  the  works  exploded,  and  set  fire  to 
the  buildings.  The  engineer  was  badly  burned,  and  driven 
from  his  post,  and  the  men  perished  by  suffocation.  The  shaft 
was  soon  filled  with  water,  but  it  was  not  until  next  day  that 
the  fire  was  extinguished  so  that  anybody  could  descend.  A 
workman  named  Mallory  was  lowered,  with  three  lanterns 
attached  to  him.  Near  the  bottom  two  of  his  lanterns  went 
out,  and  at  a  signal  he  was  drawn  up  nearly  insensible  from 
breathing  the  foul  air.  He  said  there  were  fifteen  feet  of 
water  in  the  shaft,  and  no  signs  of  the  men.  It  was  necessary 
to  erect  buildings  and  machinery  to  clear  the  shaft,  and  it  was 
not  until  a  year  after  that  the  water  was  pumped  out,  and  the 
bodies  of  the  victims  were  recovered.  They  were  all  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  but  crumbled  to  pieces  soon  after  exposure 
to  the  air. 

As  we  neared  the  heading  the  noise  increased.  The  shouts 
of  the  miners  and  the  sound  of  the  drilling  machines  over- 
powered any  ordinary  tones  of  the  voice.  The  drilling  machine 
was  an  iron  frame,  resting  upon  trucks,  and  was  pushed  as  near 
as  possible  to  the  face  of  the  rock.  The  drills  were  fastened  to 
it  in  such  a  way  that  they  could  be  turned  upon  any  designated 
point.  They  were  operated  by  compressed  air,  and  worked 
with  great  rapidity,  striking  as  many  as  three  hundred  blows 
to  the  minute.  The  quality  of  the  rock  was  generally  so  hard 
that  the  drills  became  dull  and  blunt  in  a  short  time,  and 
required  to  be  sharpened ;  but  they  worked  much  more  expedi- 
tiously  than  hand  drills.  Under  the  ordinary  process  of  hand 
drilling  it  would  take  six  weeks  to  accomplish  the  distance  made 
in  a  single  week  by  them. 

When  the  drill-holes  had  been  sunk  to  the  required  depth, 
the  machine  was  moved  back,  and  some  plank  doors  were  closed 
in  front  of  it  to  prevent  injury  by  the  flying  fragments  of  rock. 
Just  as  we  reached  the  end  of  the  heading  the  noise  ceased,  and 
the  machine  was  drawn  back,  preparatory  to  blasting.  The 
holes  were  cleared,  and  then  three  men  came  forward  with  the 


ACCIDENT   AT  THE   CENTRAL   SHAFT.  509 

charges  of  nitroglycerine  in  long  tin  tubes.  These  were  put  in 
the  holes,  the  wires  were  fastened  in  their  places,  and  then  the 
men  moved  back ;  it  is  hardly  necessary  to  say  that  I  moved 
back  at  the  same  time,  and  quite  as  far  as  the  workmen. 
Everything  being  ready,  the  signal  was  given. 

"Look  out  that  you  are  not  blown  down!"  said  my  guide. 

I  did  look  out.  There  came  a  sound  and  a  quick  explosion, 
followed  by  the  rumbling  and  crashing  of  the  rock,  and  then  a 
rush  of  air  and  smokehthat  almost  threw  me  over. 

The  pressure  of  the  air  in  the  iron  pipe  for  working  the  drills 
and  ventilating  the  tunnel  was  about  six  atmospheres,  or  ninety 
pounds  to  the  square  inch.  As  soon  as  the  blast  was  made,  the 
air  was  turned  on;  the  smoke  from  the  blast  was  driven  back, 
and  the  miners  found  themselves  in  a  clear  atmosphere. 

After  this  blast  it  was  intimated  that  there  was  nothing  more 
to  see,  and  we  made  our  way  out  of  the  tunnel  into  the  open 
air  again,  and  back  to  the  Wilson  House. 

On  December  12th,  1872,  the  east  heading  was  connected  with 
the  one  driven  east  from  the  central  shaft.  The  west  heading 
was  connected  with  the  one  driven  west  from  the  shaft  on  the 
27th  of  November,  1873.  This  proved  a  splendid  engineering 
feat. 

The  road  bed  was  finished  and  the  track  laid  early  in  1875, 
and  the  first  freight  train  passed  through  on  the  5th  of  April  of 
that  year.  The  first  passenger  train  was  run  through,  July  8th, 
1875. 

Owing  to  the  explosive  action  of  nitro-glycerine  the  rock  was 
broken  for  some  distance  beyond  the  limits  planned  in  con- 
structing the  sides  and  arch  of  the  tunnel,  and  there  was  con- 
stant danger  of  pieces  of  rock  falling  upon  the  track.  The 
plan  of  arching  it  with  brick  was  conceived  of,  and  a  contract 
was  made  in  1874,  to  do  the  arching  and  also  to  enlarge  a 
portion  of  the  tunnel  at  the  eastern  terminus.  This  work  was 
completed,  and  the  road  is  now  in  complete  running  order. 

The  cost  of  the  work  in  the  aggregate  is  nearly  $15,000,000. 
The  construction  of  the  tunnel  opens  direct  communication 
between  Boston  and  Troy,  and  is  of  inestimable  advantage  to 
Massachusetts  from  a  commercial  point  of  view. 


XXXIV. 

THE  MONT  CENIS   TUNNEL. 

MOUNTAIN  CHAINS  BETWEEN  NATIONS.  —  MONT  CENIS.  —  CROSSING  THE  ALPS. 
—  THE  GREAT  ALPINE  TUNNEL.  —  LAYING  OUT.  THE  WORK.  —  THE  ARC  AND 
DORA.  —  DIFFICULTIES.  —  THE  SURVEYS.  — PENETRATING  THE  MOUNTAIN.  — 
COMPLETION  OF  THE  WORK.  —  THE  CHANNEL  TUNNEL.  —  ITS  COST.  —  COST 
OF  TUNNELS  IN  VARIOUS  COUNTRIES. 

IT  has  been  said  with  truth  that  "  mountains  interposed 
make  enemies  of  nations."  In  various  parts  of  the  world  we 
find  that  mountain  chains  stand  as  barriers  between  different 
nations,  and  in  many  instances  the  boundaries  thus  formed  by 
nature  have  remained  unchanged  for  hundreds  of  years.  On 
the  map  of  Europe  the  most  prominent  mountain  chain  is  that 
of  the  Alps,  and  it  has  stood  as  a  separating  line  between 
nations  for  a  long  time.  It  is  true  that  occasionally  wars 
have  been  carried  beyond  these  mountain  chains,  and  con- 
quests have  been  made  in  spite  of  them  ;  but  for  practical  pur- 
poses the  chain  of  the  Alps  has  been  for  centuries  the  separat- 
ing line  between  France  and  Austria  on  the  north,  and  Italy 
on  the  south.  Sometimes  the  French  possessions  have  ex- 
tended to  the  south  of  the  Alps,  and  sometimes  Italy  has 
extended  her  possessions  to  the  north  of  that  chain.  Such 
possessions  have  never  been  held  for  a  great  length  of  time, 
arid  in  one  way  or  another  they  have  fallen  to  the  nation  to 
whom  they  belonged  by  natural  position. 

Carriage  roads  were  long  since  made  across  the  Alps.  In 
later  years  the  railway  has  traversed  these  mountains,  but  the 
ascent  is  tedious  and  laborious,  so  that  rapid  communication 
was  impossible.  It  remained  for  the  science  6f  the  present 
day  to  overcome  the  obstacles  which  the  mountains  afforded, 
not  by  cutting  away  the  Alps,  but  by  piercing  a  passage 
through  them. 


COMMENCEMENT   OF   THE  WORK.  511 

More  than  twenty  years  ago  the  attention  of  the  French 
and  Italian  governments  was  called  to  the  necessity  of  a  tun- 
nel through  the  Alps  by  which  France  and  Italy  should  be 
connected.  The  project  was  discussed  for  some  time,  and 
.finally  a  convention  was  formed  between  France  and  Italy 
for  the  purpose  of  undertaking  the  work.  Four  or  five  years 
were  consumed  in  surveys  and  in  the  contemplation  of  plans. 
All  sorts  of  objections  were  made,  and  a  list  of  these  objec- 
tions forms  a  humorous  page.  One  man  contended  that  the 
heat  would  be  so  great  in  the  centre  of  the  mountain  that  the 
men  would  be  roasted  alive  while  working  in  the  tunnel. 
Another  was  positive  that  the  noxious  gases  and  vapors 
arising  in  the  tunnel  would  suffocate  everybody.  Another 
contended  that  rivers  of  water  would  be  found  in  the  moun- 
tain so  great  that  they  would  overwhelm  the  workmen,  and 
convert  the  tunnel  into  an  enormous  spring.  And  so  on,  one 
after  another,  the  objections  were  heaped  up,  and  there  was 
at  one  time  a  prospect  that  the  work  would  not  be  undertaken. 

The  actual  work  on  the  tunnel  was  begun  on  .the  Italian 
side  in  1857,  and  a  little  afterwards  work  on  the  French  side 
also  commenced.  A  great  deal  of  labor  had  been  performed 
in  locating  the  tunnel.  A  mountain  chain  is  not  a  single  line 
of  mountains,  like  a  row  of  potato  hills ;  but  it  consists  of  a 
central  back-bone  of  mountains,  with  other  and  smaller  moun- 
tains on  either  side,  so  that  a  chain  may  often  be  a  hundred  or 
more  miles  in  width.  Now,  in  piercing  a  chain  like  the  Alps, 
it  is  necessary  to  find  a  way  among  the  outlying  hills  on  each 
side  through  the  valleys  of  the  rivers  that  flow  from  the 
central  chain.  In  this  way  the  open-air  railway  is  brought  to 
the  foot  of  one  of  the  mountains  forming  the  great  central 
back-bone. 

But  a  difficulty  arises  in  finding  two  of  these  valleys  direct- 
ly opposite  each  other.  You  may  follow  a  valley  until  you 
get  to  the  very  base  of  one  of  the  highest  mountains  of  the 
range,  but  on  looking  to  the  other  side  you  may  find  no  cor- 
responding valley. 

It  was  this  peculiarity  of  all  mountain  chains  that  greatly 


512  VISITING  THE  MONT   CENIS  TUNNEL. 

hindered  the  location  of  the  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel.  After  much 
search,  the  best  location  was  found  to  be  by  following  the 
valley  of  the  Kiver  Arc,  on  the  northern  side,  and  the  River 
Dora,  on  the  southern.  A  great  many  surveys  were  made, 
and  it  was  finally  discovered  that  the  Arc  and  Dora,  in 
their  windings,  were,  at  a  certain  point,  less  than  eight  miles 
apart.  At  this  point,  it  was  evident,  Nature  designed  —  if  she 
had  any  design  about  it  —  that  the  great  work  should  be 
constructed. 

In  1867,  while  travelling  north  from  Italy  to  France,  I 
determined  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel.  It  was 
said  to  be  quite  difficult  to  obtain  a  permit  to  enter  the  work- 
ings j  but  perseverance  and  letters  of  introduction  will  ac- 
complish a  great  deal,  and  after  a  little  delay  I  obtained  what 
I  asked  for.  I  found  it  more  convenient  to  visit  the  northern 
end  of  the  tunnel  for  the  reason  that  on  the  Italian  side  the 
workings  were  sixteen  miles  away  from  the  regular  line  of 
travel,  while  those  on  the  northern  side  were  directly  on  the 
route  of  tourists. 

A  railway  over  Mont  Cenis  was  then  under  construction, 
and  nearly  completed  ;  but  as  it  was  not  open  for  travelling,  I 
made  the  transit  in  a  carriage,  just  as  many  thousands  of  peo- 
ple had  made  it  before  me.  The  railway  over  the  Alps  is  of 
itself  a  curiosity.  In  some  places  the  ascent  equals  one  foot 
in  ten,  so  that  great  power  was  required  for  the  locomotives 
to  enable  them  to  drag  their  burdens  upward.  The  track 
was  narrow,  and  it  was  peculiar  in  having  three  rails  instead 
of  two.  The  wheels  of  the  carriages  run  on  two  rails  only, 
just  like  wheels  of  carriages  on  other  railways.  The  central 
rail  was  intended  for  the  use  of  the  locomotives,  to  assist  their 
power  of  traction.  The  wheels  were  arranged  on  these  loco- 
motives in  such  a  way  as  to  grip  the  central  rail  with  tre- 
mendous force,  and  the  brakes  were  also  so  arranged  that  by 
pressing  this  central  rail  they  could  bring  the  carriages  to  a 
sudden  stop  in  case  of  accident. 

The  line  of  the  railway  over  Mont  Cenis  follows  very  nearly 
the  carriage  road,  and  occasionally  crosses  it.  In  some  places 


A   ROW  WITH  A  LANDLORD.  513 

it  passes  through  short  tunnels,  and  in  others  it  is  roofed  in 
to  avoid  injury  by  snow.  In  crossing  the  mountain  by  this 
railway  very  little  time  is  saved  over  the  i  ordinary  car- 
riage route,  while  the  latter  is  very  much  to  be  preferred 
on  account  of  its  comfort  and  the  advantage  it  gives  for  ob- 
serving the  scenery.  We  were  a  party  of  four,  and  after  an 
unhappy  night  in  a  dirty  hotel  at  Susa,  an  old  town  founded 
by  the  Romans,  and  containing  some  ruins  dating  from  the 
time  of  the  Romans,  we  started  on  our  journey. 

Our  night  had  been  unhappy.  Our  breakfast  was  still  more 
unhappy,  and  our  bill  for  what  the  landlord  facetiously  termed 
our  "entertainment"  was  the  worst  feature  of  all.  The  dis- 
comfiture of  his  establishment  was  greater  than  the  comfort 
of  the  best  hotel  in  Paris,  and  he  charged  us  about  twice  the 
rate  that  any  Parisian  landlord  would  dare  to  ask.  We  con- 
soled ourselves  and  settled  our  breakfast  by  getting  up  a 
magnificent  row  with  him,  threatening  to  break  his  head,  and 
talked  at  least  fifteen  minutes  in  mingled  patois  of  English, 
French,  Italian,  Russian,  and  Chinese.  We  did  not  succeed 
in  having  our  bill  reduced,  but  I  am  confident  if  what  we  said 
to  that  landlord  remained  ringing  in  his  ears  for  twenty-four 
hours,  it  must  have  driven  him  to  hopeless  insanity. 

We  wound  slowly  up  the  mountain,  with  the  top  of  our  car- 
riage thrown  back,  so  that  we  could  enjoy  the  view. 

The  Mont  Cenis  Pass  is  the  least  interesting  of  all  the 
great  passes  of  the  Alps.  Tourists  complain  of  its  tameness, 
but  there  are  points  where  it  is  picturesque. 

At  places  during  the  ascent  we  had  some  fine  views  of  that 
portion  of  Italy  which  stretches  away  from  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  and  we  tried  to  imagine  that  we  could  now  and 
then  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  The  rough 
mountains  were  piled  above  and  around  us,  frequently  in  fan- 
tastic shapes,  and  we  found  the  air  getting  steadily  more  and 
more  cool  as  we  made  the  ascent. 

Finally  on  the  summit,  only  a  few  hours  after  leaving  a 
tropical  temperature  in  Italy,  we  were  riding  amid  fields  of 
snow,  and  shivering  in  our  travelling  coats  and  thick  shawls. 


514  DESCENDING  THE   MOUNTAIN. 

The  ascent  was  slow,  but  the  descent  on  the  French  side 
was  rapid.  As  we  passed  the  boundary  between  France  and 
Italy,  our  driver  gathered  his  reins,  and  the  horses  went  at 
full  speed  down  the  magnificent  road.  We  left  a  cloud  of 
dust  filling  the  air  behind  us,  and  were  whirled  along  so 
rapidly  that  I  sometimes  thought  we  might  be  tossed  over  one 
of  the  precipices  in  some  of  the  short  windings  of  the  road. 
At  every  half  mile  there  is  a  small  shed,  or  house,  known  as 
the  "refuge."  It  is  intended  for  travellers  who  are  over- 
taken on  the  mountain,  during  the  winter  season,  by  violent 
snow-storms. 

As  it  was  summer  we  had  no  occasion  to  seek  these  refuges, 
but  it  was  easy  to  see  that  they  were  of  great  advantage  in 
protecting  and  saving  life  during  the  severer  portion  of  the 
year. 

At  Lans-le-bourg  we  stopped  at  the .  French  custom-house 
to  undergo  an  examination ;  but  our  baggage  was  so  small  in 
quantity,  and  we  manifested  such  a  readiness  to  submit  it  to 
inspection,  that  the  officers  of  customs  did  not  detain  us.  Be- 
hind us  was  a  carriage,  in  which  were  two  American  ladies, 
and  they  drove  up  a  few  moments  before  we  started.  They 
had  that  enormous  amount  of  baggage  peculiar  to  their  sex 
and  race,  and  protested  that  their  trunks  contained  nothing  of 
value.  But  the  custom  officers  were  inexorable,  and  as  we 
drove  away,  the  trunks  of  the  ladies  were  being  unpacked, 
and  were  undergoing  a  rigid  examination.  If  you  wish  to 
avoid  trouble  at  custom-houses  when  travelling  in  Europe, 
never  carry  a  large  amount  of  baggage,  and  never  show  the 
least  hesitation  to  open  it  for  inspection.  Many  a  time  have 
I  found  my  baggage  passed  without  examination,  while  the 
next  man's  would  be  overhauled,  and,  as  nearly  as  I  could 
judge,  only  for  the  reason  that  he  urged  the  officers  not  to  look 
at  it,  and  assured  them  that  it  contained  nothing  contraband. 

At  Modane  we  found  the  base  of  operations  for  the  northern 
part  of  the  tunnel,  and  here  we  halted  to  make  our  investiga- 
tions. By  the  way,  I  never  have  been  able  to  make  out  why 
the  name  of  Mont  Cenis  should  be  attached  to  the  famous  tun- 


SURROUNDINGS   OF   MONT    CENTS.  515 

nel,  since  that  mountain  is  about  twenty  miles  away  from  it. 
The  tunnel  does  not  pass  under  Mont  Cenis,  but  under  three 
peaks  called  Col  Frejus,  Le  Grand  Vallon,  and  Col  de  la 
Roue,  the  first  being  on  the  French,  the  third  being  on  the 
Italian  slope,  and  the  second  about  half  way  between  the  two. 
I  suppose,  however,  that  the  tunnel  was  named  after  Mont 
Cenis  because  it  is  better  known  than  any  other  summit  or 
range  in  this  neighborhood,  and  because  it  would  be  better  to 
give  it  a  name  which  does  not  belong  to  it  at  all,  rather  than 
naming  it  after  any  one  of  the  three  peaks  deserving  equal 
distinction. 

Modane,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  Fourneaux,  was  the 
base  of  operations.  Fourneanx  is  a  miserable  little  village  in 
a  narrow  gorge  in  the  valley  of  the  Arc,  and  its  inhabitants  are 
chiefly  remarkable  for  their  deformity  and  idiocy.  The  Grand 
Vallon  is  eleven  thousand  feet  above  the  sea  level,  and 
crowned  with  snow.  Its  sides  are  steep,  and  it  would  be  quite 
impossible  to  carry  a  railway  over  it.  The  other  mountains 
on  the  route  are  equally  rugged  in  character,  but  their  height 
above  makes  little  difference  with  the  workings  carried  on  in 
their  interior. 

The  Mont  Cenis  Tunnel  is  the  largest  in  the  world,  extend- 
ing from  Fourneaux,  on  the  French  side,  to  Bardouneche,  OIL 
the  Italian  side.  When  it  was  begun,  with  the  ordinary  system 
of  hand  drills,  it  was  found  that  at  the  ordinary  rate  of  prog' 
ress,  it  would  take  thirty  or  forty  years  to  finish  the  work. 
With  an  ordinary  tunnel,  where  the  elevation  of  earth  or 
rock  is  not  very  great,  shafts  are  sunk  along  the  line,  as 
before  stated ;  but  in  this  case  it  was  impossible  to  sink  these 
vertical  shafts,  on  account  of  the  great  distance.  A  necessity 
arose  for  penetrating  the  rock  much  faster  than  by  ordinary 
means,  and  there  was  also  a  necessity  for  supplying  the  work- 
men with  fresh  air. 

These  necessities  led  to  Sommelier's  invention  of  drill* 
worked  by  compressed  air,  and  of  the  machinery  for  compress- 
ing the  air.  The  machines  have  already  been  described  in,' 
connection  with  the  Hoosac  Tunnel  A  great  many  experi- 
28 


516  SOMMELIER'S  AIR  COMPRESSOR. 

• 

ments  were  made  before  the  air  could  be  successfully  used ; 
but  finally,  when  they  were  completed,  the  work  progressed 
rapidly.  By  means  of  the  compres&ers  that  were  worked  by  a 
stream  of  water  from  the  mountain,  the  air  was  reduced  to  one 
sixth  of  its  natural  bulk,  and  thus,  when  liberated,  it  exercised 
an  expansive  force  equal  to  six  atmospheres.  The  compress- 
ing machines  used  at  most  tunnels  to-day  are  simply  enormous 
and  very  powerful  pumps,  but  the  machine  of  Sommelier  used 
the  weight  of  water.  Twenty  or  more  large  iron  tubes  were 
placed  in  an  upright  position.  The  "  head  "  of  the  supply 
was  far  up  the  mountain  side,  and  the  water  was  brought  to 
the  machine  in  an  iron  pipe.  A  piston  perfectly  tight  was 
fitted  to  the  tube,  the  water  was  turned  on,  and  its  weight, 
added  to  the  head  it  had  received,  compressed  the  air  in  the 
tube.  As  it  was  compressed,  a  valve  was  opened,  through 
which  it  could  escape  into  a  reservoir.  From  this  reservoir 
the  air  was  conveyed  in  an  iron  pipe  into  the  tunnel,  where  it 
was  used  to  work  the  perforators. 

We  found  that  the  entrance  to  the  tunnel  was  quite  a  dis- 
tance up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  and  it  was  evident  that 
considerable  engineering  skill  would  be  required  to  bring  the 
railway  track  thither  when  the  work  was  completed.  Oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  the  tunnel,  my  attention  was  called  to  a 
large  target,  made  of  boards  painted  white,  and  securely 
fastened  against  the  rock.  The  target  was  used  for  the 
proper  alignment  of  the  work.  At  every  foot  of  progress  into 
the  mountain,  bearings  were  carefully  taken.  At  night  a 
Drummond  light  was  placed  in  the  centre  of  the  target,  so 
that  it  could  be  visible  from  the  middle  of  the  mountain. 

It  will  be  seen  that  it  was  a  work  requiring  the  utmost  cau- 
tion to  lay  out  the  route  and  direction  of  the  tunnel  through 
the  mountain.  A  variation  of  a  hundredth  part  of  an  inch 
:at  any  point  in  the  surveys  would  have  changed  the  course  of 
the  working  on  one  side  or  the  other,  so  that  the  two  ends 
would  not  meet.  Bear  in  mind  that  these  surveys  were  car- 
ried from  the  valley  of  the  Arc  to  the  valley  of  the  Dora,  — 
the  opposite  points  -being  eight  miles  apart,  —  and  the  route 


RULES   IN   REGARD   TO   VISITORS.  517 

lying,  not  through  level  fields  and  meadows,  but  over  three 
rough  and  high  mountains,  where  there  was  no  path  beyond 
that  which  the  surveyors  and  their  assistants  laid  out.  And 
yet,  so  carefully  was  the  work  performed  from  the  two  sides, 
that  the  workings  were  brought  together  exactly,  without  a 
variation  of  a  single  foot. 

The  entrance  to  the  tunnel  is  about  twenty-five  feet  wide, 
and  the  same  in  height.  To  go  inside  the  workings,  you  are 
clad  with  a  rubber  suit,  and  supplied  with  a  lamp,  and  ac- 
companied by  a  guide.  For  some  time  after  the  working  be- 
gan, almost  any  one  could  be  admitted  ;  but  it  was  found  that 
the  workmen  were  greatly  hindered  by  frequent  visits,  so  that 
the  rules  became  very  strict.  No  one  could  enter  the  tunnel, 
unless  employed  there,  without  a  pass  from  the  management, 
though  it  was  not  very  difficult  for  a  journalist  or  a  person  of 
influence  or  prominence  to  obtain  admission.  As  fast  as  the 
work  progressed,  a  double  railway  was  laid  down  to  carry  in 
the  materials  used  in  the  working,  and  to  bring  out  the  bro- 
ken rock.  There  was  a  narrow  sidewalk  of  flagged  stone  on 
each  side.  The  pipes  for  the  air  were  ranged  along  the  side 
of  the  tunnel,  and  between  the  lines  of  the  rails,  in  a  deep 
trench,  were  the  gas  and  water  pipes. 

Like  all  tunnels  this  one  was  damp,  from  the  streams  of 
water  coming  through  the  roof ;  and  if  you  wondered  before 
entering,  why  you  should  be  asked  to  wear  a  rubber  coat, 
your  wonder  speedily  ceased.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  the 
workmen  were  nearly  three  miles  from  the  entrance,  —  that  is 
to  say,  the  tunnel  was  finished  for  that  distance, — while  for 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  the  men  had  cut  the  heading,  but 
the  upper  part  of  the  tunnel  had  not  been  opened. 

The  heading  is  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  work,  and  in 
all  tunnel  operations  the  workmen  at  the  heading  are  kept 
sufficiently  in  advance  of  the  enlargers,  so  that  one  party  will 
not  be  in  the  other's  way. 

The  passage  from  the  entrance  through  the  finished  portion 
was  comparatively  easy,  but  after  you  reached  the  newly- 
opened  part  you  found  it  more  difficult.  There  were  wagons 


518  DESTRUCTION   OF   DRILLING  MACHINES. 

and  men  moving  to  and  fro,  and  fragments  of  rock  were  lying 
everywhere  about.  The  space  was  narrow,  and  every  little 
while  you  found  yourself  running  much  nearer  a  man  Or  a 
mule  than  you  wished  to  ;  unless  you  moved  about  very  care- 
fully, you  were  under  the  risk  of  being  run  over  by  a  mule,  or 
crushed  by  the  wheels  of  a  wagon. 

The  perforators  kept  up  a  perpetual  din,  and  you  could 
hardly  hear  yourself  speak ;  and  I  have  heard  persons  aver 
that  you  could  not  hear  yourself  think.  The  drill  of  the 
Mont  Cenis  machine  stands  on  a  carriage,  which  the  Italians 
call  the  "  Affusto,"  and  it  strikes  about  two  hundred  blows  a 
minute.  Its  force  upon  the  rock  is  about  two  hundred 
pounds. 

A  stream  of  water  is  thrown  upon  the  rock  into  the  drill- 
hole, to  facilitate  the  perforating  process. 

The  wear  and  tear  of  machinery  in  the  tunnel  were  very 
great,  owing  to  the  hardness  of  the  rock.  Every  fifteen  min- 
utes it  was  necessary  to  change  the  drills,  and  a  great  many 
affusti  were  worn  out. 

It  was  estimated  that  by  the  time  the  tunnel  was  completed 
four  thousand  machines  were  utterly  worn  out.  At  the  en- 
trance of  the  tunnel  we  saw  a  great  many  of  these  disabled 
affusti,  reminding  us  of  worn-out  carriages  around  a  stable. 

With  the  exception  that  the  workmen  were  clad  in  differ- 
ent costumes,  and  were  shouting  in  French  instead  of  English, 
the  work  was  very  much  like  that  already  described  in  the 
Hoosac  Tunnel.  Accidents  were  much  more  frequent  in  the 
Mont  Cenis  Tunnel  than  in  the  Hoosac  Tunnel,  for  the  reason 
that  much  less  care  was  taken.  It  was  said  that  nearly 
twelve  hundred  men  lost  their  lives  in  the  tunnel,  or  in  con- 
nection with  it,  during  the  time  of  its  construction,  —  at  least, 
some  of  the  workmen  said  so,  —  while  the  guides  and  directors 
insisted  that  the  loss  of  life  had  not  been  more  than  one  tenth 
of  the  number.  Owing  to  the  hardness  of  the  rock  the  cost 
of  the  work  was  very  great.  Taking  the  average  of  the 
whole  length  of  the  tunnel,  it  was  one  thousand  dollars  a 
lineal  yard,  making  a  total,  in  round  numbers,  of  fifteen  mil- 
lions of  dollars. 


BORING    MACHINES    USED    IN    MOUNT    CENTS    TUNNEL,    THE    ALPS.— THE  LARGEST 
TUNNEL   IN    THE    WORLD,    CONNECTING    FRANCE    AND    ITALY. 


TUNNEL  UNDER  THE  ENGLISH  CHANNEL.         521 

The  expense  was  shared  between  the  French  and  Italian 
governments,  and  the  tunnel  will  form  a  bond  of  union  be- 
tween the  two  nations  greater  than  could  be  made  by  any 
other  use  of  the  same  amount  of  money.  By  the  terms  of 
the  convention  between  the  governments,  the  tunnel  is  to 
remain  uninjured  should  France  and  Italy  be  engaged  in  hos- 
tilities against  each  other.  The  tunnel  shortens  the  route  of 
travel  very  materially,  and  where  the  route  of  travel  is  short- 
ened the  work  of  peace  and  good  will  among  men  is  greatly 
facilitated. 

A  tunnel  has  been  proposed  for  the  Straits  of  Dover, 
between  England  and  France,  and  several  plans  have  been 
considered.  The  London  Times  stated,  early  in  1872,  that  a 
company  has  been  formed  and  funds  subscribed  to  the  amount 
of  some  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  with  the  im- 
mediate object  of  making  a  trial  shaft,  and  driving  a  driftway 
on  the  English  side  about  half  a  mile  beyond  low-water  mark, 
with  the  view  of  proving  the  practicability  of  tunnelling  un- 
der the  Channel.  The  completion  of  this  work  will  furnish  data 
for  calculating  the  cost  of  continuing  the  driftway  from  each 
shore  to  a  junction  in  mid-channel,  and  capital  will  then  be 
subscribed  for  that  purpose,  or  for  enlarging  it  to  the  size  of 
an  ordinary  railway  tunnel,  as  the  engineers  may  deem  most 
expedient. 

The  tunnel  will  be  made  through  the  lower  or  gray  chalk 
chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  and  by  the  adoption  of  machinery,  of 
which  the  promoters  of  this  company  have  recently  made 
practical  trials,  it  is  expected  the  passage  from  shore  to  shore 
can  be  opened  within  three  years  from  the  time  of  commen- 
cing the  work,  and  at  a  cost  very  considerably  less  than  any 
previous  estimates. 

The  same  paper,  referring  to  the  proposed  enterprise,  gives 
the  following  details  about  railway  and  other  tunnels  :  "  The 
cost  of  existing  tunnels  has  been  governed  by  such  various 
conditions  of  locality  and  soil,  that  they  can  have  little  bear- 
ing upon  the  present  question.  It  may  be  worth  while,  never- 
theless, to  cite  a  few  prominent  examples.  The  Mont  Cenis 


522  COST   OF   TUNNELS. 

Tunnel  has  cost  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  pounds  per  lin- 
ear yard,  which  would  amount,  for  a  length  of  twenty-two 
miles,  to  seven  millions  four  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  four 
hundred  pounds.  The  three  most  costly  tunnels  made  in 
England  have  been  the  Kilsby,  the  Saltwood,  and  the  Bletch- 
ingley,  each  of  which  was  executed  in  treacherous  strata,  giv- 
ing out  large  quantities  of  water.  In  making  the  Kilsby 
Tunnel  a  hidden  quicksand  was  discovered,  by  which  the 
works  were  drowned  out.  For  a  considerable  time  all  pump- 
ing apparatus  appeared  insufficient,  but  by  the  employment 
of  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty  men,  two  hundred 
horses,  and  thirteen  steam  engines,  working  night  and  day  for 
eight  months,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  gallons  per  minute 
were  raised  from  the  quicksand  alone.  The  cost  of  the  work 
was  raised  from  ninety  thousand  pounds,  the  original  esti- 
mate, to  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  pounds,  or  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  pounds  per  yard  for  two  thousand  four 
hundred  yards.  The  same  rate  of  expense  for  twenty-two 
miles  would  amount  to  five  millions  six  hundred  and  forty-six 
thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty  pounds.  The  Saltwood 
Tunnel  cost  one  hundred  and  eighteen  pounds  per  yard,  the 
Bletchingley  seventy-two  pounds ;  or  for  twenty-two  miles, 
four  millions  five  hundred  and  sixty-eight  thousand  nine  hun- 
dred and  sixty  pounds,  and  two  millions  seven  hundred  and 
eighty-seven  thousand  eight  hundred  and  forty  pounds, 
respectively. 

"  The  cost  of  railway  tunnels  in  France  has  varied  from 
thirty  pounds  per  yard  —  being  that  of  Terre  Noire,  on  the 
Paris,  Lyons,  and  Mediterranean  Railway,  to  ninety-five 
pounds  /er  yard,  that  of  Batignolles,  near  Paris,  on  the  Che- 
min  de  Fer  de  POuest.  In  Belgium,  Braine  le  Comte  Tunnel 
cost  forty-six  pounds  per  metre,  and  the  tunnels  on  the  Liege 
and  Yerviers  line  fifty  pounds  per  metre.  In  Switzerland  the 
very  difficult  Hauenstein  Tunnel  between  Basle  and  Berne 
cost  eighty  pounds  a  yard. 

"  In  America,  the  Hoosac  Tunnel,  in  Massachusetts,  through 
mica  slate,  mixed  with  quartz,  has  up  to  this  time  cost  one 


ESTIMATE   OF   THE   CHANNEL   TUNNEL.  523 

hundred  and  eighty  pounds  per  yard,  and  the  Moorhouse  Tun- 
nel, in  New  Zealand,  through  lava  streams  and  beds  of  tufa, 
intersected  by  vertical  dikes  of  phonolite,  cost  sixty-eight 
pounds  fifteen  shillings  per  yard.  It  will  be  a  convenient 
standard  of  comparison  for  these  amounts  if  we  remember 
that  twenty-five  pounds  per  yard  would  represent  very  nearly 
a  million  sterling  for  the  twenty-two  miles.  Any  estimate  for 
the  Channel  Tunnel  must  at  present  be  purely  conjectural, 
and  an  estimate  professing  to  embrace  contingencies  must  be 
more  conjectural  than  any  other ;  but  it  is  reckoned  that  the 
work,  if  practicable  at  all,  could  be  completed  within  five 
years  of  time,  and  for  five  millions  of  money." 


XXXV. 

THE  PARISIAN   SEWERS. 

THE  SEWERS  OF  PARIS.  —  THEIR  EXTENT. — A  JOURNEY  THROUGH  THEM. — 
THE  START  AND  THE  MODE  OF  TRAVEL.  —  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  GREAT 
SEWER. — ACCIDENTS  OF  SEWER  TRAVEL. — HISTORY  OF  THE  SEWERS. — 
THEIR  FIRST  GREAT  .INSPECTION.  — BRUNESEAU. — INUNDATION  FROM  THE 
SEWERS.  —  A  MAN  LOST.  —  HORRIBLE  DEATH  IN  THE  SEWERS.  —  THE  OLD 
AND  THE  NEW.  —  THE  EXCAVATIONS.  —  NATURE  OF  THE  WORK.  —  BREAKAGE 
OF  THE  CANAL.  —  JEAN  VALJEAN  IN  THE  SEWERS  OF  PARIS.  —  HIS  FIRST 
SENSATION.  —  CAUGHT  IN  A  LABYRINTH. —  THE  SEWERS  OF  ST.  DENIS,  AND 
THE  MARKETS.  — CAUGHT  IN  THE  WATER. —  THE  POLICE  IN  PURSUIT.  —  FRIGHT 
OF  THE  FUGITIVE.  —  THE  QUICKSAND  ON  THE  COAST  OF  BRITTANY.  —  A  HOR- 
RIBLE DEATH. — QUICKSAND  IN  THE  SEWERS.  —  HOW  IT  WAS  FORMED. — JEAN 
VALJEAN  IN  THE  QUICKSAND. — HIS  SUFFERINGS  AND  ESCAPE. 

PARIS,  the  gayest  and  brightest  city  in  the  world,  has  an 
underground  life  surpassing  that  of  any  other  metropolis. 
Beneath  the  broad  streets  there  are  many  miles  of  sewers 
constructed  on  a  plan  that  furnishes  a  complete  system  of 
drainage.  The  total  length  of  the  Paris  sewers  is  now  about 
four  hundred  and  thirty-four  thousand  yards,  or  three  hundred 
miles.  The  length  of  galleries  to  be  constructed  in  course  of 
time  is  about  two  thousand  yards  more.  To  organize  the  net- 
work of  sewers,  the  site  of  the  capital  has  been  divided  into 
five  basins,  of  which  three  are  on  the  right  and  two  on  the 
left  bank  of  the  Seine. 

Six  great  principal  galleries,  cutting  the  city  nearly  at  right 
angles,  and  having  for  tributaries  fifteen  secondary  galleries, 
out  of  which  branch  a  multitude  of  galleries  of  less  importance, 
constitute  the  principal  arteries  of  the  network.  Three  of 
the  six  principal  galleries  are  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  : 
the  first  is  that  of  the  quays ;  the  second  descends  the  Boule- 
vard de  Sebastopol,  and  joins  the  first  at  the  Place  du  Chatelet ; 


IN  THE  SEWERS   OP  PAEIS.  527 

and  the  third  runs  from  the  Place  de  la  Bastille  to  the  Place 
de  la  Concorde,  through  the  streets  St.  Antoine  and  de  Rivoli. 

On  the  left  bank  the  first  gallery  includes  the  line  of  the 
quays  from  the  Pont  d'Austerlitz  to  the  Pont  d'lena;  the 
second  follows  the  Boulevard  St.  Michel  from  the  Place  de 
1'Observatoire  to  the  Pont  St.  Michel ;  and  the  third  receives 
the  Bievre,  and  at  the  Rue  St.  Jacques  joins  the  long  gallery 
into  which  the  sewer  of  the  Boulevard  St.  Michel  falls. 

The  sewers,  or  at  any  rate  a  portion  of  them,  are  interest- 
ing places  to  visit,  though  nobody  would  care  to  live  in  them. 
Only  a  limited  number  of  permissions  are  granted,  and  these 
only  on  stated  days.  I  experienced  considerable  difficulty 
in  securing  a  ticket,  and  it  was  only  after  exercising  patience 
and  perseverance  to  a  liberal  degree  that  my  wishes  were 
granted. 

The  ordinary  route  for  visitors  is  to  enter  at  the  Place  de 
la  Concorde,  or  near  the  Madelaine  Church,  and  come  out  at 
the  Place  du  Chatelet.  The  sewer  between  these  points  is 
very  broad  and  high,  and  is  evidently  the  show-place  of  the 
whole  system.  In  the  centre  is  a  canal  about  eight  feet  wide, 
and  at  its  edges  there  are  rails  for  the  wheels  of  cars  pro- 
pelled by  the  workmen,  who  walk  at  the  sides.  The  side- 
walks are  broad  and  carefully  swept,  so  that  one  could 
walk  upon  them  without  difficulty.  Visitors  are  generally 
seated  in  the  cars  and  pushed  along  by  the  men  to  whom  they 
are  expected  to  give  some  money  at  the  end  of  the  jour- 
ney. The  car  moves  above  the  canal,  and  every  visitor  is 
surprised  at  the  absence  of  foul  odors  and  at  the  general 
cleanliness  of  the  place.  On  each  side  of  the  larger  sewers, 
and  supported  on  iron  posts,  there  are  large  pipes  for  the  con- 
veyance of  water,  and  in  some  places  the  telegraph  wires  and 
gas  tubes  are  visible. 

When  everything  is  in  order,  there  is  very  little  to  see,  and 
a  hundred  yards  or  so  are  as  good  as  the  entire  distance. 
The  faint  rumbling  of  the  carriages  can  be  heard  overhead, 
but  otherwise  the  silence  is  unbroken,  save  by  the  voices  of 
the  visitors  and  workmen,  and  the  occasional  sound  of  falling 


528  LADIES   IN  A  SEWER. 

water.  The  party  to  which  I  was  assigned  was  a  serious  one, 
and  made  very  little  noise,  compared  to  one  a  little  way  in  ad- 
vance, and  containing  several  ladies.  The  presence  of  lovely 
woman  can  add  a  charm  to  a  sewer,  though  I  should  hesitate 
to  take  a  feminine  acquaintance  into  such  a  place  until  I  had 
first  made  the  journey.  We  .had  no  incident  of  importance 
greater  than  the  loss  of  a  hat,  which  was  crushed  beneath  the 
car  wheels,  and  the  narrow  escape  of  the  owner  from  a  tumble 
overboard  as  he  attempted  to  clutch  the  falling  article.  The 
place  was  well  lighted  with  gas ;  but  I  think  everybody  was 
glad  to  see  the  light  of  day  as  it  streamed  through  the  opening 
at  the  Place  du  Chatelet. 

The  sewers  of  Paris  were  begun  several  hundred  years 
ago.  The  exact  date  is  not  known;  in  fact,  their  history  is 
not  exactly  known,  and  some  of  it  is  mixed  up  with  a  great 
deal  of  fiction.  In  Les  Miserables,  Victor  Hugo  has  given  a 
graphic  account  of  them,  though,  like  much  that  he  has  written, 
the  account  is  not  always  strictly  true.  (I  quote  his  lan- 
guage.) He  says, "  The  sewer  of  Paris,  in  the  middle  ages,  was 
legendary.  In  the  sixteenth  century,  Henry  II.  attempted 
an  examination,  which  failed.  Less  than  a  hundred  years  ago, 
the  cloaca,  Mercier  bears  witness,  was  abandoned  to  itself, 
and  became  what  it  might. 

"  Such  was  that  ancient  Paris,  given  up  to  quarrels,  to  inde- 
cisions, and  to  gropings.  It  was  for  a  long  time  stupid 
enough.  Afterwards,  '89  showed  how  cities  come  to  their  wits. 
But,  in  the  good  old  times,  the  capital  had  little  head ;  she 
could  not  manage  her  affairs  either  morally  or  materially,  nor 
better  sweep  away  her  filth  than  her  abuses.  Everything 
was  an  obstacle,  everything  raised  a  question.  The  sewer,  for 
instance,  was  refractory  to  all  itineracy.  Men  could  no  more 
succeed  in  guiding  themselves  through  its  channels  than  in 
understanding  themselves  in  the  city ;  above,  the  unintelligi- 
ble, below,  the  inextricable  ;  beneath  the  confusion  of  tongues 
there  was  the  confusion  of  caves ;  labyrinth-lined  Babel. 

"  Sometimes  the  sewer  of  Paris  took  it  into  its  head  to  over- 
flow, as  if  that  unappreciated  Nile  were  suddenly  seized  with 


INUNDATION   OF  THE  SEWERS.  529 

wrath.  There  were,  infamous  to  relate,  inundations  from  the 
sewer.  The  inundation  of  1802  is  a  present  reminiscence  with 
old  Parisians.  The  mire  spread  out  in  a  cross  in  the  Place 
des  Victoires,  where  the  statue  of  Louis  XIV.  is ;  it  entered 
the  Rue  St.  Honore  by  the  two  mouths  of  the  sewer  of  the 
Champs  Elyse'es,  the  Rue  St.  Florentin  by  the  St.  Florentin 
sewer,  the  Rue  Pierre  a  Poisson  by  the  sewer  of  the  Sonnerie, 
the  Rue  Popincourt  by  the  sewer  of  the  Chemin  Vert,. the 
Rue  de  la  Roquette  by  the  sewer  of  the  Rue  de  Sappe  ;  it 
covered  the  curbstones  of  the  Rue  des  Champs  Elysdes  to  the 
depth  of  some  fourteen  inches  ;  and  on  the  south,  by  the  vomi- 
toria  of  the  Seine  performing  its  function  in  the  inverse  way, 
it  penetrated  the  Rue  Mazarine,  the  Rue  de  FEchaude*,  and 
the  Rue  des  Marais,  where  it  stopped,  having  reached  the 
length  of  a  hundred  and  twenty  yards,  just  a  few  steps  from 
the  house  which  Racine  had  lived  in,  respecting,  in  the  seven- 
teenth century,  the  poet  more  than  the  king.  It  attained  its 
maximum  depth  in  the  Rue  St.  Pierre,  where  it  rose  three 
feet  above  the  flagging  of  the  water-spouts,  and  its  maximum 
extent  in  the  Rue  St.  Sabin,  where  it  spread  out  over  a  length 
of  two  hundred  and  sixty-one  yards. 

"  At  the  commencement  of  this  century  the  sewer  of  Paris 
was  still  a  mysterious  place.  Mire  can  never  be  in  good 
repute  ;  but  here  ill-fame  reached  even  fright.  Paris  dimly 
realized  that  she  had  a  terrible  cave  beneath  her.  People 
talked  of  it  as  of  that  monstrous  bog  of  Thebes  which  swarmed 
with  scolopendras  fifteen  feet  long,  and  which  might  have 
served  as  a  bathing-tub  for  Behemoth.  The  big  boots  of  the 
sewer  men  never  ventured  beyond  certain  known  points. 
They  were  still  very  near  the  time  when  the  scavengers'  tum- 
brils, from  the  top  of  which  Ste.  Foix  fraternized  with  the 
Marquis  of  Crequi,  were  simply  emptied  into  the  sewer.  As 
for  cleansing,  that  operation  was  confided  to  the  showers, 
which  obstructed  more  than  they  swept  out.  Science  and 
superstition  were  at  one  in  regard  to  the  horror.  The  sewer 
was  not  less  revolting  to  hygiene  than  to  legend.  The  Goblin 
Monk  had  appeared  under  the  fetid  arch  of  the  Mouffetard 


530  THE  BOLDEST  MAN  IN  FRANCE. 

sewer ;  the  corpses  of  the  Marmousets  had  been  thrown  into 
the  sewer  of  the  Barillerie ;  Fagon  had  attributed  the  fearful 
malignant  fever  of  1685  to  the  great  gap  in  the  sewer  of  the 
Marais,  which  remained  yawning  until  1833  in  the  Kue  St. 
Louis,  almost  in  front  of  the  sign  of  the  Gallant  Messenger. 
The  mouth  of  the  sewer  of  the  Rue  de  la  Mortellerie  was 
famous  for  the  pestilence  which  came  from  it ;  with  its  pointed 
iron  grating,  which  looked  like  a  row  of  teeth,  it  lay  in  that 
fatal  street  like  the  jaws  of  a  dragon  blowing  hell  upon  men. 
The  popular  imagination  seasoned  the  gloomy  Parisian  sink 
with  an  indefinably  hideous  mixture  of  the  infinite. 

"  One  day  in  1805,  on  one  of  those  rare  visits  which  the 
emperor  made  to  Paris,  the  minister  of  the  interior  came  to 
the  master's  private  audience.  In  the  carousal  was  heard  the 
clatter  of  the  swords  of  all  those  marvellous  soldiers  of  the 
Grand  Empire ;  there  was  a  multitude  of  heroes  at  the  door 
of  Napoleon ;  men  of  the  Rhine,  of  the  Scheldt,  of  the  Adige, 
and  of  the  Nile ;  companions  of  Joubert,  of  Desaix,  of  Marceau, 
of  Hoche,  of  Kleber.  The  whole  army  of  that  time  was  there 
in  the  court  of  the  Tuileries,  represented  by  a  squad  or  pla- 
toon guarding  Napoleon  in  repose ;  and  it  was  the  splendid 
epoch  when  the  grand  army  had  behind  it  Marengo,  and  be- 
fore it  Austerlitz.  l  Sire,'  said  the  minister  of  the  interior  to 
Napoleon,  '  I  saw  yesterday  the  boldest  man  in  your  empire.7 
*  Who  is  the  man?  '  said  the  emperor,  quickly  ;  '  and  what  has 
he  done  ?  '  '  He  wishes  to  do  something,  sire.'  '  What  ? ; 
'  To  visit  the  sewers  of  Paris.' 

"  That  man  existed,  and  his  name  was  Bruneseau. 

"  The  visit  was  made.  It  was  a  formidable  campaign ;  a 
night  battle  against  pestilence  and  asphyxia.  It  was  at  the 
same  time  a  voyage  of  discoveries.  One  of  the  survivors  of 
this  exploration,  an  intelligent  working-man,  then  very  young, 
still  related,  a  few  years  ago,  the  curious  details  which  Brune- 
seau thought  it  his  duty  to  omit  in  his  report  to  the  prefect 
of  police,  as  unworthy  the  administrative  style.  Disinfecting 
processes  were  very  rudimentary  at  that  period.  Hardly  had 
Bruneseau  passed  the  first  branchings  of  the  subterranean 


WORK   OP  THE   INSPECTOR.  533 

network,  when  eight  out  of  the  twenty  laborers  refused  to  go 
farther.  The  operation  was  completed ;  the  visit  involved  the 
cleaning;  it  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  clean,  and  at  the  same 
time  to  measure  ;  to  note  the  entrance  of  water,  to  count  the 
gratings  and  the  mouths,  to  detail  the  branchings,  to  indicate 
the  currents  at  the  points  of  separation,  to  examine  the 
respective  borders  of  the  various  basins,  to  fathom  the  little 
sewers  ingrafted  upon  the  principal  sewer,  to  measure  the 
height  of  each  passage  under  the  keystone,  and  the  width,  as 
well  at  the  spring  of  the  arch  as  at  the  level  of  the  floor ; 
finally,  to  determine  the  ordinates  of  the  levellings  at  a  right 
angle  with  each  entrance  of  water,  either  from  the  floor  of  the 
sewer  or  from  the  surface  of  the  street.  They  advanced  with 
difficulty.  It  was  not  uncommon  for  the  step-ladders  to 
plunge  into  three  feet  of  mire.  The  lanterns  flickered  in  the 
miasms.  From  time  to  time,  they  brought  out  a  sewer-man 
who  had  fainted ;  at  certain  places,  a  precipice.  The  soil 
had  sunken,  the  pavement  had  crumbled,  the  sewer  had 
changed  into  a  blind  well;  they  found  no  solid  ground;  one 
man  suddenly  disappeared ;  they  had  great  difficulty  ii? 
recovering  him.  By  the  advice  of  Fourcroy,  they  lighted 
from  point  to  point,  in  the  places  sufficiently  purified,  great 
cages  full  of  oakum  and  saturated  with  resin.  The  wall,  in 
places,  was  covered  with  shapleless  fungi,  and  one  would  have 
said  with  tumors;  the  stone  itself  seemed  diseased  in  this 
irrespirable  medium. 

"  They  thought  they  recognized  here  and  there,  chiefly  under 
the  Palais  de  Justice,  some  cells  of  ancient  dungeons  built 
in  the  sewer  itself.  Hideous  in  pace.  An  iron  collar  hung  in 
one  of  these  cells.  They  walled  them  all  up.  Some  odd  things 
were  found  ;  among  other  things,  the  skeleton  of  an  orang- 
outang which  disappeared  from  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  in 
1800  —  a  disappearance  probably  connected  with  the  famous 
and  incontestable  appearance  of  the  devil  in  the  Rue  des 
Bernardins  in  the  last  year  of  the  eighteenth  century.  The 
poor  devil  finally  drowned  himself  in  the  sewer. 

"  Under  the  long,  arched  passage  which  terminates  at  the 


534  EXTENT   OP  THE  WORK. 

Arche  Marion,  a  rag-picker's  basket,  in  perfect  preservation, 
was  the  admiration  of  connoisseurs.  Everywhere  the  mud, 
which  the  workmen  had  come  to  handle  boldly,  abounded  in 
precious  objects,  gold  and  silver  trinkets,  precious  stones, 
coins.  A  giant  who  should  have  filtered  this  cloaca  would 
have  had  the  riches  of  centuries  in  his  sieve.  At  the  point  of 
separation  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Rue  du  Temple  and  the 
Hue  Ste.  Avoye,  they  picked  up  a  singular  Huguenot  medal 
in  copper,  bearing  on  one  side  a  hog  wearing  a  cardinal's  hat; 
and  on  the  other  a  wolf  with  the  tiara  on  his  head. 

"  The  complete  visitation  of  the  subterranean  sewer  system 
of  Paris  occupied  seven  years,  from  1805  to  1812.  While  yet 
he  was  performing  it,  Bruneseau  laid  out,  directed,  and 
brought  to  an  end  some  considerable  works.  At  the  same 
time,  he  disinfected  and  purified  the  whole  network.  After 
the.  second  year,  Bruneseau  was  assisted  by  his  son-in-law 
Nargaud. 

"  Tortuous,  fissured,  unpaved,  crackling,  interrupted  by 
quagmires,  broken  by  fantastic  elbows,  rising  and  falling  out 
of  all  rule,  fetid,  savage,  wild,  submerged,  in  obscurity,  with 
scars  on  its  pavements  and  gashes  on  its  walls,  appalling, — 
such  was,  seen  retrospectively,  the  ancient  sewer  of  Paris. 
Ramifications  in  every  direction,  crossings  of  trenches,  branch- 
ings, goose-tracks,  stars  as  if  in  mines,  coecums,  cul-de-sacs, 
arches  covered  with  saltpetre,  infectious  cesspools,  an  herpetic 
ooze  upon  the  walls,  drops  falling  from  the  ceiling,  darkness, — 
nothing  equalled  the  horror  of  this  old  voiding  crypt,  the  di- 
gestive apparatus  of  Babylon,  cavern,  grave,  gulf  pierced 
with  streets,  Titanic  molehill,  in  which  the  mind  seems  to  see 
prowling  through  the  shadow,  that  enormous  blind  mole, 
the  past. 

"  At  present  the  sewer  is  neat,  cold,  straight,  correct.  It 
almost  realizes  the  ideal  of  what  is  understood  in  England  by 
the  word  '  respectable.'  It  is  comely  and  sober ;  drawn  by 
the  line  ;  we  might  almost  say,  fresh  from  the  bandbox.  At 
the  first  glance,  we  should  readily  take  it  for  one  of  those 
underground  passages  formerly  so  common  and  so  useful  for 


HOW  THE  SEWERS  ARE  BUILT.  535 

the  flight  of  monarchs  and  princes,  in  that  good  old  time 
1  when  the  people  loved  their  kings.'  The  present  sewer  is  a 
beautiful  sewer ;  the  pure  style  reigns  in  it ;  the  classic  rec- 
tilinear alexandrine,  which,  driven  from  poetry,  appears  to 
have  taken  refuge  in  architecture,  seems  mingled  with  every 
stone  of  that  long,  darkling,  and  whitish  arch  j  each  dischar- 
ging mouth  is  an  arcade.  If  the  geometric  line  is  in  place 
anywhere,  it  surely  is  in  the  stercorary  trenches  of  a  great 
city.  There  all  should  be  subordinated  to  the  shortest  road. 
The  sewer  has  now  assumed  a  certain  official  aspect.  The 
very  police  reports,  of  which  it  is  sometimes  the  object,  are 
no  longer  wanting  in  respect  for  it.  The  words  which  char- 
acterize it  in  the  administrative  language  are  elevated  and 
dignified.  Villon  would  no  longer  recognize  his  old  dwelling 
in  case  of  need. 

"  The  excavation  of  the  sewers  of  Paris  has  been  a  difficult 
work.  Paris  is  built  upon  a  deposit  singularly  rebellious  to 
human  control.  There  are  liquid  clays,  living  springs,  hard 
rocks,  those  soft  and  deep  rnires  which  technical  science  calls 
Moutardes.  The  pick  advances  laboriously  into  these  calca- 
reous strata  alternating  with  seams  of  very  fine  clay  and 
laminar  schistose  beds,  iricrusted  with  oyster  shells  contempo- 
rary with  the  pre-adamite  oceans.  Sometimes  a  brook  sud- 
denly throws  down  an  arch  which  has  been  commenced,  and 
inundates  the  laborers  ;  or  a  slide  of  marl  loosens,  and  rushes 
down  with  the  fury  of  a  cataract,  crushing  the  largest  of  the 
sustaining  timbers  like  glass.  Quite  recently  at  Villette, 
when  it  was  necessary,  without  interrupting  navigation  and 
without  emptying  the  canal,  to  lead  the  collecting  sewer 
under  the  St.  Martin  Canal,  a  fissure  opened  in  the  bed  of 
the  canal ;  the  water  suddenly  rose  in  the  works  under  ground 
beyond  all  the  power  of  the  pumps :  they  were  obliged  to 
seek  the  fissure,  which  was  in  the  neck  of  the  great  basin,  by 
means  of  a  diver,  and  it  was  not  without  difficulty  that  it  was 
stopped.  Elsewhere,  near  the  Seine,  and  even  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  river,  as,  for  instance,  at  Belleville,  Grande 
Rue,  and  the  Luniere  arcade,  we  find  quicksands  in  which  we 


536  JEAN  VALJEAN'S  ESCAPE. 

sink,  and  a  man  may  be  buried  out  of  sight.  Add  asphyxia 
from  the  miasma,  burial  by  the  earth  falling  in,  sudden  set- 
tlings of  the  bottom,  and  the  work  of  constructing  sewers 
can  well  be  understood  to  be  dangerous." 

In  all  that  he  has  written,  Victor  Hugo  has  produced  noth- 
ing more  graphic  than  his  description  of  Jean  Valjean  in  the 
sewers  of  Paris,  when  endeavoring  to  escape  from  the  police, 
after  the  fight  at  the  barricades.  We  quote  his  description, 
omitting  a  few  paragraphs. 

"It  was  in  the  sewer  of  Paris  that  Jean  Valjean  found 
himself. 

"  A  resemblance  of  Paris  with  the  sea.  As  in  the  ocean,  the 
diver  can  disappear. 

"  The  transition  was  marvellous.  From  the  very  centre  of 
the  city,  Jean  Valjean  had  gone  out  of  the  city,  and,  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  the  time  of  lifting  a  cover  and  closing  it 
again,  he  had  passed  from  broad  day  to  complete  obscurity, 
from  noon  to  midnight,  from  uproar  to  silence,  from  the  whirl 
of  the  thunder  to  the  stagnation  of  the  tomb,  and,  by  a  muta- 
tion much  more  prodigious  still  than  that  of  the  Rue  Polon- 
ceau,  from  the  most  extreme  peril  to  the  most  absolute, 
security. 

"Sudden  fall  into  a  cave ;  disappearance  in  the  dungeon  of 
Paris ;  to  leave  that  street  in  which  death  was  everywhere 
for  this  kind  of  sepulchre,  in  which  there  was  life,  was  an 
astounding  crisis.  He  remained  for  some  seconds  as  if  stunned ; 
listening,  stupefied.  The  spring  trap  of  safety  had  suddenly 
opened  beneath  him.  Celestial  goodness  had  in  some  sort  ta- 
ken him  by  treachery.  Adorable  ambuscades  of  Providence  ! 

"  Only,  the  wounded  man  did  not  stir,  and  Jean  Valjean  did 
not  know  whether  what  he  was  carrying  away  in  this  grave 
were  alive  or  dead. 

"  His  first  sensation  was  blindness.  Suddenly  he  saw  noth- 
ing more.  It  seemed  to  him  also  that  in  one  minute  he 
became  deaf.  He  heard  nothing  more.  The  frenzied  storm 
of  murder  which  was  raging  a  few  feet  above  him  only 
reached  him,  as  we  have  said,  thanks  to  the  thickness  of  the 


THE    GREAT    SEWER- 


SUBTERRANEAN   PARIS. 


LIGHT   AND   DARKNESS.  539 

earth  which  separated  him  from  it,  stifled  and  indistinct,  and 
like  a  rumbling  at  a  great  depth.  He  felt  that  it  was  solid 
under  his  feet ;  that  was  all ;  but  that  was  enough.  He 
reached  out  one  hand,  then  the  other,  and  touched  the  wall 
on  both  sides,  and  realized  that  the  passage  was  narrow ;  he 
slipped,  and  realized  that  the  pavement  was  wet.  He  ad- 
vanced one  foot  with  precaution,  fearing  a  hole,  a  pit,  some 
gulf;  he  made  sure  that  the  flagging  continued.  A  whiff 
of  fetidness  informed  him  where  he  was. 

"  After  a  few  moments  he  ceased  to  be  blind.  A  little  light 
fell  from  the  air-hole  through  which  he  had  slipped  in,  and 
his  eye  became  accustomed  to  this  cave.  He  began  to  dis- 
tinguish something.  The  passage  in  which  he  was  earthed  — 
no  other  word  better  expresses  the  condition  —  was  walled  up 
behind  him.  It  was  one  of  those  cul-de-sacs  technically  called 
branchments.  Before  him  there  was  another  wall,  a  wall 
of  night.  The  light  from  the  air-hole  died  out  ten  or  twelve- 
paces  from  the  point  at  which  Jean  Yaljean  stood,  and 
scarcely  produced  a  pallid  whiteness  over  a  few  yards  of  the 
damp  wall  of  the  sewer.  Beyond,  the  opaqueness  was  mas- 
sive ;  to  penetrate  it  appeared  horrible,  and  to  enter  it  seemed 
like  being  ingulfed.  He  could,  however,  force  his  way  into 
that  wall  of  mist,  and  he  must  do  it.  He  must  even  hasten. 
Jean  Valjean  thought  that  that  grating,  noticed  by  him  under 
the  paving-stones,  might  also  be  noticed  by  the  soldiers,  and 
that  all  depended  upon  that  chance.  They  also  could  descend 
into  the  well  and  explore  it.  There  was  not  a  minute  to  be- 
lost.  He  had  laid  Marius  upon  the  ground  ;  he  gathered  him 
up,  —  this  is  again  the  right  word,  —  replaced  him  upon  his- 
shoulders,  and  began  his  journey.  He  resolutely  entered! 
that  obscurity. 

"  The  truth  is,  that  they  were  not  so  safe  as  Jean  Yaljean 
supposed.  Perils  of  another  kind,  and  not  less  great,  awaited 
them  perhaps.  After  the  flashing  whirl  of  the  combat,  the 
cavern  of  miasmas  and  pitfalls ;  after  chaos,  the  cloaca.  Jeaa 
Valjean  had  fallen  from  one  circle  of  hell  to  another. 

"  At  the  end  of  fifty  paces  he  was  obliged  to  stop.     A  ques* 
29 


540  A  PERPLEXING  SITUATION. 

tion  presented  itself.  The  passage  terminated  in  another, 
which  it  met  transversely.  These  two  roads  were  offered. 
Which  should  he  take  ?  Should  he  turn  to  the  left  or  to  the 
right?  How  guide  himself  in  this  black  labyrinth?  This 
labyrinth,  as  we  have  remarked,  has  a  clew  —  its  descent. 
To  follow  the  descent  is  to  go  to  the  river. 

"  Jean  Yaljean  understood  this  at  once. 

"He  said  to  himself  that  he  was  probably  in  the  sewer 
of  the  markets ;  that,  if  he  should  choose  the  left  and  follow 
the  descent,  he  would  come  in  less  than  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
to  some  mouth  upon  the  Seine  between  the  Pont  au  Change 
and  the  Pont  Neuf ;  that  is  to  say,  he  would  reappear  in  broad 
day  in  the  most  populous  portion  of  Paris.  He  might  come 
out  in  some  gathering  of  corner  idlers.  Amazement  of  the 
passers-by  at  seeing  two  bloody  men  come  out  of  the  ground 
under  their  feet.  Arrival  of  sergent-de-ville,  call  to  arms  in 
the  next  guard-house.  He  would  be  seized  before  getting 
<out.  It  was  better  to  plunge  into  the  labyrinth,  to  trust  to 
<this  darkness,  and  rely  on  Providence  for  the  issue. 

"  He  chose  the  right,  and  went  up  the  ascent. 

"  When  he  had  turned  the  corner  of  the  gallery,  the  distant 
gleam  of  the  air-hole  disappeared,  the  curtain  of  obscurity  fell 
back  over  him,  and  he  again  became  blind.  He  went  forward, 
none  the  less,  as  rapidly  as  he  could.  Marius's  arms  were 
passed  about  his  neck,  and  his  feet  hung  behind  him.  He 
held  both  arms  with  one  hand,  and  groped  for  the  wall  with 
the  other.  Marius's  cheek  touched  his,  and  stuck  to  it,  being 
ibloody.  He  felt  a  warm  stream,  which  came  from  Marius,  flow 
.over  him  and  penetrate  his  clothing.  Still,  a  moist  warmth  at 
his  ear,  which  touched  the  wounded  man's  mouth,  indicated 
.respiration,  and  consequently  life.  The  passage  through 
which  Jean  Yaljean  was  now  moving  was  not  so  small  as  the 
first.  Jean  Yaljean  walked  in  it  with  difficulty.  The  rains 
of  the  previous  'day  had  not  yet  run  off,  and  made  a  little 
stream  in  -the  centre  of  the  floor,  and  he  was  compelled  to 
hug  the  wall  to  keep  his  feet  out  of  the  water.  Thus  he 
went  on  in  midnight.  He  resembled  the  creatures  of  night 


THE  TRACK  OF  THE  SEWERS.  541 

groping  in  the  invisible,  and  lost  under  ground  in  the  veins 
of  the  darkness. 

"  However,  little  by  little,  whether  that  some  distant  air-holes 
sent  a  little  floating  light  into  this  opaque  mist,  or  that  his 
eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  obscurity,  some  dim  vision 
came  back  to  him,  and  he  again  began  to  receive  a  confused 
perception,  now  of  the  wall  which  he  was  touching,  and  now  of 
the  arch  under  which  he  was  passing.  The  pupil  dilates  in 
the  night,  and  at  last  finds  day  in  it,  even  as  the  soul  dilates 
in  misfortune,  and  at  last  finds  God  in  it. 

"  To  find  his  way  was  difficult. 

"  The  track  of  the  sewers  echoes,  so  to  speak,  the  track  of 
the  streets  which  overlie  them.  There  were  in  the  Paris  of 
that  day  two  thousand  two  hundred  streets.  Picture  to  your- 
selves below  them  that  forest  of  dark  branches  which  is  called 
the  sewer.  The  sewers  existing  at  that  epoch,  placed  end  to 
end,  would  have  given  a  length  of  thirty  miles.  We  have 
already  said  that  the  present  network,  thanks  to  the  extraordi- 
nary activity  of  the  last  thirty  years,  is  not  less  than  a  hun- 
dred and  forty  miles. 

"  Jean  Valjean  began  with  a  mistake.  He  thought  that  he 
was  under  the  Rue  St.  Denis,  and  it  was  unfortunate  that  he 
was  not  there.  There  is  beneath  the  Rue  St.  Denis  an  old 
stone  sewer,  which  goes  straight  to  the  collecting  sewer,  called 
the  Grand  Sewer,  with  a  single  elbow,  on  the  right,  at  the 
height  of  the  ancient  Cour  des  Miracles,  and  a  single  branch, 
the  St.  Martin  sewer,  the  four  arms  of  which  cut  each  other 
in  a  cross.  But  the  gallery  of  the  Petite  Truanderie,  the 
entrance  to  which  was  near  the  wine-shop  of  Corinth,  never 
communicated  with  the  underground  passage  in  the  Ruo  St. 
Denis ;  it  runs  into  the  Montmartre  sewer,  and  it  was  in  that 
that  Jean  Valjean  was  entangled.  There,  opportunities  of 
losing  one's  self  abound.  The  Montmartre  sewer  is  one  of  the 
most  labyrinthian  of  the  ancient  network.  Luckily  Jean  Val- 
jean had  left  behind  him  the  sewer  of  the  markets,  the  geo- 
metrical plan  of  which  represents  a  multitude  of  interlocked 
top-gallant-masts ;  but  he  had  before  him  more  than  one  em- 


542 


MOVING  IX  THE  DARKNESS. 


barrassing  encounter,  and  more  than  one  street  corner  —  for 
these  are  streets  —  presenting  itself  in  the  obscurity  like  a 
point  of  interrogation ;  first,  at  his  left,  the  vast  Platriere  sewer, 
a  kind  of  Chinese  puzzle,  pushing  and  jumbling  its  chaos  of 
T's  and  Z's  beneath  the  H6tel  des  Postes  and  the  rotunda  of 
the  grain-market  to  the  Seine,  where  it  terminates  in  a  Y : 
secondly,  at  his  right,  the  crooked  corridor  of  the  Rue  du 
Cadran,  with  its  three  teeth,  which  are  so  many  blind  ditches  ; 
thirdly,  at  his  left,  the  branch  of  the  Mail,  complicated,  almost 
at  its  entrance,  by  a  kind  of  fork,  and,  after  zigzag  upon  zig- 
zag, terminating  in  the  great  voiding  crypt  of  the  Louvre, 
truncated  and  ramified  in  all  directions ;  finally,  at  the  right, 
the  cul-de-sac  passage  of  the  Rue  des  Jeuneurs,  with  countless 
little  reducts  here  and  there,  before  arriving  at  the  central 
sewer,  which  alone  could  lead  him  to  some  outlet  distant 
enough  to  be  secure. 

"  If  Jean  Yaljean  had  had  any  notion  of  what  we  have  here 
pointed  out,  he  would  have  quickly  perceived,  merely  from 
feeling  the  wall,  that  he  was  not  in  the  underground  gallery 
of  the  Rue  St.  Denis.  Instead  of  the  old  hewn  stone,  in- 
stead of  the  ancient  architecture,  haughty  and  royal  even  in 
the  sewer,  with  floor  and  running  courses  of  granite,  and  mor- 
tar of  thick  lime,  which  cost  seventy-five  dollars  a  yard,  he 
would  have  felt  beneath  his  hand  the  contemporary  cheapness, 
the  economical  expedient,  the  millstone  grit  laid  in  hydraulic 
cement  upon  a  bed  of  concrete,  which  cost  thirty-five  dollars  a 
yard,  the  bourgeois  masonry  known  as  small  materials ;  but 
he  knew  nothing  of  all  this. 

"  He  went  forward  with  anxiety,  but  with  calmness,  seeiilg 
nothing,  knowing  nothing,  plunged  into  chance,  that  is  to  say, 
swallowed  up  in  Providence. 

"  By  degrees,  we  must  say,  some  horror  penetrated  him. 
The  shadow  which  enveloped  him  entered  his  mind.  He  was 
walking  in  an  enigma.  This  aqueduct  of  the  cloaca  is  formi- 
dable ;  it  is  dizzily  intertangled.  It  is  a  dreary  thing  to  be 
caught  in  this  Paris  of  darkness.  Jean  Valjean  was  obliged 
to  find,  and  almost  to  invent,  his  route  without  seeing  it.  In 


APPROACHING  THE  SEINE.  543 

that  unknown  region,  each  step  which  he  ventured  might  be 
the  last.  How  should  he  get  out?  Should  he  find  an  outlet? 
Should  he  find  it  in  time  ?  Would  this  colossal  subterranean 
sponge,  with  cells  of  stone,  admit  of  being  penetrated  and 
pierced  ?  Would  he  meet  with  some  unlocked  for  knot  of 
obscurity?  Would  he  encounter  the  inextricable  and  the  in- 
surmountable ?  Would  Marius  die  of  hemorrhage,  and  he  of 
hunger?  Would  they  both  perish  there  at  last, and  make  two 
skeletons  in  some  niche  of  that  night?  He  did  not  know. 
He  asked  himself  all  this,  and  he  could  not  answer.  The  in- 
testine of  Paris  is  an  abyss.  Like  the  prophet,  he  was  in  the 
belly  of  the  monster. 

"  Suddenly  he  was  surprised.  At  the  most  unexpected  mo- 
ment, and  without  having  diverged  from  a  straight  line,  he 
discovered  that  he  was  no  longer  rising ;  the  water  of  the 
brook  struck,  coming  against  his  heels  instead  of  upon  the  top 
of  his  feet.  The  sewer  now  descended.  What  ?  would  he 
then  soon  reach  the  Seine  ?  This  danger  was  great,  but  the 
peril  of  retreat  was  still  greater.  He  continued  to  advance. 
It  was  not  towards  the  Seine  that  he  was  going.  The  saddle- 
back which  the  topography  of  Paris  forms  upon  the  right  bank, 
empties  one  of  its  slopes  into  the  Seine,  and  the  other  into  the 
Grand  Sewer.  The  crest  of  this  saddle-back,  which  deter- 
mines the  division  of  the  waters,  follows  a  very  capricious 
line.  The  culminating  point,  which  is  the  point  of  separation 
of  the  flow,  is  in  the  St.  Avoye  sewer,  beyond  the  Rue 
Michel  de  Comte,  in  the  sewer  of  the  Louvre,  near  the  Boule- 
vards, and  in  the  Montmartre  sewer,  near  the  markets.  It 
was  at  this  culminating  point  that  Jean  Valjean  had  arrived. 
He  was  making  his  way  towards  the  belt  sewer;  he  was  on 
the  right  road.  But  he  knew  nothing  of  it. 

"  Whenever  he  came  to  a  branch,  he  felt  its  angles,  and  if  he 
found  the  opening  not  as  wide  as  the  corridor  in  which  he 
was,  he  did  not  enter,  and  continued  his  route,  deeming  rightly 
that  every  narrower  way  must  terminate  in  a  cul-de-sac,  and 
could  only  lead  him  away  from  his  object,  the  outlet.  He  thus 
evaded  the  quadruple  snare  which  was  spread  for  him  NI 


544  FOLLOWED   BY  THE  POLICE. 

the  obscurity,  by  the  four  labyrinths  which  we  have  just  enu- 
merated. 

"  At  a  certain  moment  he  felt  that  he  was  getting  away  from 
under  the  Paris  which  was  petrified  by  the  emeute,  in  which 
the  barricades  had  suppressed  the  circulation,  and  that  he  was 
coming  beneath  the  Paris  which  was  alive  and  normal.  He 
heard  suddenly  above  his  head  a  sound  like  thunder,  distant, 
but  continuous.  It  was  the  rumbling  of  the  vehicles. 

"  He  had  been  walking  for  about  half  an  hour,  at  least  by  his 
own  calculation,  and  had  not  yet  thought  of  resting ;  only  he 
had  changed  the  hand  which  supported  Marius.  The  darkness 
was  deeper  than  ever,  but  this  depth  reassured  him. 

"  All  at  once  he  saw  his  shadow  before  him.  It  was  marked 
out  on  a  feeble  ruddiness  almost  indistinct,  which  vaguely 
empurpled  the  floor  at  his  feet  and  the  arch  over  his  head,  and 
which  glided  along  at  his  right,  and  his  left,  on  the  two  slimy 
walls  of  the  corridor.  In  amazement  he  turned  round. 

"  Behind  him,  in  the  portion  of  the  passage  through  which 
he  had  passed,  at  a  distance  which  appeared  to  him  immense, 
flamed,  throwing  its  rays  into  the  dense  obscurity,  a  sort  of 
horrible  star,  which  appeared  to  be  looking  at  him. 

"  It  was  the  gloomy  star  of  the  police  which  was  rising  in  the 
sewer.  Behind  this  star  were  moving,  without  order,  eight 
or  ten  black  forms,  straight,  indistinct,  terrible. 

"During  the  day  a  battue  of  the  sewers  had  been  ordered. 
Three  platoons  of  officers  and  sewer-men  explored  the  sub- 
terranean streets  of  Paris  ;  the  first,  the  right  bank,  the  second, 
the  left  bank,  the  third,  in  the  city. 

"  The  officers  were  armed  with  carbines,  clubs,  swords,  and 
daggers. 

"  That  which  was  at  this  moment  directed  upon  Jean  Yaljean 
was  the  lantern  of  the  patrol  of  the  right  bank. 

"  This  patrol  had  just  visited  the  crooked  gallery  and  the 
three  blind  alleys  which  are  beneath  the  Rue  du  Cadran. 
While  they  were  taking  their  candle  to  the  bottom  of  these 
blind  alleys,  Jean  Valjean  had  come  to  the  entrance  of  the 
gallery  upon  his  way,  had  found  it  narrower  than  the  principal 


NARROW   ESCAPE  FROM   CAPTURE.  545 

passage,  and  had  not  entered  it.  He  had  passed  beyond. 
The  policemen,  on  coming  out  frcm  the  Cadran  gallery,  had 
thought  they  heard  the  sound  of  steps  in  the  direction  of  the 
belt  sewer.  It  was,  in  fact,  Jean  Yaljean's  steps.  The  ser- 
geant in  command  of  the  patrol  lifted  his  lantern,  and  the 
squad  began  to  look  into  the  mist  in  the  direction  whence 
the  sound  came. 

"  Jean  Yaljean  saw  these  goblins  form  a  kind  of  circle. 
These  mastiffs'  heads  drew  near  each  other  and  whispered. 

"  The  result  of  this  council  held  by  the  watch-dogs  was,  that 
they  had  been  mistaken,  that  there  had  been  no  noise,  that 
there  was  nobody  there,  that  it  was  needless  to  trouble  them- 
selves with  the  belt  sewer. 

"  The  sergeant  gave  the  order  to  file  left  towards  the  descent 
to  the  Seine.  If  they  had  conceived  the  idea  of  dividing  into 
two  squads  and  going  in  both  directions,  Jean  Yaljean  would 
have  been  caught.  That  hung  by  this  thread.  It  is  probable 
that  the  instructions  from  the  prefecture,  foreseeing  the  pos- 
sibility of  a  combat  and  that  the  insurgents  might  be  numer- 
ous, forbade  the  patrol  to  separate.  The  patrol  resumed  its 
march,  leaving  Jean  Yaljean  behind.  Of  all  these  movements 
Jean  Yaljean  perceived  nothing  except  the  eclipse  of  the 
lantern,  which  suddenly  turned  back. 

"  Slow  and  measured  steps  resounded  upon  the  floor  for  some 
time,  more  and  more  deadened  by  the  progressive  increase  of 
the  distance  ;  the  group  of  black  forms  sank  away  ;  a  glimmer 
oscillated  and  floated,  making  a  ruddy  circle  in  the  vault, 
which  decreased,  then  disappeared ;  the  silence  became  deep 
again ;  the  obscurity  became  again  complete ;  blindness  and 
deafness  resumed  possession  of  the  darkness ;  and  Jean  Yal- 
jean, not  yet  daring  to  stir,  stood  for  a  long  time  with  his 
back  to  the  wall,  his  ear  intent  and  eye  dilated,  watching  the 
vanishing  of  that  phantom  patrol. 

"  He  resumed  his  march,  and  after  a  time  felt  that  he  was 
entering  water,  and  that  he  had  under  his  feet  pavement  no 
longer,  but  mud. 

"  It  sometimes  happens,  on  certain  coasts  of  Brittany  or  Scot- 


546  CAUGHT  IN   A   QUICKSAND. 

land,  that  a  man,  traveller  or  fisherman,  walking  on  the  beach 
at  low  tide  far  from  the  bank,  suddenly  notices  that  for  several 
minutes  he  has  been  walking  with  some  difficulty.  The  strand 
beneath  his  feet  is  like  pitch ;  his  soles  stick  to  it ;  it  is  sand 
no  longer,  it  is  glue.  The  beach  is  perfectly  dry,  but  at  every 
step  he  takes,  as  soon  as  he  lifts  his  foot,  the  print  which  it 
leaves  fills  with  water.  The  eye,  however,  has  noticed  no 
change ;  the  immense  strand  is  smooth  and  tranquil,  all  the 
sand  has  the  same  appearance,  nothing  distinguishes  the 
surface  which  is  solid  from  the  surface  which  is  no  longer  so; 
the  joyous  little  cloud  of  sand-fleas  continues  to  leap  tumultu- 
ously  over  the  wayfarer's  feet.  The  man  pursues  his  way, 
goes  forward,  inclines  towards  the  land,  endeavors  to  get 
nearer  the  upland.  He  is  not  anxious.  Anxious  about  what  ? 
Only  he  feels  somehow  as  if  the  weight  of  his  feet  increased 
with  every  step  which. he  takes.  Suddenly  he  sinks  in.  He 
sinks  in  two  or  three  inches.  Decidedly  he  is  not  on  the 
right  road ;  he  stops  to  take  his  bearings.  All  at  once  he 
looks  at  his  feet.  His  feet  have  disappeared.  The  sand 
covers  them.  He  draws  his  feet  out  of  the  sand;  he  will 
retrace  his  steps,  he  turns  back,  he  sinks  in  deeper.  The 
sand  comes  up  to  his  ankles ;  he  pulls  himself  out,  and  throws 
himself  to  the  left ;  the  sand  is  half  leg  deep  ;  he  throws  him- 
self to  the  right ;  the  sand  comes  up  to  his  shins.  Then  he  rec- 
ognizes with  unspeakable  terror  that  he  is  caught  in  the 
quicksand,  and  that  he  has  beneath  him  the  fearful  medium  in 
which  man  can  no  more  walk  than  the  fish  can  swim.  He 
throws  off  his  load  if  he  has  one,  he  lightens  himself  like  a 
ship  in  distress ;  it  is  already  too  late ;  the  sand  is  above 
his  knees. 

"He  calls,  he  waves  his  hat  or  his  handkerchief;  the  sand 
gains  on  him  more  and  more  ;  if  the  beach  is  deserted,  if  the 
land  is  too  far  off,  if  the  sand-bank  is  of  too  ill  repute,  if  there 
is  no  hero  in  sight,  it  is  all  over;  he  is  condemned  to  enlize- 
ment.  He  is  condemned  to  that  appalling  interment,  long, 
infallible,  implacable,  impossible  to  slacken  or  to  hasten,  which 
endures  for  hours,  which  will  not  end,  which  seizes  you  erect, 


QUICKSANDS    ON   THE   COAST    OP   BRITTANY.  547 

free  and  in  full  health,  which  draws  you  by  the  feet,  which,  at 
every  effort  that  you  attempt,  at  every  shout  that  you  utter, 
drags  you  a  little  deeper,  which  appears  to  punish  you  for 
your  resistance  by  a  redoubling  of  its  grasp,  which  sinks  the 
man  slowly  into  the  earth  while  it  leaves  him  all  the  time  to 
look  at  the  horizon,  the  trees,  the  green  fields,  the  smoke  of 
the  villages  in  the  plain,  the  sails  of  the  ships  upon  the  sea, 
the  birds  flying  and  singing,  the  sunshine,  the  sky.  Enlize- 
ment  is  the  grave  become  a  tide  and  rising  from  the  depths 
of  the  earth  towards  a  living  man.  Each  minute  is  an  inexo- 
rable enshroudress.  The  victim  attempts  to  sit  down,  to  lie 
down,  to  creep ;  every  movement  he  makes  inters  him ;  he 
straightens  up,  he  sinks  in  ;  he  feels  that  he  is  being  swallowed 
up ;  he  howls,  implores,  cries  to  the  clouds,  wrings  his  hands, 
despairs.  Behold  him  waist  deep  in  the  sand  :  the  sand  reaches 
his  breast ;  he  is  now  only  a  bust.  He  raises  his  arms,  utters 
furious  groans,  clutches  the  beach  with  his  nails,  would  hold 
by  that  straw,  leans  upon  his  elbows  to  pull  himself  out  of  this 
soft  sheath,  sobs  frenziedly  ;  the  sand  rises.  The  sand  reaches 
his  shoulders,  the  sand  reaches  his  neck  ;  the  face  alone  is 
visible  now.  The  mouth  cries,  the  sand  fills  it ;  silence.  The 
eyes  still  gaze,  the  sand  shuts  them ;  night.  Then  the  fore- 
head decreases,  a  little  hair  flutters  above  the  sand ;  a  hand 
protrudes,  comes  through  the  surface  of  the  beach,  moves  and 
shakes,  and  disappears.  Sinister  effacement  of  a  man. 

"  This  fatal  mishap,  always  possible  upon  one  or  another 
coast  of  the  sea,  was  also  possible,  thirty  years  ago,  in  the 
sewer  of  Paris. 

"The  water  filtered  into  certain  underlying,  particularly 
friable  soils  ;  the  floor,  which  was  of  paving-stones,  as  in  the 
old  sewers,  or  of  hydraulic  cement  upon  concrete,  as  in  the 
new  galleries,  having  lost  its  support,  bent.  A  bend  in  a 
floor  of  that  kind  is  a  crack,  is  a  crumbling.  The  floor  gave 
way  over  a  certain  space.  This  crevasse,  a  hiatus  in  a  gulf 
of  mud,  was  called  technically  fontis.  What  is  a  fontis?  It  is 
the  quicksand  of  the  sea-shore  suddenly  encountered  under 
ground ;  it  is  the  beach  of  Mont  St.  Michel  in  a  sewer.  Th© 


548  QUICKSAND   IN  THE  SEWER. 

diluted  soil  is,  as  it  were,  in  fusion ;  all  its  molecules  are  in  sus- 
pension in  a  soft  medium;  it  is  not  land,  and  it  is  not  water. 
Depth  sometimes  very  great.  Nothing  more  fearful  than  such 
a  mischance.  If  the  water  predominates,  death  is  prompt, 
there  is  swallowing  up ;  if  the  earth  /predominates,  death  is 
slow,  there  is  enlizement. 

"  Can  you  picture  to  yourself  such  a  death?  If  enlizement 
is  terrible  on  the  shore  of  the  sea,  what  is  it  in  the  cloaca? 
Instead  of  the  open  air,  the  full  light,  the  broad  day,  that  clear 
horizon,  those  vast  sounds,  those  free  clouds  whence  rains  life, 
those  barks  seen  in  the  distance,  that  hope  under  ever}^  form, 
probable  passers,  succor  possible  until  the  last  moment ;  instead 
of  all  that,  deafness,  blindness,  a  black  arch,  an  interior  of  a 
tomb  already  prepared,  death  in  the  mire  under  a  cover !  the 
slow  stifling  by  the  filth,  a  stone  box  in  which  asphyxia  opens 
its  claw  in  the  slime  and  takes  you  by  the  throat ;  fetidness 
mingled  with  the  death  rattle  ;  mire  instead  of  sand,  sulphu- 
retted hydrogen  instead  of  the  hurricane,  ordure  instead  of  the 
ocean ;  and  to  call,  and  to  gnash  your  teeth,  and  writhe,  and 
struggle,  and  agonize,  with  that  huge  city  above  your  head 
knowing  nothing  of  it  all ! 

"  The  depth  of  the  fontis  varied,  as  well  as  its  length,  and  its 
density  by  reason  of  the  more  or  less  yielding  character  of  the 
subsoil.  Sometimes  a  fontis  was  three  or  four  feet  deep, 
sometimes  eight  or  ten ;  sometimes  no  bottom  could  be  found. 
The  mire  was  here  almost  solid,  there  almost  liquid.  In  the 
Luniere  fontis,  it  would  have  taken  a  man  a  day  to  disappear, 
while  he  would  have  been  devoured  in  five  minutes  by  the 
Phelippeaux  slough.  The  mire  bears  more  or  less  according 
to  its  greater  or  less  density.  A  child  escapes  where  a  man 
is  lost.  The  first  law  of  safety  is  to  divest  yourself  of  every 
kind  of  burden.  To  throw  away  his  bag  of  tools,  or  his 
basket,  or  his  hod,  is  the  first  thing  that  every  sewer-man  does 
when  he  feels  the  soil  giving  way  beneath  him. 

"Jean  Yaljean  found  himself  in  presence  of  a  fontis.  A 
yielding  of  the  pavement,  imperfectly  upheld  by  the  under- 
lying sand,  had  occasioned  a  damming  of  the  rain-water.  In- 


PERIL  OF  JEAN  VALJEAN.  549 

filtration  having  taken  place,  sinking  had  followed.  The  floor, 
broken  up,  had  disappeared  in  the  mire.  For  what  distance  ? 
impossible  to  say.  The  obscurity  was  deeper  than  anywhere 
else.  It  was  a  mud-hole  in  the  cavern  of  night. 

"  Jean  Valjean  felt  the  pavement  slipping  away  under  him. 
He  entered  into  this  slime.  It  was  water  on  the  surface,  mire 
at  the  bottom.  He  must  surely  pass  through.  To  retrace  his 
steps  was  impossible.  Marius  was  expiring,  and  Jean  Valjean 
exhausted.  Where  else  could  he  go?  Jean  Valjean  ad- 
vanced. Moreover,  the  quagmire  appeared  not  very  deep  for 
a  few  steps.  But  in  proportion  as  he  adyanced,  his  feet  sank 
in.  He  very  soon  had  the  mire  half-knee  deep,  and  water 
above  his  knees.  He  walked  on,  holding  Marius  with  both 
arms  as  high  above  the  water  as  he  could.  The  mud  now 
came  up  to  his  knees,  and  the  water  to  his  waist.  He  could 
no  longer  turn  back.  He  sank  in  deeper  and  deeper.  This 
mire,  dense  enough  for  one  man's  weight,  evidently  could  not 
bear  two.  Marius  and  Jean  Valjean  would  have  had  a  chance 
of  escape  separately.  Jean  Valjean  continued  to  advance, 
supporting  this  dying  man,  who  was  perhaps  a  corpse. 

"  The  water  came  up  to  his  armpits  j  he  felt  that  he  was 
foundering ;  it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  move  in  the 
depth  of  mire  in  which  he  was.  The  density,  which  was  the 
support,  was  also  the  obstacle.  He  still  held  Marius  up,  and 
with  an  unparalleled  outlay  of  strength  he  advanced ;  but 
he  sank  deeper.  He  now  had  only  his  head  out  of  the  water, 
and  his  arms  supporting  Marius.  There  is  in  the  old  pictures 
of  the  deluge  a  mother  doing  thus  with  her  child. 

"  He  sank  still  deeper,  he  threw  his  face  back  to  escape  the 
water,  and  to  be  able  to  breathe  ;  he  who  should  have  seen 
him  in  this  obscurity  would  have  thought  he  saw  a  mask 
floating  upon  the  darkness ;  he  dimly  perceived  Marius's 
drooping  head  and  livid  face  above  him ;  he  made  a  desperate 
effort,  and  thrust  his  foot  forward ;  his  foot  struck  something 
solid  :  a  support.  It  was  time. 

"  He  rose,  and  writhed,  and  rooted  himself  upon  this  support 


550  SAVED   AT  LAST. 

with  a  sort  of  fury.  It  produced  the  effect  upon  him  of  the 
first  step  of  a  staircase  reascending  towards  life. 

"This  support,  discovered  in  the  mire  at  the  last  moment, 
was  the  beginning  of  the  other  slope  of  the  floor,  which  had 
bent  without  breaking,  and  had  curved  beneath  the  water  like 
a  board,  and  in  a  single  piece.  A  well-constructed  paving 
forms  an  arch,  and  has  this  firmness.  This  fragment  of  the 
floor,  partly  submerged,  but  solid,  was  a  real  slope,  and,  once 
upon  this  slope,  they  were  saved.  Jean  Valjean  ascended  this 
inclined  plane,  and  reached  the  other  side  of  the  quagmire. 

"  On  coming  out  of  the  water,  he  struck  against  a  stone,  and 
fell  upon  his  knees.  This  seemed  to  him  fitting,  and  he 
remained  thus  for  some  time,  his  soul  lost  in  unspoken  prayer 
to  God. 

"  He  rose,  shivering,  chilled,  infected,  bending  beneath  this 
dying  man,  whom  he  was  dragging  on,  all  dripping  with  slime3 
his  soul  filled  with  a  strange  light." 


XXXVI . 

MERCURY. 

PROPERTIES  AND  PECULIARITIES  OF  MERCURY,  OR   QUICKSILVER.  —  AMALGAMA- 
TION. —  CINNABAR.  —  WHERE  IT  IS  FOUND.  —  ALMADEN   AND    OTHER  MINES. 

—  CURIOUS    CUSTOMS   AT   IDRIA. — MODES    OF   WORKING. —  HUANCA  VELICA. 

—  QUICKSILVER    MINES     IN     CALIFORNIA.  —  CALIFORNIA    LAWSUITS. — WON- 
DERFUL PROPERTIES  OF  SPANISH  TITLES.  —  AN  UNHAPPY  ACCIDENT.  —  PRAC- 
TICAL VALUE  OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE  — AN  UNDERGROUND  CHAPEL. 

OISTE  of  the  most  valuable  mineral  substances  is  the  one 
which  is  known  as  Mercury,  or  Quicksilver.  It  has  many 
properties  peculiar  to  no  other  metal.  At  an  ordinary  tem- 
perature it  is  a  fluid.  At  thirty-nine  or  forty  degrees  below 
zero  (Fahrenheit)  it  becomes  solid,  and  resembles  lead.  At 
six  hundred  and  sixty-two  degrees  (Fahrenheit)  it  boils,  and 
is  thrown  out  on  an  invisible,  transparent  vapor,  like  steam. 
Before  it  reaches  the  boiling  point,  if  it  is  exposed  to  the  air 
at  a  high  temperature,  it  absorbs  oxygen,  and  is  converted 
into  red  oxide.  Strong  nitric  acid  will  absorb  mercury. 
Acids  affect  it  somewhat,  but  not  to  any  great  extent.  It 
mixes  with  lead,  zinc,  gold,  and  silver,  and  it  may  be  sepa- 
rated from  them  by  a  chemical  process,  and  be  made  perfectly 
pure.  Sometimes  the  cheap  metals  are  used  to  adulterate 
mercury  ;  but  the  effect  of  this  mixture  is  to  produce  an 
amalgam,  whose  adulterations  can  be  easily  detected.  It  is 
found  sometimes  in  a  native  or  pure  form,  and  sometimes 
amalgamated  with  silver  ;  but  these  instances  are  so  rare  that 
deposits  of  this  sort  cannot  be  relied  upon  as  sources  of 
supply. 

Sometimes  mercury  is  found  in  its  natural  state  in  cavities 
in  the  earth,  so  that  it  may  be  dug  up  in  considerable  quanti- 
ties. The  chief  source  of  supply,  however,  is  in  the  form  of 


552  CINNABAR   MINES. 

cinnabar.  Cinnabar  is  said  to  be  an  East  Indian  name,  origi- 
nally given  to  the  mixture  of  the  blood  of  the  dragon  with 
that  of  the  elephant,  and  afterwards  applied  to  the  common 
ore  of  mercury.  On  account  of  its  beautiful  red  color, 
known  as  vermilion,  this  ore  has  been  worked  in  various 
parts  of  the  world  for  more  than  three  thousand  years. 
Some  of  the  Roman  historians  refer  to  the  use  of  mercury 
in  amalgamating  gold  ;  and  the  mines  of  Almaden,  in  Spain, 
which  still  produce  cinnabar,  are  known  to  have  been 
worked  for  thousands  of  years  before  the  Christian  era. 
Cinnabar  consists  of  eighty-six  per  cent,  of  mercury,  and 
fourteen  per  cent,  of  sulphur.  It  forms  beds  and  veins  in 
certain  rocks,  and  in  many  places  the  rocks  near  the  veins  will 
have  cinnabar  distributed  through  them.  When  finely  ground 
it  makes  a  brilliant  red  paint,  and,  as  before  stated,  is  known  as 
vermilion ;  and  it  is  said  that  the  Indians  of  California  first 
called  the  attention  of  the  Spanish  settlers  to  the  presence  of 
quicksilver  by  their  use  of  cinnabar  in  ornamenting  their 
faces. 

The  most  important  mines  of  mercury  in  the  world  are 
those  of  Almaden,  in  Spain  ;  New  Almaden,  in  California ; 
Idria,  in  Austria ;  and  Huanca  Velica,  in  Peru.  There  are 
smaller  mines  in  Hungary,  Bohemia,  Bavaria,  China,  Japan, 
Brazil,  and  a  few  other  countries.  Formerly  the  Almaden 
mines,  in  Spain,  controlled  the  quicksilver  market  of  the 
globe.  The  owners  of  the  mines  could  affect  the  price  of  the 
article  just  as  they  pleased.  If  they  raised  or  lowered  it,  the 
other  mines  were  obliged  to  lower  or  raise  their  prices. 

Almaden  is  situated  in  New  Castile,  about  fifty  miles  north 
of  Cordova.  Apart  from  its  mining  peculiarities,  it  possesses 
no  feature  of  attraction,  as  it  consists  simply  of  one  long 
street,  built  on  a  ridge  of  rock,  where  the  cinnabar  ore  is 
found.  The  town  has  a  mining  school,  half  a  dozen  or  more 
ordinary  schools,  three  hospitals,  and  a  liberal  supply  of 
churches,  and  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants.  Until  about 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century  the  mines  were  worked 
by  convicts,  who  were  compelled  to  wear  chains,  and  were 


MINES   IN  AUSTRIA  AND  PERU.  553 

kept  at  such  severe  toil  that  they  never  lived  long.  Later, 
however,  the  mines  have  been  worked  on  a  voluntary  labor 
system,  and  employ  about  five  or  six  thousand  persons. 
Each  laborer  is  required  to  toil  only  six  hours  a  day.  A 
longer  exposure  than  this  to  the  quicksilver  is  considered 
injurious  to  the  health.  The  annual  production  of  the  Alrna- 
den  mines  is  about  two  million  pounds  of  pure  metal. 

The  mines  of  Idria,  in  Austria,  are  about  thirty-two  miles 
north-east  of  Trieste.  The  town  is  a  small  one,  its  popula- 
tion being  less  than  five  thousand.  Its  annual  production  is 
about  three  hundred  thousand  pounds.  A  single  shaft  has 
been  sunk  to  a  depth  of  about  one  thousand  feet.  The 
excavations  are  made  through  horizontal  galleries  extended 
from  this  shaft.  The  descent  into  the  mine  is  accomplished 
partly  by  steps  cut  in  the  rock,  and  partly  by  ladders.  About 
five  hundred  miners  are  employed.  They  preserved  a  pecu- 
liarity by  wearing  a  uniform  of  their  own,  and,  though  the 
occupation  is  unhealthy,  the  appointment  of  a  miner  at  Idria 
is  greatly  sought.  The  mines  have  been  worked  about  four 
hundred  years,  and  are  the  property  of  the  government. 
The  product  of  the  other  smaller  mines  of  this  metal 
throughout  Europe  is  so  inconsiderable  as  to  have  no  mate- 
rial effect  on  the  market.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
quicksilver  mines  of  China,  Japan,  and  Australia. 

The  Peruvian  quicksilver  mines  have  been  worked  since 
the  beginning  of  the  sixteenth  century.  At  the  great  mines 
of  Huanca  Velica  the  ores  are  found  in  sandstone  and  shales 
along  a  belt  of  ground  or  rock  about  four  hundred  feet  thick. 
Most  of  the  excavations  are  open  ones,  and  appear  as  if  laid 
out  without  much  plan  or  method.  Accidents  frequently  oc- 
cur, and  at  one  time  two  hundred  workmen  were  buried  by 
the  caving  in  of  the  earth.  The  total  annual  yield  of  the 
Peruvian  mines  is  about  four  hundred  thousand  pounds. 

Mercury  is  found  in  many  places  in  Mexico,  but  no  mines 
of  it  are  now  worked,  the  deposits  not  being  sufficient  to  pay 
for  the  exploitation.  The  quicksilver  mines  of  California 
were  first  opened  and  worked  in  1845,  by  one  of  the  Spanish 


554  NEW  ALMADEN  IN    CALIFORNIA. 

settlers.  It  was  known  that  for  a  long  time  the  Indians  had 
made  use  of  cinnabar  to  ornament  their  faces,  and  it  was 
found  that  they  had  made  pits  fifty  or  sixty  feet  deep  into  the 
mountain  in  search  of  it.  The  first  attempt  made  by  the 
Spaniards  in  these  Indian  mines  was  to  work  the  cinnabar  ore 
for  silver  ;  but  no  silver  could  be  found.  The  war  of  1846 
stopped  the  working  of  the  mine,  and  nothing  was  done  after 
that  until  1848,  when  operations  were  recommenced  on  a 
large  scale.  A  company  of  Mexicans  and  English  worked 
the  mines  from  1850  to  1858,  when  they  were  stopped  Ir^  the 
United  States  court  on  account  of  a  lawsuit  about  the  title. 

The  New  Almaden  mines  are  situated  about  twelve  miles 
from  San  Jose,  an  important  town  fifty  miles  south  of  San 
Francisco.  It  was  my  pleasure  to  visit  these  mines  several 
years  ago,  and  learn  something  of  the  mode  of  working  them. 
A  small  party  of  us  took  the  train  from  San  Francisco,  and 
proceeded  to  San  Jose*,  whence  we  travelled  in  carriages  over 
an  excellent  road,  which  undulated  just  enough  to  make  it 
interesting.  Unfortunately  for  us,  at  the  time  of  our  visit, 
no  work  was  in  progress  in  the  lower  mines  in  consequence 
of  one  of  those  lawsuits  for  which  the  region  is  famous. 
Consequently  we  did  not  go  down  into  the  mine  itself,  but 
were  obliged  to  content  ourselves  with  an  inspection  of  the 
reduction  works. 

I  may  remark,  by  the  by,  in  speaking  of  these  lawsuits  of 
the  New  Almaden  mine,  that  it  is  a  peculiar  dispensation  of 
providential  care  or  human  cupidity  to  afflict  every  valuable 
piece  of  property  in  California  with  a  lawsuit.  I  would  not 
wish  to  assert  that  there  is  a  dishonest  man  in  all  California, 
as  the  assertion  might  be  followed  by  an  assault  on  the  writer 
by  some  enthusiastic  resident  of  the  Golden  State  ;  but  I  do 
say  that  the  result  of  my  observation  was,  that  nothing  could 
be  found  in  California  worth  the  having  but  that  some  claim- 
ant under  a  previous  title  would  be  sure  to  present  himself. 
The  New  Almaden  mines,  as  soon  as  their  value  became 
known,  found  plenty  of  claimants  under  Spanish  titles  and 
Indian  titles.  A  great  part  of  their  revenue  has  been  swal- 


QUICKSILVER    MINES    OF    NEW   ALMADEN. 


BLASTING   IN    THE    QUICKSILVER   MINES. 


FRAUDULENT   TITLES.  557 

lowed  up  iii  legal  proceedings.  When  all  these  questions 
shall  have  been  settled  finally,  I  presume  some  claimant  will 
turn  up  who  holds  a  title  given  him  by  Columbus  or  Queen 
Isabella,  and  possibly  by  the  founder  of  the  Christian  religion. 
Titles  in  California  can  go  back  to  a  wonderfully  distant 
period,  and  the}r  are  always  so  indefinite  as  to  afford  holding- 
ground  for  a  legal  anchor. 

I  do  not  think  a  single  mine  or  very  valuable  property  in 
California  has  ever  escaped  legal  difficulties.  A  rocky  island 
in  San  Francisco  Bay  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  locality  of 
a  Spanish  claim.  It  had  stood  very  quietly  unoccupied,  and 
was  not  considered  worth  ten  cents  for  any  practical  purpose. 
By  and  by  the  government  wished  to  use  it  as  the  site  of  a 
fortification.  Immediately  there  arose  a  claimant  under  a 
Spanish  title,  and  he  came  very  near  compelling  the  govern- 
ment to  pay  him  a  handsome  price  for  the  property.  I  pre- 
sume, if  a  volcanic  island  should  be  thrown  up  in  the  middle 
of  the  bay,  and  somebody  should  take  possession  of  a  piece 
of  it,  somebody  else  would  have  a  Spanish  or  Indian  title  to 
it,  or  would  possibly  produce  a  title  from  his  Satanic  Majesty, 
who  had  caused  the  island  to  be  made  for  the  especial  benefit 
of  the  claimant,  in  return  for  valuable  services  rendered  in 
times  past  or  present. 

On  reaching  the  mines,  we  proceeded  at  once  to  the  Reduc- 
tion Works,  and  were  politely  shown  around  by  Mr.  Butter- 
worth,  the  superintendent.  We  amused  ourselves  trying  to 
lift  flasks  of  quicksilver,  and  were  nearly  choked  with  the 
fumes  arising  from  the  places  where  the  ore  was  being  re- 
duced. The  reduction  works  are  very  simple  affairs.  They 
consist  of  piles  of  brick  with  furnaces  beneath  them,  and 
with  large  cavities,  down  which  the  ore  is  placed.  The  ore 
is  roasted,  and  the  mercury  rises  in  vapor,  and  is  condensed. 
The  furnaces  are,  most  of  them,  forty  feet  long,  eight  feet 
wide,  and  ten  feet  high,  and  fixed  near  each  other.  Each 
furnace  is  divided  into  compartments,  the  fire  occupying  one 
at  the  end  and  a  little  below  the  compartment,  where  the  ore 
is  placed.  The  heat  does  not  come  in  direct  .contact  with  the 

ore,  but  is  driven  through  it  by  means  of  flues. 
30 


558  THE  CONDENSING  CHAMBERS. 

There  are  several  Condensing  Chambers,  so  called,  each  of 
them  eight  feet  long,  four  feet  wide,  and  about  six  feet  high. 
The  chamber  where  the  ore  is  placed  is  connected  with  the 
condensing  chambers  by  means  of  a  flue.  Eight  or  ten  tons 
of  ore  are  placed  in  the  furnace  at  one  time.  Seven  other 
condensing  chambers  succeed  the  first,  and  the  fumes  are 
passed  through  one  after  the  other,  and  finally  into  a  tank, 
where  they  are  condensed  in  water.  Each  chamber  is  so 
constructed  that  the  mercury  will  flow  into  the  iron  tank, 
where  it  is  collected  and  put  in  flasks.  About  sixty  hours 
are  required  to  extract  the  mercury  from  a  charge  of  ore. 

In  spite  of  all  precautions  a  great  deal  of  mercury  is  lost. 
At  the  time  of  our  visit,  new  furnaces  had  been  constructed 
to  take  the  place  of  some  old  ones,  which  had  been  torn 
down  a  year  or  two  before.  They  showed  us  an  immense 
cavity  in  the  earth,  where  the  quicksilver  had  accumulated 
and  settled.  Its  weight  had  made  places  for  it  in  some  in- 
stances, while  in  others  the  ground  was  thoroughly  saturated. 
These  deposits  were  discovered  quite  by  accident,  and  I  was 
told  that  several  tons  of  quicksilver  had  been  taken  from 
them. 

One  of  our  party  became  aware  of  the  peculiar  properties 
of  quicksilver  in  a  way  that  was  not  at  all  satisfactory.  At 
the  tank  where  the  material  was  waiting  to  be  placed  in  the 
flasks  there  were  several  gallons  of  mercury,  and  we  amused 
ourselves  by  forcing  our  hands  beneath  the  surface.  The 
sensation  was  peculiar,  and  to  most  of  us  entirely  new. 
Our  friend  was  wearing  a  ring  on  one  of  the  fingers  that  he 
thrust  into  the  metal.  The  quicksilver  allied  with  the  gold, 
and  suddenly  it  was  discovered  that  the  ring  had  turned 
white.  His  attention  was  called  to  it  by  our  guide,  who  sug- 
gested that  the  ring  must  be  removed  instantly  and  heated. 
It  was  taken  from  the  finger,  not  without  considerable  diffi- 
culty, placed  up'on  a  shovel,  and  heated.  A  goodly  portion 
of  the  mercury,  which  had  adhered  to  it,  was  driven  away  ; 
but  I  believe  the  ring  subsequently  tumbled  to  pieces,  and 
became  valueless. 


EXTENT  OF  THE  PRODUCTION.  559 

Men  and  animals  employed  about  the  Smelting  Works  are 
salivated  and  otherwise  injuriously  affected  by  the  mercury  ; 
but  I  believe  no  like  effects  are  experienced  in  the  mines. 
The  ore  is  found  irregularly  distributed  in  the  hills  a  little 
more  than  a  mile  from  the  smelting  works.  The  vein  is  very 
irregular  ;  in  fact,  it  is  less  a  vein  than  a  series  of  chambers. 
The  mine  is  entered  through  a  level,  which  extends  twelve 
hundred  feet  into  the  hill.  Side  galleries  are  excavated  on 
the  line  of  deposits,  and  sometimes  they  follow  these  deposit* 
four  or  five  hundred  feet.  The  earthquake  of  1865  opened 
up  several  new  chambers  in  the  rock,  and  gave  an  increased 
value  to  the  property  —  about  the  only  property  which  an 
earthquake  was  ever  known  to  benefit.  Most  of  the  laborers 
in  these  mines  are  of  Indian  or  Spanish  origin.  They  have  a 
chapel  in  the  mine,  similar  to  chapels  which  are  fitted  up  in 
the  mines  of  Catholic  countries  all  over  the  world.  The 
chambers  of  the  mine  are  occasionally  used  for  fetes  and  cele- 
brations, and  at  such  times  are  quite  interesting. 

The  quantity  of  quicksilver  produced  annually  at  the  New 
Almaden  mine  is  about  two  million  pounds.  Sometimes  it 
falls  short  of  this  amount,  and  sometimes  exceeds  it ;  but  the 
production  is  largely  in  the  control  of  the  managers,  and  they 
can  raise  or  lower  it  almost  at  will.  The  stock  of  this  com- 
pany has  been  the  subject  of  a  great  deal  of  speculation  in 
Wall  Street.  Some  men  have  made  money  by  it,  and  others 
have  lost.  The  speculations  in  it  have  been  so  extensive  that 
it  has  become  a  sort  of  financial  football,  which  prudent  peo- 
ple would  do  well  to  let  alone. 

The  New  Idria  mine  was  opened  subsequently  to  the  open- 
ing of  the  New  Almaden  mine.  The  mercury  of  New  Alma- 
den  had  .driven  that  of  Spain  from  all  the  American  markets, 
and  fairly  controlled -the  world.  The  mine  at  Idria,  together 
with  mines  at  other  places  in  California,  produced  a  compara- 
tively small  amount,  so  that  the  market  of  the  New  Almaden 
mine  was  not  seriously  affected. 

A  universal  system  is  followed  over  the  entire  globe,  so  far 
as  the  packages  in  which  mercury  is  placed  are  concerned. 


560  HOW   MERCURY  IS    USED. 

The  Almaden  mines  of  Spain  adopted  the  plan  of  enclosing 
the  mercury  in  iron  flasks,  containing  seventy-six  and  one 
half  pounds,  and  the  example  is  followed  elsewhere.  Some- 
times half  flasks  and  quarter  flasks  are  made  ;  but  the  stan- 
dard of  seventy-six  and  a  half  pounds  for  a  whole  flask  is  uni- 
versally maintained. 

The  greatest  consumers  of  mercury  are  the  Chinese,  not 
physically,  or  for  mechanical  or  chemical  purposes.  The 
Chinese  use  a  great  many  paints,  and  especially  red  ones. 
As  a  natural  consequence,  quicksilver  enters  largely  into  their 
composition.  Other  uses  of  quicksilver  are  in  the  extraction 
of  silver  and  gold  from  their  ores  in  the  amalgamating  pro- 
cess, and  also  for  coating  or  silvering  the  backs  of  mirrors. 
Mercury  is  employed  in  the  construction  of  philosophical  in- 
struments, and  is  preferred  to  other  fluids  for  filling  thermom- 
eters and  barometers.  It  is  used  in  medicine  to  a  consider- 
able extent ;  and  doubtless  many  of  my  readers  are  familiar 
with  it.  Its  most  general  form  is  in  what  is  known  as  the 
blue  pill.  Nearly  all  physicians  prescribe  it,  but  they  always 
enjoin  great  caution  in  its  use.  One  celebrated  medical 
writer  says,  "  Few  medicines  produce  such  a  marked  sense 
of  depression,  both  mentally  and  bodily,  as  mercury,  even  of 
ordinary  doses  ;  and  when  the  system  is  brought  thoroughly 
under  its  influences,  the  effects  become  distressing." 


XXXVIL 

GUANO  AND  THE  COOLIE  TRADE. 

GUANO  AND   ITS    CHARACTER.  —  WHERE   IT   18   FOUND.  —  THE   CHINCHA   ISLANDS 
AND   THEIR  WEALTH.  —  NOVEL  PLANS    OF  THE  PERUVIANS.  —  HOW  THEY  DIG 

AND  LOAD  GUANO.  —  EFFECT  OF  GUANO  ON  A  STRANGER.  — JARVIS'S  AND 
ROWLAND'S  ISLANDS.  —  THE  COOLIES  AND  THEIR  LABOR.  —  STORIES  OF  HOR- 
RIBLE CRUELTIES.  —  HOW  THE  ASIATIC  SLAVE  TRADE  IS  CONDUCTED.  —  MU- 
TINY ON  SHIPBOARD.  —  MURDER  OF  THE  CREW.  — HUMAN  MINCE  MEAT.  — 

TREATMENT    OF    COOLIES     AT    WORK.  —  EXTENT    OF  THE  COOLIE  TRAFFIC. 

PROBABLE  FATE  OF  MISSING  SHIPS. 

THE  exhausting  effect  of  agriculture,  in  many  localities,, 
renders  it  necessary  to  furnish  the  soil  with  enriching  mate- 
rials. From  time  immemorial,  use  has  been  made  of  the  excre- 
ment of  animals,  of  deposits  in  bogs  and  swamps,  where 
vegetable  matter  has  decayed,  and  of  various  mineral  sub- 
stances known  to  contain  ingredients  nutritious  to  growing 
plants.  An  important  ingredient  of  nearly  all  manures  is  the 
substance  known  as  ammonia,  which  is  contained  in  large 
quantities  in  the  excrement  of  birds.  Any  farmer  will  telL 
you  that  the  space  beneath  his  nen-roost  furnishes  a  material 
more  valuable,  pound  by  pound,  than  any  other  part  of  his; 
barn-yard  establishment.  In  some  parts  of  the  world  the  ex- 
crement of  birds  is  found  in  large  quantities,  but  these  places- 
are  few  in  number,  for  the  reason  that  they  are  only  in  dis- 
tricts where  there  is  no  rain.  In  localities  subject  to  rainr 
although  the  birds  may  be  numerous,  the  valuable  material  is 
washed  away,  or,  at  all  events,  is  so  greatly  reduced  in  quality 
as  to  render  it  worthless  or  nearly  so. 

The  great  deposits  of  bird  excrement,  popularly  known  as 
guano,  are  in  tropical  regions,  the  most  important  of  them 
being  at  the  Chincha  Islands,  which  are  situated  in  the  Pa- 


562  THE   CHINCHA  ISLANDS. 

cific  Ocean,  near  the  coast  of  Peru,  in  latitude  13°  38'  south, 
longitude  76°  28'  west.  They  are  three  in  number,  and  are 
small,  rocky,  and  perfectly  dry.  They  appear  to  have  been 
formed  by  separate  inundations  of  lava  under  great  pressure, 
and  are  composed  of  a  gray  and  reddish  colored  rock  that  in 
some  places  presents  a  perpendicular  wall  three  hundred  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  ocean.  The  islands  have  a  wild  and 
picturesque  appearance.  Immense  flocks  of  sea-birds  are 
constantly  flying  around  them.  The  walls  of  the  islands  are 
full  of  caves  and  arches,  some  of  them  very  high,  and  the 
beating  of  the  waves  in  the  caves  and  arches  can  be  heard  a 
long  distance. 

The  islands  are  small,  no  one  of  them  being  more  than  a 
mile  in  length.  The  total  amount  of  guano  upon  them  is  esti- 
mated at  forty  millions  of  tons.  It  has  been  accumulating 
during  thousands  of  years.  In  some  places  the  depth  is  esti- 
mated at  more  than  a  hundred  feet,  and  over  nearly  all  the 
extent  of  the  islands  it  is  rarely  at  a  depth  of  less  than  sixty 
feet.  The  value  of  guano  was  well  known  to  the  Peruvians 
of  ancient  times,  and  these  immense  deposits  were  specially 
-cared  for  by  the  government.  By  command  of  the  incas  of 
Peru  no  person  was  allowed,  under  penalty  of  death,  to  visit 
the  islands  during  the  breeding  season  of  the  birds,  and  the 
rsame  penalty  was  inflicted  upon  those  who  killed  birds  at  any 
lime  of  the  year. 

According  to  the  histories,  five  hundred  years  were  required 
for  the  formation  of  a  single  inch  in  thickness  of  guano  ;  con- 
sequently, the  time  required  for  the  formation  of  a  layer  of 
guano  a  hundred  feet  thick  must  be  something  more  than  the 
period  of  life  allotted  to  Methusaleh,  or  any  of  his  contempo- 
raries. 

The  attention  of  Europe  was  first  called  to  guano  in  1804, 
'by  the  great  traveller  Humboldt.  He  caused  the  substance 
to  be  analyzed,  and  found  that  it  was  composed  of  phosphates 
•of  ammonia,  lime.,  -and  urate  and  oxalate  of  ammonia,  together 
with  other  organic  matters  not  determined.  A  few  years 
later  further  latteaation  was  called  to  it  by  Sir  Humphry 


FIRST   IMPORTATION   OF   GUANO.  563 

Davy,  who  suggested  that  it  might  prove  valuable  to  farmers; 
and  it  was  soon  after  tried  at  St.  Helena.  The  first  ship- 
ment ever  brought  to  Europe  was  in  1840,  and  consisted  of 
twenty  casks.  It  was  tried,  and  found  useful ;  and  the  next 
year  several  cargoes  were  taken  to  England,  and  several  more 
to  the  United  States.  The  exclusive  right  of  digging  and 
shipping  guano  for  the  term  of  jiine  years  was  sold  at  this 
time,  by  the  government,  for  forty  thousand  dollars ;  but  it 
was  repudiated  soon  after,  as  the  increased  demand  for  guano 
developed  its  immense  value.  The  monopoly  was,  however, 
revived  in  a  little  while,  one  firm  being  allowed  the  exclusive 
trade  with  England,  and  another  with  the  United  States.  The 
demand  increased  so  rapidly  that  a  great  many  ships  went 
into  the  carrying  trade,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  two  hun- 
dred ships  have  been  waiting  at  the  Chincha  Islands  for  their 
cargoes. 

Explorations  were  made  for  other  deposits,  and  some  rich 
ones  were  found  on  the  Lobos  Islands,  off  the  north  coast  of 
Peru.  A  great  many  smaller  islands  were  found  to  be  cov- 
ered with  guano,  and  in  various  parts  of  the  Pacific  Ocean 
there  are  extensive  deposits.  The  most  important  of  these 
are  upon  Jarvis's,  Baker's,  and  Rowland's  Islands,  situated  in 
the  South  Pacific  Ocean,  belonging  to  a  New  York  company, 
and  named  after  American  merchants  interested  in  them.  Jar- 
vis's  Island  was  estimated  a  few  years  ago  to  contain  nearly 
four  millions  of  tons ;  the  quantity  on  Baker's  and  Howland's 
Islands  was  not  determined. 

To  show  the  rapid  increase  in  the  demand  for  guano,  it  may 
be  mentioned  that,  in  the  year  1841,  six  thousand  five  hun- 
dred tons  were  exported  from  the  Chincha  Islands,  and  in  the 
five  following  years,  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  thousand 
tons  were  exported,  —  or  an  average  of  more  than  thirty-five 
thousand  tons  a  year. 

In  1849  the  exports  of  guano  were  nearly  a  hundred  thou- 
sand tons,  and  from  1852  to  1857  the  yearly  average  was 
more  than  two  hundred  thousand  tons. 

The  value  of  guano  varies  according  to  the  demand,  but  is 


564  NATURE   OF   GUANO. 

ordinarily  fixed  at  about  seventy  dollars  a  ton.  It  is  suffi- 
ciently valuable  to  induce  enterprising  men  to  adulterate  it; 
and  more  than  half  the  guano  sold  in  England  and  the  United 
States  is  said  to  be  mixed  with  inferior  substances  before  it 
reaches  the  consumer.  Nearly  all  dealers  who  purchase  large 
quantities  require  a  careful  analysis  of  samples  before  they 
close  their  bargains.  The  analysis  of  guano  is  very  desirable 
for  the  farmer,  in  order  to  indicate  the  best  method  of  apply- 
ing the  fertilizer,  and  to  ascertain  for  what  crops  and  to  what 
soils  each  kind  is  best  adapted.  For  example,  some  soils 
might  be  most  benefited  by  the  Peruvian  guano,  which  con- 
tains large  quantities  of  ammonia ;  while  others  would  be  most 
benefited  by  the  cheap  qualities,  which  contain  larger  quanti- 
ties of  phosphate.  Full  details  respecting  the  guano  trade 
and  the  use  of  guano  are  contained  in  the  document  accom- 
panying the  message  of  the  President  of  the  United  States  to 
the  Senate,  February  5th,  1859. 

Another  locality  where  guano  is  found  is  in  the  Caribbean 
Sea,  near  the  coast  of  Venezuela ;  but  the  islands  containing 
this  guano  are  in  the  region  of  tropical  rains,  and  consequently 
the  substance  formed  there  is  quite  different  in  character  from 
the  dry,  pulverized  guano  of  the  Chincha  Islands.  Some  of 
these  Caribbean  islands  are  low,  and  covered  with  sand,  shells, 
and  other  substances,  in  which  the  birds  lay  their  eggs. 
Others  rise  in  peaks  to  the  height  of  several  hundred  feet ; 
and  on  these  peaks  there  are  rocky  layers  which  have  been 
formed  from  guano.  These  rocky  layers  contain  large  quan- 
tities of  phosphate  and  carbonate  of  lime.  Other  layers  con- 
tain very  little  carbonate  and  a  larger  proportion  of  phosphate. 
Another  variety  is  a  solid  rock,  which  forms  a  crust  sometimes 
two  feet  thick,  and  consists  mainly  of  phosphate  and  sulphate 
of  lime.  The  evaporation  of  the  ammonia  and  similar  sub- 
stances renders  this  rock  porous,  and  has  led  many  to  believe 
that  it  was  of  volcanic  origin.  The  heat  and  moisture  of  the 
surface  have  made  wonderful  changes  in  the  organic  substances 
or  deposits  of  these  islands ;  though  the  formation  of  these 
rocks  can  be  directly  traced  to  the  excrement  of  birds  and 


NORTH,  SOUTH,  AND   MIDDLE   ISLANDS. 


the  remains  of  the  birds  themselves,  all  vestiges  of  animal 
life  have  disappeared,  and  the  substance  presents  all  the  char- 
acteristics of  a  metamorphic  rock,  dug  from  the  base  of  a  vol- 
canic mountain. 

The  work  of  handling  guano  is  not  the  most  delightful  in 
the  world  ;  especially  is  this  the  case  at  Chincha  Islands,  where 
the  air  is  dry,  and  the  guano  is  in  the  form  of  dust,  or  of  a 
hard  material  which  easily  separates  into  dust.  Guano  has 
a  very  pungent  character,  and  causes  the  eyes  to  inflame,  and 
sometimes  deprives  them  altogether  of  the  power  of  sight. 

As  before  stated,  the  Chincha  Islands  number  three  only, 
and  are  known  as  North  Island,  South  Island,  and  Middle 
Island.  The  Middle  Island  is  the  most  important,  not  only  for 
having  the  largest  quantity  of  guano  upon  it,  but  also  for 
being  the  residence  of  the  commander  and  deputy  commander 
of  the  three  islands.  The  palace  of  the  commander  is  rather 
an  imposing  building  of  its  character;  and  at  a  little  distance 
stands  that  of  the  deputy  commander.  This  is  more  modest 
and  unpretending  in  architecture,  being  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  what  Americans  would  term  a  flat-roofed  shanty,  con- 
structed of  cane  and  rush  matting. 

The  average  height  of  the  rock  which  is  the  sub-strata  of 
the  island,  is  from  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two  and  three 
hundred  feet  ;  and  upon  these  rocks  lie  the  guano  as  upon  a 
scaffolding  or  platform  rising  out  of  the  sea.  The  guano  on 
this  island  lies  on  what  may  be  termed  a  smooth,  rounded 
mound,  and  is  in  some  parts  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  thick.  More  than  forty  acres  have  been  cut  away  from 
the  side  of  the  hill  nearest  to  the  vessels  on  which  the  guano 
is  shipped.  The  birds  which  live  and  die  upon  these  islands 
are  principally  of  the  Photo-Hueiico  species,  and  resemble 
blue  and  white  pigeons  with  red  bills.  The  white  birds  keep 
themselves  separate  from  the  blue,  and  hundreds  of  acres  of 
land  are  completely  covered  with  them.  In  addition  to  these, 
there  are  a  number  of  sea-lions  also  to  be  found  on  these 
islands,  which  contribute  somewhat  to  the  quantity  of  ammo- 
nia created  by  the  birds.  Eggs  and  wings  of  birds,  and  teeth 


566  WALKING  IN   GUANO. 

of  sea-lions,  are  seen  in  abundance  changed  into  ammonia  in 
each  and  every  part  of  the  islands. 

The  guano,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  is  of  a  reddish 
brown-yellow  color,  which  covers  the  whole  of  the  three 
islands,  and  nothing  else  is  to  be  seen  but  the  rocks  on  which 
it  rests.  In  substance  it  is  like  light,  dry  earth,  and  is  very 
difficult  to  walk  upon.  Frequently  one  finds  himself  sinking 
ankle  and  knee  deep ;  and  should  you  attempt  to  hurry,  you 
are  almost  sure  to  lose  your  footing.  Should  you  fall  and  get 
covered  with  this  ammonia,  it  matters  but  little,  as  it  is  pure, 
and  contains  no  animal  substance  to  make  it  disagreeable.  If 
you  penetrate  a  few  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  ammonia,  it 
is  found  to  be  perfectly  compact,  and  not  unlike  castile  soap. 

The  men  employed  to  dig  the  guano  are  Chinese.  They 
have  a  very  hard  time  of  it;  and  in  addition  to  being  hard 
worked,  they  are  very  badly  treated.  Close  to  the  residence 
of  the  deputy  commander  a  number  of  the  coolies  are  en- 
gaged digging  out  the  guano  for  shipment.  The  gang  is 
superintended  by  the  most  unfeeling  task-masters,  who  apply 
the  lash  very  freely  to  the  naked  backs  of  the  workmen  on 
the  slightest  pretence.  It  is  by  no  means  an  unfrequent  oc- 
currence to  see  half  a  dozen  coolies  lying  about  the  scene  of 
operations  dead,  or  in  their  last  throes  of  agony ;  and  not  the 
slightest  sympathy  is  extended  to  them  in  their  suffering. 
Bodies  are  left  exposed  all  day  in  the  open  sun,  where  they 
may  be  found  covered  with  flies  or  vermin ;  and  sometimes  in 
a  few  hours  there  are  large  holes  in  these  bodies,  pecked  by 
hundreds  of  birds. 

At  the  edge  of  the  principal  cutting  on  Middle  Island, 
coolies  are  found  working  with  their  pickaxes,  while  others 
convey  the  guano  in  barrows  to  the  side  of  the  cliff  where 
the  vessels  are  in  readiness  to  receive  it. 

There  are  about  fifteen  hundred  men  constantly  engaged  in 
cutting  out  the  guano.  As  above  stated,  these  men  are  coo- 
lies, and  the  overseers  are  negroes,  stationed  at  short  dis- 
tances apart,  and  provided  with  heavy  whips.  The  coolies 
work  with  no  other  covering  than  a  thin  pair  of  pantaloons. 


TASKS   OP  THE   COOLIES.  567 

As  they  are  lashed  by  their  task-masters,  their  cries  are  pain- 
ful. The  officers  are  frequently  eye-witnesses  of  these  tor- 
tures, but  give  them  very  little  attention. 

As  soon  as  the  guano  is  dug  up,  it  is  carted  to  the  depot 
or  open  enclosures  called  the  Margueras,  and  thence  to  the 
launches  or  vessels.  These  margtieras  are  made  of  strong 
canes,  resembling  a  palisade  round  a  prison,  and  are  supported 
by  chain  cables.  In  some  parts  of  the  islands,  when  the  dis- 
tance is  far  from  the  depot,  the  guano  is  conveyed  there  in 
cars  drawn  by  donkeys,  but  generally  the  coolies  have  to 
wheel  it  themselves.  Each  man  is  expected  to  dig  and  wheel 
five  tons  of  guano  per  day,  and  if  he  does  not  do  this  amount 
of  work,  he  is  severely  flogged  in  the  presence  of  his  fellow- 
workmen  at  the  close  of  the  day's  labor.  The  extent  of 
punishment  is  always  left  to  the  discretion  of  the  task-masters, 
who  appear  to  be  destitute  of  mercy.  The  men  are  paid 
one  real  (twelve  and  a  half  cents)  per  day,  and  their  rice  ;  but 
should  their  task  not  be  completed,  in  addition  to  the  flogging, 
the  defaulter  has  part  of  his  wages  deducted. 

While  at  work  they  are  compelled  to  wear  thick  bandages 
over  their  mouths,  owing  to  the  strength  of  the  ammonia. 
When  the  guano  is  wheeled  to  the  depot,  it  is  pushed  down 
to  the  lower  end  of  the  margueras,  where  there  are  a  number 
of  openings  connected  with  shutes,  or  long  canvas  pipes. 
These  shutes  are  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  barrel,  and 
lead  down  to  the  base  of  the  hill  or  cliff,  and  then  into  the 
vessels. 

Sometimes  the  ships  are  loaded  from  the  side,  the  guano 
being  hoisted  in  bags ;  but  this  process  of  loading  occupies  too 
much  time,  and  is  never  resorted  to  except  in  cases  of  neces- 
sity. When  the  guano  is  poured  directly  into  the  hold,  a 
vessel  can  be  loaded  in  a  day  or  two ;  whereas,  by  hoisting  it 
in,  it  occupies  as  long  as  two  or  three  weeks  to  make  up  a 
cargo. 

While  the  ships  are  being  loaded,  —  and  generally  there  are 
a  large  number  at  the  same  time,  —  they  present  a  very  inter- 
esting appearance.  An  ordinary  visitor  would  at  first  imagine 


568  HOURS   OF  LABOR. 

that  they  were  on  fire,  owing  to  the  yellow  smoke  or  dust 
which  rises  during  the  loading. 

The  air  is  so  thoroughly  impregnated  with  the  ammonia  that 
at  times  one  might  reasonably  think  he  had  a  bottle  of  strong 
hartshorn  under  his  nose,  and  most  people  suffer  much  from 
the  effect  it  has  upon  their  eyes  and  lungs.  It  has  often  been 
the  subject  of  remark  how  the  coolies  can  stand  this  great 
tax  upon  their  eyes  and  lungs  daily,  particularly  when  they 
are  so  hard  worked.  The  digging  of  guano  is  much  harder 
than  that  of  ordinary  railway  digging  and  mining  work. 

When  a  vessel  has  received  its  full  cargo,  there  is  a  little 
rejoicing,  and  the  men  are  permitted  to  leave  their  work  for 
a  short  time.  One  of  the  crew  of  the  loaded  vessel  goes  to 
the  yard-arm  in  a  tub ;  three  cheers  are  given  by  all  the  other 
ships,  and  their  guns  are  discharged. 

The  coolie  laborers  are  required  to  work  every  day  in  the 
week,  Sundays  included,  excepting  those  laborers  under  the 
immediate  charge  of  the  commander.  If  there  is  a  rush  in 
getting  the  vessels  loaded,  and  it  becomes  necessary  for  his 
men  to  work  on  Sunday,  he  pays  them  extra  for  their  labor ; 
but  it  is  not  so  with  the  other  laborers. 

On  the  islands  there  are  several  rude  huts,  where  reside 
doctors,  overseers,  and  nondescripts  of  various  sorts.  There 
are  also  several  groceries,  cooking  stores,  candy  shops, and  vari- 
ous sheds,  which  present  a  picture  of  a  small  village  of  hovels. 

The  men  complain  that  they  have  no  protection  afforded 
them,  and  their  emaciated  appearance  goes  to  show  that  they 
are  not  over  fed,  and  are  badly  used. 

There  is  hardly  a  laborer  to  be  found  on  the  whole  islands 
without  large  welts  on  his  back,  made  by  the  thongs  of  the 
task-master.  The  men  present  a  striking  similarity  to  a  used- 
up  horse,  their  bones  almost  protruding  through  their  skin. 
The  small  pittance  that  these  coolies  earn  is  kept  from  them, 
and  when  one  of  them  has  served  the  time  mentioned  in  his 
contract,  he  finds  his  master  has  a  claim  against  him  for  luxu- 
ries supplied  during  his  term  of  service,  and  being  unable  to 
pay  him,  he  has  to  resume  work,  as  before. 


INCEPTION   OP   THE   COOLIE   TRADE.  571 

Few  get  any  rest  whatever,  and  they  may  be  said  to  live 
and  die  like  dogs.  No  women  are  allowed  among  them, 
and  being  thus  deprived  of  feminine  society,  in  addition  to 
their  other  sufferings,  many  commit  suicide,  believing  that 
their  spirits  will  wake  in  their  native  land. 

The  history  of  the  coolie  trade  may  be  found  interesting  in 
this  connection. 

In  the  year  1847,  a  Portuguese  vessel,  named  the  Don  Pedro, 
was  in  the  port  of  Macao,  China,  waiting  for  a  cargo.  The 
captain  found  that  it  would  be  several  months  before  a  new- 
crop  of  tea  would  come  in,  and  consequently  he  would  be 
obliged  to  wait  some  time  before  his  ship  could  be  loaded. 
While  loitering  about  Macao  he  fell  in  with  a  Spaniard  who 
had  come  over  from  Peru  on  business,  and  the  conversation 
happened  to  turn  on  the  cheapness  of  labor  in  China.  It  oc- 
cured  to  the  Spaniard  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  take  a 
thousand  Chinese  to  Peru,  and  finally  it  was  decided  to  at- 
tempt  to  load  the  Don  Pedro  with  these  men.  Whether  they 
made  any  contract  with  the  coolies  is  not  known,  and  probably 
will  never  be  ascertained.  Three  hundred  men  were  en- 
gaged ostensibly  for  Java,  and  on  the  1st  of  June,  1847,  they 
sailed  from  Macao,  supposing  they  were  going  to  Java,  but 
really  destined  for  Peru. 

The  ship  was  steered  across  the  Pacific,  and  after  a  voyage 
of  more  than  a  hundred  days,  with  a  great  many  vicissitudes, 
on  very  short  allowance  of  food  and  water,  the  coolies  were 
landed  in  Peru.  Owing  to  some  misunderstanding  and  some 
difficulty  about  the  contract,  this  first  consignment  was  not 
taken  to  the  Chincha  Islands,  but  was  placed  on  a  plantation 
near  Callao.  They  had  been  secured  for  five  years'  labor,  and 
the  Spaniard  who  brought  them  from  China  disposed  of  his 
merchandise  to  such  good  advantage  that  he  immediately  re- 
turned for  another  cargo.  Not  only  did  he  go  for  another 
cargo,  but  for  several  cargoes,  and  the  story  of  his  success, 
and  the  advantages  to  be  obtained  by  coolie  labor,  spread  rap- 
idly through  South  America,  Australia,  and  other  parts  of 
the  world. 


572  HOW   THE   TRADE  WAS   CONDUCTED. 

The  trade  increased  with  wonderful  rapidity.  Rumors 
went  about  in  China  that  the  coolies  were  taken  to  the  other 
side  of  the  world,  and  were  murdered  as  soon  as  their  labor 
contract  was  ended.  In  consequence  of  this  rumor  it  was 
difficult  to  obtain  men  voluntarily,  and  the  dealers  were 
obliged  to  buy  or  steal  men.  A  system  very  much  like  the 
African  slave  trade,  with  a  few  additional  horrors,  speedily 
grew  up. 

The  Portuguese  and  Spanish  traders  at  Macao  established 
slave  pens,  like  those  in  Africa,  and  bought  men  and  women 
just  as  they  might  buy  cattle.  Bands  of  robbers  went  into 
the  country,  seized  the  men  at  work  or  at  their  houses,  bound 
and  forced  them  into  boats,  took  them  to  Macao,  and  sold 
them.  Robbers  infested  the  mountains,  stealing  men  in  pref- 
erence to  anything  else.  Sometimes  fathers  and  mothers  sold 
their  sons,  and  sometimes  an  enterprising  youth  brought  his 
able-bodied  father  to  market,  sold  him  to  a  trader,  and  went 
home  with  a  fortune  of  ten  dollars  in  his  pocket. 

The  price  varied  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a  head.  Some- 
times there  was  a  scarcity  in  the  market,  and  prices  advanced  ; 
and  then  again  would  come  a  "bear"  movement;  large  quan- 
tities would  be  offered,  and  prices  went  down. 

Chinese  junks,  known  as  lorchas,  were  sent  up  the  bays  and 
rivers  to  bring  away  the  marketable  inhabitants  of  the  rural 
districts.  From  Macao  the  traffic  was  carried  to  other  ports, 
so  that  five  years  after  the  first  voyage  of  the  Don  Pedro,  ves- 
sels were  waiting  for  cargoes  of  coolies  at  half  a  dozen  ports. 

A  writer  on  China  says,  that  about  this  time  "  the  coolie 
trade  caused  a  civil  war  in  some  of  the  provinces,  just  as  the 
slave  trade  causes  a  constant  warfare  between  various  tribes 
in  Africa."  During  the  most  prosperous  years  of  the  coolie 
trade  the  mandarins  and  village  chiefs  used  to  connive  at  the 
robberies,  and  sometimes  they  sent  their  personal  attendants 
to  assist  in  the  capture  of  citizens  of  their  own  town. 

If  they  had  a  spite  against  any  one,  or  considered  that  he 
ought  to  be  out  of  the  way,  they  combined  business  with 
pleasure  by  assisting  to  sell  men  to  the  coolie  traders. 


NUMBER   OF    COOLTES   STOLEN.  573 

In  1854  the  extensive  traffic  and  the  cruelties  practised 
came  to  the  ears  of  various  governments  j  one  after  another 
the  civilized  ones  forbade  their  ships  to  engage  in  it,  and 
from  that  time  the  business  declined,  though  it  by  no  means 
entirely  died  out.  The  wholesale  capture  and  sale  of  men 
have  been  greatly  restricted,  and  at  the  present  time  the  traffic 
is  confined  to  Macao,  where  prisoners  taken  in  the  civil  war 
are  sold,  and  where  certain  captives  taken  by  the  lorchas  find 
a  market. 

One  mode  of  obtaining  men  is  by  coaxing  them  into  gam- 
bling-houses, and  inducing  them  to  play  for  money  until  they 
have  lost  an  amount  beyond  that  they  have  about  them. 
They  are  then  required  to  sign  bonds  which  hold  them  as  se- 
curities for  their  debts.  With  these  bonds  they  can  be 
turned  over  to  a  coolie-trader,  who  has  a  depot  or  private  jail 
of  his  own,  where  he  locks  up  his  human  securities.  When  a 
sufficient  number  is  accumulated,  the  men  are  sold  to  the  ex- 
porters. 

From  1847  to  1870,  the  number  of  coolies  or  forced  labor- 
ers taken  from  China  to  Cuba  was  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand,  to  Peru  two  hundred  thousand,  and  to  Australia, 
Java,  and  other  parts  of  the  Indian  Ocean,  about  fifty  thou- 
sand. These  do  not  include  voluntary  emigrants,  nor  any  of 
the  coolies  taken  to  India  or  the  Sandwich  Islands  ;  neither 
does  it  include  a  good  many  ship-loads  known  to  have  been 
sent  away,  but  of  which  no  record  exists.  Together  not  less 
than  half  a  million  coolies  —  and  some  persons,  familiar  with 
Chinese  affairs,  say  nearly  a  million  —  have  been  taken  away  by 
this  Asiatic  slave  trade.  The  men  are  bound  by  contracts  to 
a  service  of  eight  years,  the  contract  stipulating  that  at  the 
end  of  that  time  they  are  free  to  return  to  their  homes,  that 
they  shall  receive  a  certain  amount  of  money,  and  their  return 
passage  shall  be  paid ;  but  such  are  the  cruelties  practised  in 
Peru,  Cuba,  and  other  countries,  that  not  one  man  in  five  hun- 
dred ever  returns  to  China. 

The  treatment  of  the  coolies  on  shipboard  is  quite  as 
severe  as  that  of  African  slaves.  They  are  crowded  densely 


574  MUTINIES   ON   COOLIE  SHIPS. 

together.  Frequently  they  are  chained  or  loaded  with  irons, 
and  the  food  and  water  which  they  receive  are  in  very  small 
quantities.  Hundreds  of  them  die  on  the  voyage,  and  hun- 
dreds and  thousands  more  live  but  a  short  time  after  arriving 
at  their  destination,  especially  at  the  Chincha  Islands,  where 
they  are,  or  were  until  quite  recently,  made  to  perform 
tasks  which  speedily  drove  them  to  despair.  They  were 
cruelly  whipped,  and  to  escape  their  tortures  thousands 
put  an  end  to  their  lives.  Many  committed  suicide  by  jump- 
ing into  the  sea.  One  day  in  1856,  three  hundred  and  for- 
ty-two coolies  committed  suicide  in  this  manner.  Two  hun- 
dred of  them  walked  into  the  sea  together,  and  were  drowned. 
It  can  be  readily  understood  that  the  treatment  they  re- 
ceived was  of  the  severest  character,  to  drive  them  to  kill 
themselves. 

Several  coolie  ships, were  never  heard  from  after  their  de- 
parture from  China  for  Peru.  Sometimes  it  happened  that 
the  coolies  mutinied ;  and  when  defeated  in  the  attempt  to 
take  possession  of  the  vessel,  the \entire  party  jumped  over- 
board, and  were  drowned  in  the  sea. 

In  several  instances  the  attempted  mutiny  was  successful, 
and  the  vessels  were  burned,  sunk,  or  abandoned,  at  some  of 
the  islands. 

In  1857  a  cargo  of  coolies  murdered  the  officers  and  crew 
of  the  ship,  and  then  drifted  helplessly  about  the  ocean  until 
two  thirds  of  them  were  dead  through  starvation,  and  the 
remainder  were  scarcely  alive.  The  vessel  was  strand- 
ed on  a  sand-bar,  near  one  of  the  Fiji  Islands.  Another 
ship  was  captured  by  the  coolies  and  carried  southward, 
where  she  went  ashore  on  one  of  the  islands,  and  all  that  re- 
mained alive  on  board  at  the  time  of  her  destruction  were 
eaten  up  by  cannibals.  Horrible  stories  are  told  of  the  fights 
between  the  coolies  and  crews  of  ships.  In  case  of  a  mutiny 
both  sides  fight  with  desperation,  as  they  know  it  is  a  matter 
of  life  and  death.  If  the  coolies  are  overpowered  they  are 
killed  or  commit  suicide.  If  the  officers  and  crew  are  over- 
powered, they  are  killed,  and  their  bodies  thrown  into  the  sea. 


COOLIES    PLANNING    A    MUTINY. 


MUTINY   ON    THE    LOWER    DECK. 


HUMAN  MINCE  MEAT.  577 

In  one  instance  the  bodies  of  officers  and  crew  of  a  coolie 
ship  were  literally  cut  into  mince  meat  before  being  thrown 
overboard.  One  of  the  survivors  afterwards  stated  that  there 
was  not  a  piece  of  any  one  of  the  murdered  persons  that 
weighed  more  than  two  or  three  pounds,  when  the  mutiny 
was  ended. 

On  one  occasion  a  ship  sailed  from  Macao,  and  had  made 
nearly  two  thirds  of  the  voyage  to  the  Chincha  Islands  when 
a  mutiny  occurred.  The  fight  was  long  and  severe.  A  part 
of  the  crew  were  surprised  and  killed  on  deck,  the  remainder 
were  below  and  Suffered  great  torture  for  several  hours.  The 
coolies  obtained  complete  possession  of  the  ship,  and  one  by 
one  the  prisoners  below  were  brought  up  and  murdered. 

When  this  work  was  ended  the  men  turned  the  ship's  head 
to  China,  and  for  days  drifted  in  a  helpless  sort  of  way,  know- 
ing nothing  about  navigation,  and  allowing  the  sails  to  be 
blown  to  pieces,  and  the  ship  rendered  helpless. 

After  nearly  two  months  floating  about,  they  finally  arrived 
in  one  of  the  ports  of  Japan.  On  the  voyage  they  had  sev- 
eral times  quarrelled  among  themselves,  and  their  quarrels 
had  led  to  bloodshed,  in  which  many  of  their  number  were 
killed.  The  survivors  were  arrested  and  taken  to  prison  by 
the  Japanese.  They  were  finally  sent  back  to  China,  to  be 
dealt  with  by  their  own  authorities.  Some  of  them  were  ex- 
ecuted, and  others  were  imprisoned  for  various  periods. 


31 


XXXVIII. 

AVONDALE. 

THE  GREAT  CALAMITY  IN  PENNSYLVANIA.  —  ITS  CAUSE.  —  DISCOVERY  OF  THE 
FIRE.  —  SCENES  AT  THE  MOUTH  OF  THE  MINE.  —  BURNING  OF  THE  BREAKER. 
—  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  FIRE.  — EFFORTS  FOR  RESCUE. — THE  DOG  AND 
LAMP.  —  DESCENT  OF  THE  SHAFT.  — WHAT  THE  EXPLORERS  SAW.  —  DISCOV- 
ERY OF  THE  BODIES.  —  AFFLICTION  OF  FATHER  AND  SON.  —  BRINGING  OUT 
BODIES.  —  BURIAL  OF  THE  DEAD. 

IN  a  former  chapter  a  brief  allusion  was  made  to  the  terri- 
ble disaster  at  Avondale,  Perm.,  where  nearly  three  hundred 
lives  were  lost.  Public  attention  was  everywhere  called  to 
the  disaster  at  the  time  of  its  occurrence  ;  the  daily  and 
weekly  journals  were  filled  with  details  of  the  incidents  at 
Avondale,  and  the  illustrated  papers  vied  with  each  other  in 
giving  pictorial  representations  of  the  horrifying  scenes.  To 
many  readers  the  accounts  of  the  time  are  doubtless  still  fresh 
in  memory,  and  will  remain  so  for  years  to  come. 

Avondale,  the  scene  of  the  catastrophe,  is  about  four  miles 
from  Wilkesbarre,  and  the  same  distance  from  Plymouth,  and 
is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Susquehanna,  in  Luzerne 
County.  Near  Avondale  the  scenery  for  some  distance  is 
quite  pleasing  to  the  eye,  and  has  often  been  praised  by  tour- 
ists. At  the  time  of  its  occurrence  the  accident  was  called 
"  The  Unparalleled  Disaster,"  and  very  properly  so,  for  never 
before  and  never  since  has  it  seen  its  equal  in  the  United 
States. 

The  fire  broke  out  on  the  morning  of  Monday,  the  6th  day 
of  September,  1869.  It  was  thought  by  many  persons  that 
the  fire  was  the  work  of  an  incendiary,  and  to  this  day  there 
are  some  who  adhere  to  this  theory,  although  no  evidence 
was  ever  obtained  to  warrant  such  a  belief.  The  idea  rose 


DISCOVERY   OF   THE  FIEE.  579 

from  the  fact  that,  for  nearly  two  months  before  the  disaster, 
the  miners  had  been  on  a  strike  for  an  increase  of  wages,  which 
their  employers  had  refused  to  grant,  and  the  men  were  com- 
pelled to  give  up  the  contest  in  consequence  of  the  exhaustion 
of  their  funds.  It  was  on  the  first  morning  of  the  resumption 
of  work  inside  the  mine  that  the  fire  broke  out,  and  at  a  time 
when  nearly  three  hundred  men  and  boys  were  at  work. 

The  Avondale  Mining  Works  were  built  in  1867,  and  at 
the  time  of  their  destruction  yielded  a  supply  of  about  four 
hundred  and  fifty  tons  of  coal  daily.  The  mouth  of  the  mine 
is  two  hundred  feet  up  the  side  of  a  mountain,  and  over  it 
was  erected  a  large  building,  known  in  mining  parlance  as  the 
"  breaker."  Here  were  also  the  engine-rooms,  and  the  ma- 
chinery for  breaking  and  screening  coal  as  it  comes  up  from 
the  mine.  Above  this  entrance  the  ground  rises  at  an  angle 
of  forty-five  degrees,  the  town  of  Plymouth  lying  to  the  north. 
From  this  point  there  is  a  charming  view  of  the  valley  of  the 
Wyoming.  On  both  sides  of  the  mine  are  mountains,  which 
stretch  far  away  to  the  north  and  south,  while  meadows  and 
gardens  slope  gently  to  the  edge  of  the  river,  which  meanders 
through  the  valley. 

About  eight  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  disaster,  some 
boys,  working  in  a  field  near  the  breaker,  observed  a  bluish 
vapor  rising,  but  paid  no  attention  to  it,  knowing  that  the 
miners  had  resumed  work.  An  hour  or  so  later  the  keeper 
of  the  stables  in  the  mine  took  a  quantity  of  hay  for  his  mules 
down  the  shaft,  and  on  his  way  nothing  attracted  his  atten- 
tion ;  but  as  soon  as  he  reached  the  bottom  he  discovered  fire. 
He  at  once  gave  an  alarm  ;  and  at  the  instant  his  cry  was 
heard,  a  column  of  flames  shot  with  terrific  fury  up  the  ven- 
tilator and  into  the  engine-room.  So  great  was  the  heat,  that, 
before  the  engine-man  could  reverse  or  stop  the  engine,  he  was 
driven  from  his  post,  and  in  a  very  short  time  the  breaker  and 
out-buildings  were  a  mass  of  flames.  The  hoisting  apparatus, 
the  only  avenue  for  the  escape  of  the  miners,  was  completely 
destroyed,  while  there  were  two  hundred  and  fifty  persons 
below.  The  only  way  to  get  air  into  the  shaft  was  through 


•580  THE  FIRE  IN  THE  SHAFT. 

the  main  opening,  —  in  fact,  the  only  opening,  —  and  this 
was  found  to  be  partly  filled  with  burning  timbers  and  debris. 
Before  the  flames  could  be  stopped  the  shaft  was  partly  filled 
up,  and  all  communication  with  the  miners  was  cut  off. 

Immediately  after  the  fire  broke  out  there  was  the  greatest 
excitement  around  the  entrance  to  the  mine.  For  a  time 
everybody  appeared  to  have  lost  his  reason,  and  men  were 
rushing  to  and  fro,  not  knowing  what  to  do.  But  this  state 
of  things  did  not  last  long,  and  confusion  speedily  gave  place 
to  order,  or  at  any  rate  as  much  of  it  as  could  be  expected 
at  such  an  occurrence.  Despatches  were  sent  to  different 
places,  and  soon  the  fire  departments  of  Scranton,  Wilkes- 
barre,  Kingston,  and  other  cities  were  on  their  way  to  the 
scene  of  the  conflagration,  where,  it  is  needless  to  say,  they 
did  good  service,  and  were  gladly  welcomed.  In  a  few  hours 
thousands  of  people  were  journeying  to  the  Avonclale  mine, 
some  as  sight-seers,  and  others  to  render  what  aid  they  could 
to  the  poor  fellows  known  to  be  below.  The  neighboring 
mines  suspended  operations,  and  master  and  men  joined  heart- 
ily in  the  work  of  rescue.  When  the  fire  department  ar- 
rived, it  was  thought  impossible  for  the  men  below  to  be 
alive,  as  they  were  supposed  to  have  been  suffocated;  yet 
there  was  a  hope  of  their  reaching  some  retreat  in  the  inner 
chambers  of  the  mine,  and  it  was  determined  to  lose  no  time 
in  attempting  a  rescue  of  the  miners  at  all  hazards. 

The  shaft,  which  was  lined  with  wood,  was  ten  feet  by  six- 
teen feet  square,  and  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  deep. 
A  partition  extended  from  the  top  to  the  bottom,  forming  a 
flue  for  the  foul  air  to  pass  out  of  the  mine.  It  was  up  this 
wooden  box  or  chimney  that  the  fire  first  came,  and,  as  it  was 
separated  from  the  main  shaft,  the  stable-man  could  not  dis- 
cover the  fire  on  his  way  down. 

In  order  to  purify  the  air  in  a  coal  mine  like  the  one  at 
Avondale,  it  is  necessary  to  force  out  the  foul  vapor ;  and,  in 
addition  to  the  fans  used,  it  is  customary  to  build  fires  at  the 
bottom  of  the  shaft,  in  order  to  get  rid  of  the  "  damp." 
When  the  mine  is  in  operation  these  fires  are  never  allowed 


A  TERRIBLE   SCENE.  581 

to  go  out.  When  work  is  resumed  after  a  suspension,  care  is 
necessary  in  kindling  the  fire.  As  before  stated,  there  had 
been  a  strike  among  the  miners,  and  work  entirely  suspended 
at  the  mine.  The  fire  at  the  bottom  of  the  shaft  had  gone 
out,  and  when  work  was  resumed,  it  had  to  be  rekindled. 
"When  it  was  relighted,  the  blaze  flashed  up  before  any  coal 
had  been  placed  upon  the  wood.  It  was  supposed  that  the 
wooden  lining  of  the  shaft  caught  from  the  blaze,  although 
there  were  several  feet  of  brick-work  at  the  bottom.  With  a 
strong  current  of  air,  the  flame  immediately  rushed  up  into 
the  engine-room,  setting  fire  to  everything  combustible  in  its 
way.  The  appearance  of  the  fire,  to  one  who  could  forget 
the  peril  of  the  men  in  the  mine,  was  grand  in  the  extreme. 
When  it  was  at  its  height,  the  flames  rose  a  hundred  feet  and 
higher.  They  were  swayed  by  the  wind,  and  could  be  seen 
now  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  and  then  almost  per- 
pendicular, while  dense  clouds  of  smoke  rose  and  filled  the 
air.  As  the  day  drew  to  its  close,  the  excitement  of  the 
scene  increased.  For  many  miles  up  and  down  the  beautiful 
valley  the  glare  of  a  thousand  lights  was  visible.  The  vast 
quantities  of  coal  that  had  caught  fire  in  the  breaker  were 
covered  with  sheets  of  colored  flame,  and  occasional  flashes 
added  to  the  glare  that  lighted  up  the  valley. 

While  preparations  for  entering  the  mine  were  in  progress, 
hundreds  of  eyes  were  in  tears,  and  the  air  was  filled  with 
the  shrieks  and  sobs  of  those  whose  relatives  and  friends  were 
below.  As  soon  as  the  firemen  could  get  to  work,  they  began 
operations  by  sending  a  stream  of  water  down  the  burning 
shaft  in  order  to  extinguish  the  fire ;  but  for  a  long  time  the 
flames  seemed  to  defy  their  efforts,  and  it  soon  became  evi- 
dent that  the  water  supply  was  a  very  meagre  one.  It  was 
also  found  very  difficult  for  the  firemen  to  work,  as  the  loca- 
tion was  upon  a  steep  hill-side.  In  a  few  hours  after  the  out- 
break the  shaft  was  completely  choked  up,  for  a  distance  of 
forty  feet,  with  rubbish.  Most  of  the  day  was  taken  up  in 
endeavoring  to  clear  away  the  debris,  so  that  the  engines 
might  be  used. 


582  THE  DOG  AND  LAMP. 

While  all  this  preparatory  work  was  going  on,  the  throng 
of  miners  and  workmen  increased,  and  the  hill  was  crowded 
with  people.  Meetings  were  organized  for  various  purposes, 
and  at  one  of  them  fifty  experienced  men  were  selected  to 
enter  the  mine  as  soon  as  it  was  practicable  to  go  there. 
Among  these  men  three  were  owners  and  superintendents  of 
adjacent  mines ;  they  volunteered  their  services,  and  were 
ready  to  die,  if  necessary,  in  the  effort  to  rescue  their  fellow- 
miners,  and  subsequently  some  of  them  barely  escaped  death. 

About  half  past  five  P.  M.,  most  of  the  timber  and  rub- 
bish had  been  cleared  away,  and  a  dog  and  lamp  were  sent 
down  the  shaft  to  test  the  condition  of  the  air.  The  cage 
was  lowered  as  far  as  possible.  When  it  came  back  the  dog  was 
alive,  and  the  lamp  was  still  burning.  At  half  past  six  a  man 
went  down  in  a  bucket,  and  returned  in  about  seven  minutes. 
He  was  able  to  breathe,  but  could  not  get  beyond  the  ob- 
structions. Soon  after  his  return  two  men  went  down  with 
tools,  and,  after  clearing  away  the  obstructions,  they  returned 
safely.  While  they  were  down  they  went  through  a  gang- 
way sixty  or  seventy  yards,  and  came  upon  three  dead  mules 
lying  near  the  stables.  Then  they  came  to  a  door  which  led 
into  the  mine,  and,  although  they  shouted  and  struck  upon 
it  repeatedly,  they  obtained  no  reply,  and  there  were  no  indi- 
cations that  any  of  the  imprisoned  men  were  alive.  Clouds 
of  sulphurous  gas  were  pouring  out  of  the  mine  ;  so  the  men 
retreated. 

Again  another  party  descended  to  make  explorations,  but 
they  were  obliged  to  retreat,  owing  to  the  foul  air  and  "black 
damp,"  and  by  the  time  they  reached  the  top  they  were  par- 
tially overcome.  An  engine  was  then  rigged  for  the  purpose 
of  driving  a  fan  at  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  so  as  to  force  in 
air  through  a  canvas  hose,  as  the  "  choke  damp  "  was  found 
to  be  three  or  four  feet  deep  at  the  bottom  of  the  mine.  One 
gang  of  men  from  the  Scranton  mines  also  suggested  that  an 
attempt  should  be  made  to  drive  a  gangway  from  a  neighbor- 
ing mine  into  the  Avondale  ;  but  it  was  found  that  it  would 
take  too  long  to  cut  through  the  solid  rock,  and  the  sugges- 
tion was  not  carried  out. 


SEARCHING  FOR   THE  IMPRISONED  MEN.  583 

After  the  engine  had  been  put  at  work  forcing  air  down 
the  shaft,  another  party  descended  into  the  mine.  They 
penetrated  through  the  gas  about  seventy-five  feet,  and 
found  the  large  door  leading  into  the  mine  open.  They  went 
for  some  distance  farther,  and  in  one  of  the  passages  found  a 
small  door  closed.  They  reported  that,  had  the  door  been 
open,  there  might  have  been  some  hopes  for  the  men,  as 
the  gas,  and  fire,  and  smoke  would  have  had  a  free  passage 
around  the  circuit  and  out  again.  Owing  to  the  presence  of 
a  large  quantity  of  gas  and  sulphur,  the  explorers  had  to  re- 
tire, and  were  more  or  less  affected  by  it,  one  of  the  men  be- 
ing overcome  and  almost  insensible  for  some  time  after  coming 
out  of  the  mine. 

After  a  consultation,  a  fresh  party  of  volunteers  were  sent 
down,  and  when  they  came  back  they  stated  that  they  had 
made  an  important  discovery.  They  said  all  efforts  had  been 
made  to  extinguish  the  fire  in  the  shaft  and  send  in  air,  it  be- 
ing thought  that  the  fire  in  the  furnace  had  been  drawn  out 
by  the  miners  on  the  first  alarm.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  the  furnace  was  full  of  coal  and  burning,  and  that  a  pile 
of  coal  had  just  caught  fire  and  was  blazing.  Consequently 
the  air  sent  down  the  shaft  had  not  only  swept  over  this  fiery 
surface,  but  must  have  carried  the  gas  and  smoke  to  the  inner 
recesses  of  the  mine,  and  caused  the  death  of  every  one  of 
the  unfortunates.  A  change  of  operations  was  to  be  consid- 
ered, and  all  hope  of  getting  to  the  men  that  night  was 
abandoned. 

During  the  night  efforts  were  made  to  extinguish  the  fire 
in  the  furnace  and  beyond  it,  as  nothing  could  be  accomplished 
until  this  was  done.  A  hose  was  let  down  the  shaft,  and  four 
men  descended.  They  were  gone  about  twenty  minutes 
without  being  heard  from,  and  there  was  considerable  anxiety 
for  their  safety.  At  last  they  gave  a  signal,  and  were  brought 
up.  They  could  not  fix  the  hose,  owing  to  the  foul  air,  but 
reported  that  the  fire  appeared  to  be  dying  out. 

The  next  day  another  party  went  down,  although  those 
outside  had  given  up  all  hope  of  seeing  any  of  the  miners 


584  FINDING   THE   FIRST   BODIES. 

alive.  On  the  return  of  the  explorers,  they  reported  the  air 
to  be  less  foul,  and  they  had  arranged  the  hose  so  as  to  throw 
the  water  against  the  roof  at  a  great  pressure,  and  allow  it  to 
fall  on  the  furnace.  Another  visit  was  shortly  made.  The 
fire,  though  still  burning,  was  much  less,  and  the  hose  was 
hoisted  so  as  to  get  at  the  flames.  The  heat  at  this  time  was 
very  great,  and  the  explorers  were  much  fatigued,  and  had 
to  be  brought  up,  one  of  them  being  insensible. 

On  the  next  journey  the  fire  had  still  decreased,  and  while 
the  party  were  down  the  cracking  of  the  roof  of  the  tunnel 
was  heard,  and  part  of  it  fell  from  the  effects  of  the  cooling 
water.  The  noise  of  the  falling  roof  was  heard  outside,  and 
the  party  were  loudly  cheered  as  they  came  up  the  shaft  safe. 

Throughout  the  second  day  efforts  were  made  to  get  at  the 
bodies  of  the  men,  but  this  was  found  impossible  until  the 
fire  and  foul  air  could  be  controlled,  as  the  men  could  not  re- 
main down  the  shaft  for  any  length  of  time.  At  midnight 
of  the  second  day  a  party  went  down  to  throw  more  water 
on  the  fire,  and  reported  that  in  a  few  hours  all  would  be  safe 
for  entering  the  mine. 

At  two  o'clock  on  the  third  morning  the  atmosphere  was 
found  greatly  improved,  and  the  fire  nearly  extinguished. 
The  party  who  went  down  this  time  succeeded  in  getting  to 
the  stables,  and  there  came  upon  the  first  two  bodies  of  those 
known  to  be  below.  When  light  was  procured,  the  bodies 
were  unrecognizable,  their  features  being  blackened  and  dis- 
torted. One  body  was  evidently  that  of  a  middle-aged  man, 
and  the  other  of  a  young  man  about  eighteen.  The  explor- 
ers were  brought  up  the  shaft,  and  made  known  their 
discovery. 

At  once  preparations  were  made  for  sending  down  gang* 
of  men,  four  in  each  gang,  for  the  purpose  of  bringing  up  the 
dead  as  fast  as  they  were  found.  At  half  past  six  A.  M.> 
four  hours  after  the  discovery  of  the  bodies  at  the  stables,  a 
gang  of  men  went  down,  and  remained  about  half  an  hour. 
This  proved  the  successful  visit,  so  far  as  finding  the  bodies 
of  the  dead  miners  was  concerned.  Nearly  the  entire  num- 


HOW   THE  DEAD   MEN  LAY.  585 

ber  of  men  were  found  to  have  fled  to  the  east  side  of  the 
plane.  As  this  gang  came  up,  and  reported  the  rinding  of 
the  bodies,  another  party  went  down,  but  were  hindered  in 
getting  at  the  bodies  by  a  car  packed  around  with  coal,  culm, 
and  clothing,  and  when  this  was  removed  another  obstruction 
appeared. 

One  man  was  found  lying  upon  the  outside,  where  he  had 
been  assisting  to  build  the  wall.  The  wall  was  completed, 
save  a  small  aperture  sufficient  to  admit  a  person.  Appar- 
ently the  man  had  just  finished  his  work,  and  was  crawling 
back  to  his  companions,  when  death  overtook  him.  The 
majority  of  the  miners  were  found  piled  one  upon  another. 

The  first  body  brought  out  caused  great  excitement  among 
those  whose  relatives  and  friends  were  below.  The  counte- 
nance wore  a  placid  look,  and  was  not  much  disfigured.  The 
left  eye  was  partly  open,  and  the  arms  and  legs  were  slightly 
burned. 

The  next  body  had  both  eyes  open,  and  the  head  turned 
aside.  The  next  was  that  of  a  boy,  who  had  gone  down  the 
mine  on  the  morning  of  the  fire  for  the  first  time.  Then 
came  the  body  of  a  man  who  had  evidently  suffered  extreme 
agony,  judging  from  his  countenance.  His  hands  were  firmly 
clinched,  and  in  one  he  tightly  grasped  a  pick.  Another 
body  appeared  to  have  suffered  great  pain.  Two  boys  had 
clasped  their  arms  about  this  body,  and  the  three  proved  to 
be  father  and  sons.  Another  man  was  found  in  a  kneeling 
posture,  as  if  his  dying  moments  were  devoted  to  prayer. 

Some  of  the  men  in  the  fresh  gangs  lost  their  way  on  sev- 
eral occasions,  and  so  a  barrel  of  lime  was  sent  down  to  make 
a  direct  path  to  what  may  be  called  the  dead-house. 

About  four  hundred  yards  from  where  the  most  of  the 
miners  were  discovered,  a  body  was  found  by  itself.  It  was 
resting  upon  the  face,  and  had  apparently  been  thrown  upon 
the  ground.  At  a  little  distance  was  another  body  in  a  simi- 
lar position,  and  this,  too,  had  been  thrown  to  or  had  fallen 
upon  the  ground. 

In  less  than  two  hours  over  sixty  bodies  had  been  taken 


586  GKEEF  OF  THE  SUPwVIVOES. 

out  of  the  mine.  As  they  were  brought  up  the  grief  was  in- 
tense and  heart-rending.  Almost  to  the  last  moment  wives, 
children,  and  relatives  hoped  against  hope ;  but  as  the  bodies 
were  one  by  one  sent  up  the  shaft,  the  hopes  died  away. 
All  around  the  sobs  and  moans  of  mothers  and  wives  broke 
at  intervals  into  piercing  shrieks  and  wails  of  agony  as  the 
bodies  were  recognized.  Many  of  the  men  were  overcome 
with  grief  as  they  saw  the  remains  of  their  comrades,  and 
tears  trickled  down  their  cheeks  from  eyes  unused  to  tears. 
Children  too  young  to  know  their  bereavement  clung  in  mute 
astonishment  to  the  sides  of  their  weeping  mothers,  and 
shrank  from  the  blackened  corpses  in  which  they  were  unable 
to  recognize  the  fathers  who  kissed  them  farewell  on  the 
morning  of  the  fatal  day. 

The  men  who  brought  out  the  bodies  described  the  scene  in 
the  mine  as  best  they  could  through  their  mingled  grief  and 
horror.  Fathers  and  sons,  they  said,  lay  clasped  in  each 
other's  arms.  Some  of  the  dead  were  kneeling ;  some  were 
sitting  hand  in  hand,  as  if  they  had  vowed  to  live  and  die  to- 
gether ;  some  lay  on  the  ground,  as  if  they  had  fallen  while 
fleeing  ;  and  others  lay  as  if  pressing  their  faces  into  the  earth 
in  the  hope  of  extracting  from  it  a  breath  of  pure  air.  Near 
the  embankments  were  the  picks  and  shovels  that  had  been 
used  to  lay  up  the  works  that  should  exclude  the  foul  air. 
In  one  chamber  every  man  had  stripped  off  his  clothing  to 
use  it  in  stopping  the  crevices  of  the  embankments,  and  one 
man  was  in  the  attitude  of  pushing  his  coat  into  a  crevice. 
Apparently  while  he  was  so  employed  the  foul  gas  rushed  in 
and  overcame  him. 

Most  of  the  dead  were  buried  on  a  knoll  overlooking  the 
"Wyoming  Valley.  The  funeral  was  attended  by  many  hun- 
dreds of  people,  and  was  probably  one  of  the  most  impressive 
funerals  ever  seen  in  the  United  States.  Public  subscriptions 
were  opened  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  the  people  every- 
where responded  liberally  to  the  appeal  for  aid.  The  legisla- 
ture of  Pennsylvania  passed  a  law  forbidding  the  exploitation 
of  mines  beyond  a  certain  depth  and  capacity  with  but  one 


NEW  LAW  ABOUT  MINES.  589 

shaft,  and  a  similar  law  was  enacted  in  other  states.  Never 
has  public  attention  in  America  been  so  completely  drawn 
towards  a  mining  accident  as  in  this  instance.  Good  has  come 
out  of  the  terrible  disaster,  and  it  is  to  be  earnestly  hoped 
that  more  good  will  follow. 

The  terrible  calamity  at  Avondale  will  be  long  remembered, 
not  only  in  Pennsylvania,  but  throughout  the  United  States. 
Every  few  months  an  accident  at  some  one  of  the  coal  or 
other  mines  causes  the  interest  in  Avondale  to  be  awakened  ; 
but  happily  there  has  been  no  accident  at  all  approaching  it 
in  loss  of  life. 


IRON  AND  IRON  MINES. 

IRON  AND  ITS  VALUE.  —  ITS  ABUNDANCE,  AND  WHERE  IT  IS  FOUND.  —  A  MOUN- 
TAIN OF  IRON.  —  IRON  MOUNTAIN  AND  PILOT  KNOB.  —  THE  AUTHOR'S  VISIT. 
—  CHASED  BY  GUERRILLAS.  —  A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  —  THE  ANTIQUITY  0F 
IRON.  —  ITS  VALUE  IN  MANIPULATION.  —  IRON  AS  MONEY.  —  INCONVEN- 
IENCE OF  USING  IT.  —  FIRST  IRON  WORKS  IN  AMERICA.  —  DIFFERENCE  BE- 
TWEEN IRON  AND  OTHER  MINES.  —  DIRECT  AND  REVERSE  WORKINGS.  —  A 
PICTURESQUE  SCENE. 

OF  all  the  metals,  iron  is  the  most  useful,  and  is  found  in 
great  abundance  in  many  parts  of  the  globe.  England, 
Sweden,  and  Russia  are  the  most  famous  countries  of  the  old 
world  for  the  production  of  iron,  and  in  the  new  world,  North 
America  has  an  inexhaustible  supply.  Along  the  Atlantic 
coast,  from  the  New  England  States  to  the  Carolinas  and 
Georgia,  there  are  numerous  deposits  of  iron.  On  the  west 
side  of  the  Alleghanies  there  is  an  abundant  supply.  The 
great  centre  of  the  iron  mines  of  that  region  is  at  Pittsburg. 
As  we  go  farther  west,  we  find  most  of  the  states  are  rich  in 
this  mineral,  and  in  Missouri  there  is  a  mountain  composed 
almost  entirely  of  iron.  The  Iron  Mountain  of  Missouri  is  of 
itself  a  great  curiosity. 

It  is  situated  in  Washington  County,  and  is  easily  reached  by 
railway  from  St.  Louis.  Properly  speaking,  it  is  not  a  moun- 
tain, but  a  hill.  Its  elevation  above  the  valleys  around  it  is 
less  than  four  hundred  feet.  It  is  a  low  cone,  with  gently- 
sloping  sides,  and  covered  with  a  forest  of  oak  trees.  The 
soil  where  these  trees  grow  consists  of  peroxide  of  iron,  some 
of  it  being  pulverized,  and  some  of  it  in  small  lumps.  On 
the  sides  of  the  mountain  there  are  loose  lumps  of  ore  scat- 


A  MOUNTAIN   OF  IKON.  591 

tered  about,  and  before  the  workings  began  there  were  large 
masses  of  iron  on  and  near  the  summit,  some  of  them  weigh- 
ing many  tons.  Though  the  character  of  the  mountain  has 
been  known  for  many  years,  no  attempt  was  made  to  work 
this  immense  mass  of  ore  until  1845. 

A  cutting  was  made  in  one  side  of  the  mountain,  and  the 
ore  was  found  to  be  of  excellent  quality.  In  the  valleys 
surrounding  the  mountain  there  is  an  abundance  of  ore,  and 
for  all  practical  purposes  the  iron  mines  of  Missouri  are  in- 
exhaustible. The  ore  contains  nearly  seventy  per  cent,  of 
iron,  though  its  yield,  owing  to  the  manner  of  working,  rarely 
exceeds  sixty  per  cent.  About  six  miles  south  of  Iron  Moun- 
tain is  Pilot  Knob,  which  covers  an  area  of  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  and  is  nearly  six  hundred  feet  high.  It  contains 
great  quantities  of  iron,  but  is  not  as  rich  proportional!}"  as 
the  mountain  which  bears  the  name  of  the  metal. 

About  two  thirds  the  way  up  the  side  of  Pilot  Knob,  there 
is  one  bed  of  ore  about  twenty  feet  thick,  and  estimated  to 
cover  more  than  fifty  acres.  Other  mountains  of  the  same 
character  are  in  the  vicinity,  and  all  that  is  required  to  make 
the  Missouri  iron  mines  the  best  in  the  world  is  the  discovery 
of  a  mountain  or  two  of  coal  suitable  for  reducing  the  ore 
and  refining  the  metal. 

Iron  is  applied  to  a  greater  number  of  purposes,  and  con- 
sumed in  larger  quantities,  than  all  other  metals  combined. 
There  is  no  other  metal  which  increases  so  much  in  value  by 
the  process  of  manipulation  as  this.  A  bar  of  iron  worth  five 
dollars  is  worth  ten  dollars  when  made  into  horse-shoes,  fifty- 
five  dollars  when  made  into  needles,  four  thousand  dollars 
when  made  into  penknife  blades,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  dollars  when  made  into  balance  springs  of  watches. 
•In  the  form  of  wrought  iron  it  is  soft  when  heated.  It  can 
be  hammered  into  any  desired  shape,  rolled  into  plates,  or 
drawn  into  fine  wire.  Plates  can  be  rolled  no  thicker  than  a 
sheet  of  letter  paper.  The  wires  can  be  drawn  so  small  as  to 
be  almost  invisible  to  the  naked  eye.  Combined  with  a  cer- 
tain quantity  of  carbon,  it  can  be  melted  and  cast  into  any 


592  IRON  AS  MONEY. 

desired  shape,  and  with  another  proportion  of  carbon,  it  takes 
the  form  of  steel.  As  before  stated,  it  enters  in  a  thousand 
ways  into  our  daily  life,  and  if  all  the  iron  in  the  world  were 
destroyed,  mankind  would  suffer  greatly. 

The  antiquity  of  iron  is  not  exactly  known,  but  it  is  sup- 
posed that  the  metal  has  been  in  use  more  than  four  thousand 
years.  The  catacombs  of  Thebes  and  the  tombs  around  Mem- 
phis, some  of  them  more  than  four  thousand  years  old,  rep- 
resent butchers  sharpening  their  knives  on  round  bars  of 
metal,  and  the  color  of  the  knife  and  metal  indicates  that  they 
were  of  iron  or  steel.  Homer  has  alluded  to  iron  in  the  poems 
which  have  descended  from  him  to  us.  History  tells  us  that 
the  Spartans  were  required  to  use  this  metal  as  money ; 
probably  it  was  more  valuable  at  that  day  than  now.  If  our 
money  were  made  of  iron  it  would  be  rather  a  serious  matter 
for  a  man  to  carry  cash  enough  about  him  to  make  himself 
comfortable  for  twenty-four  hours.  Imagine  a  New  Yorker, 
starting  on  a  journey  where  there  were  no  banks,  and  he  were 
required  to  carry  a  thousand  dollars  or  so  in  coin.  He  would 
need  a  pair  of  horses  to  transport  enough  for  buying  his  rail- 
way ticket  to  Washington,  and  for  handling  the  loose  change 
required  on  the  road,  he  would  need  the  assistance  of  half  a 
dozen  porters. 

During  the  first  seven  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  the 
manufacture  of  iron  attracted  little  attention.  In  the  early 
part  of  the  eighth  century,  mines  were  opened  in  the  south 
of  Europe,  and  from  there,  in  the  ninth  and  tenth  centuries, 
the  manufacture  of  iron  spread  northward.  Improvements  in 
the  process  of  manufacture  were  steady,  but  slow.  Small  fur- 
naces were  made  by  which  cast  iron  was  produced,  and  after 
them  came  the  invention  of  the  blast  furnace,  which  is  said 
to  have  occurred  about  the  middle  of  the  sixteenth  century. 
Other  improvements  were  made  in  the  following  centuries, 
and  in  the  eighteenth  century  a  blast  was  forced  into  the  fur- 
nace by  means  of  a  steam  engine.  Up  to  1827  the  blast  waa 
cold ;  but  in  that  year  a  Scotch  inventor  patented  a  system 
by  which  hot  air  was  thrown  into  the  furnace,  instead  of  cold. 


IKON  MINING  IN  AMERICA.  593 

The  invention  was  regarded  of  so  much  importance  that  the 
patentee  obtained  damages  of  nearly  a  million  of  dollars  from 
a  single  company  that  had  infringed  upon  his  rights. 

Iron  mining  in  America  belongs  almost  entirely  to  the  pres- 
ent century.  The  existence  of  the  ore  was  known  before  that 
time,  but  very  little  use  was  made  of  it.  A  History  of  Vir- 
ginia says  that  the  settlers  of  that  colony  started  an  iron  work 
on  the  banks  of  the  James  River  in  the  year  1622,  but  be- 
fore anything  was  done,  the  people  were  killed  by  the  Indians, 
and  the  works  were  abandoned  for  more  than  a  hundred  years. 
A  few  forges  and  furnaces  were  set  up  in  various  parts  of 
New  England,  one  of  them  as  early  as  1702. 

In  1717  iron  was  exported  from  Pennsylvania  to  England  ; 
and  a  few  years  later  an  act  of  Parliament  prevented  the 
erection  of  rolling  or  splitting  mills  in  the  American  colonies. 
The  greatest  improvement  in  the  manufacture  of  iron,  in 
America,  is  in  the  use  of  anthracite  coal.  Previous  to  1820, 
iron  was  reduced  by  means  of  charcoal.  About  that  year 
anthracite  coal  was  tried,  and  found  to  be  available ;  and  as 
soon  as  it  came  into  general  use  the  business  of  iron  manu- 
facture progressed  rapidly. 

The  working  of  an  iron  mine  is  very  much  like  working  a 
mine  of  any  other  character.  There  are  shafts,  and  tunnels, 
and  levels,  just  as  in  a  coal  mine.  The  ore  must  be  raised, 
and  the  men  lowered  and  raised,  just  as  in  any  other  mine. 
There  are,  however,  more  open  worked  mines  of  iron  than 
of  coal,  for  the  reason  that  the  veins  of  iron  are  general- 
ly found  nearer  the  surface  than  the  veins  of  the  combus- 
tible mineral.  In  the  Iron  Mountain  of  Missouri,  which 
has  already  been  described,  there  is  no  necessity  for  shafts 
and  levels,  for  the  reason  that  the  mountain  is  a  mass  of  ore, 
and  the  only  working  necessary  is  to  remove  it  in  an  open 
cutting,  just  as  a  bank  of  earth  might  be  removed  in  making 
a  passage  for  a  railway. 

The  only  visit  I  ever  made  to  the  Iron  Mountain  and  Pilot 
Knob  region  was  during  the  war,  when  work  at  the  blast 
furnaces  had  been  suspended.  A  small  party  of  us  climbed 


594  CHASED   BY   GUERRILLAS. 

to  the  summit  of  Pilot  Knob,  and  it  was  not  a  great  climb,  af- 
ter all.  We  found  that  the  mine  consisted  entirely  of  open 
cuttings.  The  ore  was  drawn  away  from  the  cuttings  by 
means  of  small  cars,  running  upon  a  track.  As  the  cuttings 
were  partly  up  the  side  of  the  mountain,  the  loaded  cars  had 
a  downward  grade,  so  that  no  power  was  required  to  move 
them.  Considered  as  mines  with  picturesque  cuttings  and 
underground  scenes,  they  were  a  total  failure. 

We  looked  around  among  them,  and  found  nothing  which 
we  could  call  sensational.  While  we  were  lamenting  the  ab- 
sence of  something  interesting,  a  small  party  of  guerrillas 
made  their  appearance  in  the  valley  below.  They  were  armed, 
and  we  were  not,  and  they  were  more  numerous  than  our- 
selves. They  moved  straight  in  our  direction,  and  we  began 
to  think  that  the  place  might  be  sensational,  after  all.  We 
scattered  among  the  oak  trees,  and  disappeared  as  much  as  it 
was  possible  for  us  to  disappear.  The  guerrillas  evidently 
concluded  that  we  were  not  worth  attacking,  —  and  they 
were  entirely  right  in  this  conclusion,  —  for  they  changed 
their  course,  and  rode  away.  We  immediately  abandoned  our 
researches  among  the  iron  works,  and  returned  to  the  railway 
station,  which  we  considered  a  much  safer  place. 

In  many  metallic  mines  the  operations  are  not  conducted 
exactly  like  those  of  coal  mines,  for  the  reason  that  the  posi- 
tion of  the  veins  and  beds  is  frequently  quite  different.  Some 
of  the  metal  lodes  are  sometimes  perpendicular,  and  general- 
ly have  a  high  inclination  to  the  horizon.  In  such  cases,  the 
system  of  working  is  by  means  of  steps.  Sometimes  these 
steps  are  direct,  or  descending,  and  are  made  by  attacking  the 
ore  from  above.  In  other  cases  the  steps  are  reverse,  or  ascend- 
ing, and  the  ore  is  attacked  from  below.  In  either  case  the 
excavations  are  like  steps  of  stairs.  The  direct  system  is  not 
in  use  in  coal  mines,  because  the  miner  would  be  obliged  to 
stand  upon  the  coal  which  he  had  disengaged ;  but  it  is  fre- 
quently adopted  in  obtaining  metallic  ores,  which  have  to  be 
pulverized  and  dressed  to  make  them  fit  for  the  furnace. 

Where  the  metallic  ores  are  in  very  rich  lodes,  or  thick 


Cr  (L&L 


INTERIOR    OF   AN    IRON   MINE. 


DIFFERENCE   BETWEEN  IRON  AND   OTHEB,  MINES.      597 

masses,  they  are  worked  by  a  system  of  large  chambers,  or 
extensive  excavations.  In  this  system  great  chambers  are 
hollowed  under  the  earth  and  around  the  masses  of  valuable 
ore.  In  the  copper  mine  of  Lake  Superior,  and  in  some  of 
the  Nevada  mines,  this  system  is  frequently  employed,  and 
sometimes  the  uncovering  of  a  large  mass  will  require  con- 
siderable time. 

The  methods  and  apparatus  used  in  the  underground  beds 
and  levels  of  coal  are  equally  applicable  to  iron  and  all  other 
ores.  The  railway  wagons  and  horses  are  the  same  in  the  lev- 
els and  galleries  of  all  kinds  of  mines.  The  workings  are  con- 
ducted upon  the  same  principle ;  the  ventilation  is  afforded  by 
the  same  means,  and  the  surveys  are  accomplished  in  one  case 
the  same  as  in  the  other.  The  arrangements  of  the  shafts  are 
very  much  the  same,  and  the  buildings  at  the  surface  have  a 
family  likeness.  There  is,  however,  more  animation  usually 
about  coal  than  about  metal  mines,  for  the  reason  that  very 
few  metal  mines  furnish  in  the  course  of  a  month  as  much 
weight  of  material  as  some  coal  mines  do  in  a  single  day. 

In  metallic  mines  the  work  is  generally  harder  than  in  coal 
mines,  and  a  great  deal  of  blasting  work  is  required.  The 
drills,  hammers,  and  other  tools  used  are  like  those  used  else- 
where, and  sometimes  the  groups  at  work  are  very  pic- 
turesque. Imagine  three  men  stripped  to  the  waist,  one  of 
them  holding  a  drill  and  the  others  striking  at  alternate  and 
regular  intervals  with  large  hammers.  A  single  lamp  burns 
near  them,  and  makes  a  curious  effect  of  light  and  shade. 
The  perspiring  skins  of  the  men  glisten  beneath  the  rays,  and 
as  they  swing  their  arms  back  and  forth  to  wield  the  heavy 
hammers,  they  have  an  appearance  not  altogether  human.  A 
novice  in  mining,  when  taken  to  the  locality  where  these  men 
are  at  work,  might  easily  be  persuaded  that  he  was  looking 
at  a  group  of  gnomes  and  wizards  engaged  in  some  diabolical 
business. 

In  the  production  of  iron  it  is  generally  found  less  expen- 
sive to  transport  the  ore  to  the  coal  than  to  transport  the  coal 
to  the  ore.     Most  of  the  ores  are  carried  to  points  where  coal 
32 


598  BEFBACTOIiY   OEES. 

can  be  obtained  at  a  cheap  rate ;  and  where  coal  mines  and 
iron  mines  are  found  close  together,  the  production  of  iron 
will  be  most  profitable.  For  example,  the  ores  that  are  ob- 
tained in  Oneida  County,  New  York,  are  transported  to  the 
anthracite  regions  of  Pennsylvania,  to  be  smelted  in  the  great 
furnaces  at  Scranton,  and  the  canal  boats  that  carry  the  ore 
bring  back  coal  for  the  furnaces  near  the  mines.  The  reduc- 
tion of  iron  ore  is  much  more  difficult,  in  most  cases,  than  the 
work  of  obtaining  the  material  from  the  earth.  Sometimes 
the  ore  is  of  such  a  peculiar  character  that  it  will  only  yield 
to  the  hottest  fires,  and  frequently  the  furnaces  are  run  at 
considerable  loss. 


XL. 

EXILES    IN    SIBERIA. 

TOILING  IN  A  SIBERIAN  MINE.  —  A  BAKING  ESCAPE.  —  HOW  IT  WAS  PLANNED.  — 
TUNNELLING  TO  LIBERTY.  —  DISARMING  GUARDS.  —  WORKING  IN  THE  DARK 
AND  WITHOUT  FRESH  AIR.  —  A  MURDEROUS  ATTEMPT.  —  CUSTOMS  OF  THE 
SIBERIAN  PEASANTRY.  —  CARE  FOR  THE  EXILE.  —  A  SURPRISE.  —  A  NARROW 
ESCAPF,  FROM  DEATH.  —  LIVING  IN  A  MOUNTAIN  GLEN.  —  HUNTING  IN  THE 
ALTAI  MOUNTAINS.  —  KILLED  BY  AN  ARGAL.  —  SEPARATION  AND  DEPARTURE. 
—  HOW  TO  OBTAIN  PASSPORTS.  —  SAFE  ARRIVAL  AT  HOME. 

ONE  of  the  mining  regions  of  Siberia  is  in  the  valley 
of  the  Yenesei  River,  and  along  some  of  its  upper  tributaries. 
The  Birusa  River  is  one  of  these  tributaries,  and  many  an 
exile  has  been  sent  there  in  times  past,  to  work  out  the 
sentence  allotted  him.  Most  of  the  mines  are  known  as  sur- 
face washings,  like  the  gulch  mines  of  California,  but  some 
of  the  more  extensive  are  conducted  on  the  tunnelling  prin- 
ciple. Tunnels  are  driven  into  the  hill-sides  where  it  is 
thought  gold  can  be  found,  and  the  earth  is  then  brought  out 
and  washed  in  the  river.  In  one  of  these  mines  some  years 
ago,  there  was  a  daring  and  successful  attempt  to  escape, 
which  was  described  as  below  by  one  of  the  participants. 

"  Occasionally  the  earth  in  the  tunnels  used  to  fall,  in  con- 
sequence of  not  being  properly  secured  ;  but  the  quantity  was 
rarely  very  large,  and  the  result  was  not  serious  except  in  two 
or  three  instances.  We  were  driving  a  tunnel  in  one  of  the 
small  hills  on  the  banks  of  the  Birusa,  and,  as  the  soil  was  of 
a  loose  character,  the  falls  of  earth  were  quite  frequent. 
The  men  worked  in  gangs  of  ten  or  twelve,  under  the  charge 
of  an  armed  overseer;  and  as  each  man  was  in  chains,  and  the 
mouth  of  the  tunnel  was  carefully  guarded,  there  was  no 
expectation  of  an  attempt  at  revolt.  There  were  some  crimi- 


600  DARING  PLAN  FOR  ESCAPE. 

nals  among  us,  but  the  most  of  the  laborers  were  unfortunate 
Poles,  who  had  been  sent  to  Siberia  because  they  wanted 
their  own  country  to  be  free,  and  had  endeavored  to  secure 
her  freedom.  I  was  among  the  latter,  and  had  been  more 
than  a  year  in  the  mines  when  the  incident  I  am  about  to  relate 
occurred.  Not  a  day  had  passed,  during  my  imprisonment, 
when  I  was  not  meditating  some  plan  of  escape. 

"  At  last  I  hit  upon  something  which  I  considered  feasible, 
and  mentioned  it  to  one  of  my  companions.  He  agreed  to  it, 
and  we  gradually  broached  it  to  the  rest  of  the  men  in  our 
gang.  Some  of  them  hesitated  at  first,  but  they  soon  entered 
into  it,  and  we  made  our  arrangements. 

"  The  hill  was  small,  and  I  had  discovered  a  sort  of  ravine 
or  valley  running  along  and  into  one  side.  I  understood 
surveying  pretty  well,  and  calculated  that  the  tunnel  at  one 
point  was  not  more  than  twenty  feet  from  this  ravine.  The 
prison  where  we  were  kept  when  not  working  was  some  dis- 
tance from  the  hill,  and  the  guards  were  so  placed,  that  if  we 
could  get  from  the  tunnel  into  this  ravine,  we  could  escape. 
My  plan  was  to  have  a  fall  of  earth  in  the  tunnel  near  the 
entrance,  and  to  dig  a  passage  into  the  ravine  while  the  dirt 
was  being  removed  from  the  place  where  it  had  fallen.  I 
took  a  lesson  from  ground  squirrels  and  other  burrowing 
animals,  and  intended  to  fill  the  tunnel  with  the  dirt  we 
removed,  so  as  to  keep  our  pursuers,  or  rather  our  rescuers, 
busy  as  long  as  possible.  We  managed  to  secrete  an  extra  , 
lot  of  candles,  and  also  to  conceal  two  days'  supply  of  pro- 
visions. We  then  communicated  our  plans  to  the  gang  that 
relieved  us  at  sunset,  and  they  agreed  to  join  us. 

"  On  the  evening  fixed  for  our  attempt,  the  relief  gang  was 
marched  into  the  tunnel,  and  we  were  ordered  to  quit  work. 
At  a  given  signal  we  seized  and  disarmed  our  guards,  and 
then  bound  them  securely,  putting  gags  in  their  mouths  to 
prevent  their  giving  any  alarm.  I  then  went  to  the  place  I 
had  selected  for  the  fall  of  earth,  and  pulled  away  the  wooden 
supports.  Down  came  the  earth  in  such  quantity  as  to  block 
up  the  entrance,  and  cut  us  off  completely  from  the  outer 


CONFINED   IN  A  HOT   ATMOSPHERE.  601 

world.     There  we  were   enclosed  in  the  tunnel,  with  many- 
tons  of  gravel  to  be  taken  away  before  we  could  get  out. 

"  We  knew  that  we  should  soon  be  missed  ;  in  fact,  it  was 
more  than  probable  that  the  guards  at  the  mouth  of  the  tun- 
nel would  hear  the  noise  of  the  fall,  and  give  the  alarm  at 
once.  Of  course  it  would  be  believed  that  the  occurrence 
was  purely  accidental,  and  that  we  would  set  at  work  at  our 
end  of  the  heap  to  make  our  way  out.  I  had  carefully  noted 
the  spot  where  I  intended  to  begin  my  tunnel,  which  should 
lead  us  to  the  open  air,  and  to  freedom. 

"  Part  of  the  men  began  digging  at  the  place  I  indicated ; 
others  carried  the  dirt,  which  was  taken  out,  to  the  heap 
which  formed  our  barricade.  Two  or  three  men  were  kept 
at  the  barricade  making  a  great  noise  with  pounding  on  the 
fallen  timbers  and  pretending  to  shovel  away  the  dirt.  Our 
object  in  doing  this  was  twofold  j  first,  to  drown  the  noise 
of  our  work  on  our  new  tunnel,  and,  secondly,  to  make  it  appear 
that  we  were  as  anxious  to  get  out,  and  were  as  diligent  in 
our  efforts,  as  were  those  outside  to  help  us.  My  calculations 
were,  that  we  could  get  outside  in  about  eight  hours,  as  the 
earth  was  not  very  hard,  and  we  were  only  making  a  narrow 
tunnel  through  which  we  could  just  pass  by  stooping. 

"  The  men  worked  with  a  will,  for  life  and  liberty  were  at 
stake.  We  relieved  each  other  every  half  hour,  and  never 
did  men  do  more  active  service.  The  perspiration  rolled 
from  us  in  streams,  for  the  air  was  hot  and  close,  and  I  had 
not  calculated  in  how  short  a  time  the  confined  atmosphere 
of  our  cavern  would  become  foul  with  our  breath,  and  with 
the  heat  of  the  candles.  We  extinguished  all  our  lights 
except  those  where  the  men  were  employed,  and  those  who 
could  do  nothing  towards  our  enterprise  sat  in  the  gloom  and 
were  silent  for  the  most  part.  We  talked  in  low  tones, 
through  fear  of  being  overheard  by  those  who  had  been  our 
guards,  of  our  movements  after  we  should  escape  from  our 
confinement.  Gradually  the  men  ceased  to  speak,  and  some 
of  them  dropped  their  heads  forward  in  sleep.  As  I  had 
planned  the  escape,  I  was  looked  upon  as  the  leader.  I  had 


602  SAVAGE  PROPOSAL   OP  A   CRIMINAL. 

too  much  responsibility  upon  me  to  allow  me  to  sleep.  I  felt 
drowsy,  however,  and  seemed  to  be  falling  into  a  sort  of 
stupor,  like  my  comrades.  I  knew  that  my  feelings  and  theirs 
were  caused  by  the  heavy  atmosphere,  and  longed  most 
anxiously  to  reach  the  open  air. 

"  Eight  hours  had  passed,  and  there  were  no  signs  of  an  end 
to  our  labors.  The  candles  were  burning  dim,  and  threatened 
to  go  out  speedily  for  want  of  oxygen  to  sustain  them. 

"  Two  of  our  number  were  criminals,  and  not,  like  the  rest 
of  us,  political  prisoners.  One  of  the  criminals  proposed  to 
kill  our  guards,  so  that  they  could  give  no  information  about 
us ;  but  we  refused  to  consider  his  proposition.  He  was  a 
bloodthirsty  wretch,  who  had  been  exiled  for  attempting  to 
kill  a  companion  while  in  a  dispute  over  a  glass  of  vodki. 
But  he  seemed  so  determined  to  murder  the  guards,  that 
we  concluded  he  might  prove  treacherous  to  us,  and  so 
we  watched  him  closely.  He  tried  by  stealth  to  kill  one 
of  them,  and  I  then  thought  he  deserved  no  more  forbear- 
ance from  us.  We  bound  him  hand  and  foot,  determining  to 
take  him  with  us  a  day  or  two,  so  that  he  could  not  give 
information  about  us,  and  then  leave  him  to  take  care  of 
himself. 

"  Just  as  the  candles  were  flickering,  and  we  were  almost 
suffocated  with  the  foul  air,  one  of  the  men  at  work  in  the 
tunnel  rushed  from  his  place,  and  said,  half  shouting,  and  at 
the  same  time  half  whispering,  — 

«  '  We're  through  !     We're  through  ! ' 

"I  went  forward,  and  sure  enough,  there  was  a  small  aper- 
ture through  which  the  dawning  day  was  just  visible.  In  a 
few  moments  the  aperture  was  enlarged  so  that  a  man's  body 
could  pass  to  the  outer  air.  The  cool,  clear  atmosphere  was 
refreshing  in  the  extreme,  and  the  shock  of  the  change  was 
so  great  that  I  almost  fainted  as  I  began  to  breathe  freely. 
Day  was  breaking,  and  no  time  was  to  be  lost.  We  could 
hear  the  men  at  work  removing  the  fallen  debris,  and  it  was 
evident  that  they  had  not  yet  discovered  our  plans,  or  sus- 
pected that  we  were  trying  to  escape.  We  had  few  prepara- 


OUT  IN  THE   OPEN  AIR.  603 

tions  to  make,  and  in  five  minutes  after  the  opening  had  been 
sufficiently  enlarged,  we  crept  through  it,  and  were  out  of  our 
temporary  tomb. 

"  We  crouched  close  to  the  earth,  as  a  part  of  the  ravine  was 
visible  from  the  prison,  and  there  were  fears  that  some  of  the 
guards  might  discover  us.  We  left  our  chains  where  we  had 
thrown  them  off,  in  the  tunnel,  and  fresh  strength  seemed  to 
be  added  to  our  limbs,  as  we  moved  without  restraint,  and  in- 
haled no  longer  the  hot  air  of  our  place  of  labor.  The  mur- 
derer endangered  us  by  rising  to  his  feet,  and  standing  at  full 
length  in  an  exposed  part  of  our  pathway.  I  was  just  behind 
him,  and  carried  one  of  the  guns  wrested  from  our  guards.  I 
gave  the  scoundrel  a  punch  with  the  bayonet,  and  quickly 
brought  him  to  the  ground.  I  threatened  to  kill  him  on  the 
spot,  but  he  promised  good  behavior  in  the  future,  and  I  al- 
lowed him  to  live. 

"  From  the  ravine  we  managed  to  get  into  a  small  forest, 
without,  as  we  thought,  being  seen  by  any  one.  In  the  forest 
we  could  walk  erect,  but  we  had  great  fears  of  meeting  some 
one  of  the  soldiers  who  belonged  to  the  station,  and  might  be 
astir  to  select  wood  for  cutting.  We  pushed  along,  and  luck- 
ily encountered  no  one ;  and  by  the  time  the  sun  was  up,  we 
were  more  than  a  mile  from  the  place  where  we  had  dug  our 
way  to  freedom.  We  walked  in  silence,  stopping  now  and 
then  to  look  around  in  all  directions.  We  had  nearly  as  much 
fear  of  meeting  any  one  as  we  had  of  being  pursued,  since 
an  encounter  with  a  soldier  or  Cossack  would  give  the  alarm 
of  our  flight,  and  pursuit  would  then  be  a  question  of  only  a 
few  hours  at  farthest. 

"  Two  miles  or  more  from  the  station,  we  reached  the  house 
of  a  peasant,  or  rather  the  edge  of  the  clearing  where  he  was 
settled.  We  dared  not  approach  the  house  ;  but  we  knew 
that  we  should  find  means  to  save  the  provisions  we  carried, 
as  there  was  pretty  sure  to  be  a  turnip-patch  in  its  vicinity, 
where  we  could  help  ourselves.  The  Siberian  peasants  show 
great  kindness  to  escaping  exiles.  They  never  speak  of  them 
as  exiles  or  prisoners,  but  as  '  chasti  ludij  or  *  unfortunates/ 


604  KINDNESS   OF  SIBERIAN   PEASANTS. 

Frequently  they  put  loaves  of  bread  outside  their  windows, 
in  such  position  that  they  cannot  be  stolen  by  dogs,  though 
easily  taken  by  men.  A  hungry  fugitive  can  thus  help  him- 
self without  fear  of  detection ;  and  when  the  peasant  rises  in 
the  morning,  and  finds  the  bread  gone,  he  crosses  himself  de- 
voutly, and  breathes  a  prayer  for  the  successful  journey  of  the 
fugitive.  '  God  will  help  him/  he  says,  '  and  speed  him  on 
to  safety/  Frequently  they  plant  patches  of  turnips  at  a 
little  distance  from  their  houses ;  and  these  turnip-patches  are 
specially  consecrated  to  feeding  the  unfortunates.  And  if  no 
special  field  is  set  apart  for  his  use,  the  exile  knows  that  he 
can  help  himself  to  whatever  vegetables  will  satisfy  his  hun- 
ger, and  the  owner  will  make  no  complaint. 

"  We  found  a  small  garden,  where  turnips  and  other  vegeta- 
bles were  growing,  and  we  did  not  hesitate  to  take  what  we 
wanted.  A  man  came  from  the  house,  and  I  think  he  saw 
what  was  going  on ;  but  he  pretended  the  most  perfect  indif- 
ference, and  walked  back  again.  Only  two  of  us  entered  the 
garden;  the  rest  remained  in  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and 
waited  for  the  two  to  gather  what  was  needed  for  all.  After 
taking  a  couple  of  turnips  for  each  man,  we  moved  away,  and 
travelled  in  a  westerly  direction  a  little  distance  from  the  val- 
ley of  the  river.  And  now  we  began  to  debate  about  the 
best  plan  for  our  future  action.  How  should  we  travel? 
Should  we  separate  ?  And,  if  so,  into  how  many  parties  ? 
And  what  direction  should  we  take  ?  These  were  the  ques- 
tions that  troubled  us. 

"  The  Siberians  have  a  proverb, '  He  who  runs  away  has  but 
one  road;  he  who  pursues  has  ten.'  Several  hours  must 
elapse  before  our  flight  would  be  discovered,  and  when  it  was 
known,  it  would  take  some  time  to  find  where  we  had  gone. 
But  we  were  three  thousand  miles  from  Poland,  and  all  ex- 
cept the  two  Russian  criminals  spoke  Russian  so  poorly  that 
we  could  not  disguise  ourselves  effectually.  All  along  this 
road  there  were  military  posts  and  soldiers,  and  in  the  towns 
we  should  be  likely  to  pass  there  were  the  local  police.  Our 
number  was  so  large  that  it  would  excite  suspicion  at  the  very 


PLANS   OF  ACTION.  605 

first  station  we  passed ;  and  the  probabilities  were,  that  if  we 
kept  together,  and  attempted  to  travel  on  the  great  road,  we 
should  all  be  retaken  within  three  days.  Plainly,  this  was 
not  our  proper  course. 

"  We  held  a  consultation,  and  each  man  was  told  to  advance 
his  views. 

"  One  plan  which  was  offered  was,  that  we  should  keep  to- 
gether, and  push  southward  into  the  Altai  Mountains,  trust- 
ing to  subsist  on  fish  caught  from  the  streams,  and  on  whatever 
game  we  could  kill  with  our  guns.  The  mountains  are  quite 
unsettled,  and  game  is  abundant ;  so  that  the  plan  was  a  good 
one,  so  far  as  existence  went,  provided  we  could  make  our 
ammunition  hold  out.  But  we  had  only  ten  charges  for  each 
gun,  and  these  would  soon  be  exhausted.  We  might  set 
traps,  and  catch  game  in  them ;  but  this  would  involve  delay, 
and  render  our  progress  very  slow.  South  of  the  Altai  Moun- 
tains we  should  be  out  of  Russian  territory,  and  among  the 
wild  Kirghese  and  Tartar  tribes.  Among  these  we  could 
travel  westward  till  we  reached  the  Caspian  Sea.  Crossing 
that  body  of  water,  we  should  be  in  Circassia,  and  might  have 
reasonable  hopes,  if  we  reached  it  in  safety,  of  ultimately  see- 
ing our  homes.  But  the  way  was  long  and  dangerous ;  the 
Tartars  are  treacherous,  and  might  convert  us  into  slaves,  or 
sell  us  back  into  Russian  hands.  After  a  brief  debate  it  was 
decided  not  fo  adopt  this  course. 

"  Another  plan  was  to  break  into  parties  of  two  or  four,  and 
attempt  to  travel  by  night,  while  lying  concealed  during  the 
day.  We  had  almost  resolved  upon  this,  when  I  thought  of  a 
feasible  scheme,  which  I  proposed.  It  met  a  ready  concur- 
rence, and  was  at  once  adopted. 

" '  All  roads  will  be  watched,'  I  said ;  '  and  if  we  break  into 
parties,  and  move  on  at  once,  some  of  us  will  be  caught.  Let 
us  move  south  into  the  mountains,  and  find  a  place  where  we 
can  pass  the  winter.  We  can  trap  game  enough  for  our  win- 
ter support,  and  can  make  a  tolerable  shelter  by  piling  up 
stones,  and  roofing  them  over  with  trees.  We  will  keep  to- 
gether till  spring,  and  can  find  a  secluded  place  where  we 


606  CONTINUING  THE  JOURNEY. 

shall  not  be  liable  to  be  discovered.  We  have  no  passports, 
and  cannot  travel  without  them ;  and  my  scheme  includes  an 
arrangement  for  getting  them.  In  the  spring  we  will  leave 
our  hiding-place,  and  break  up  into  parties  of  three.  Our 
beards  will  have  grown  out  by  that  time,  so  that  we  shall  not 
be  recognized  as  prisoners,  and  our  hair  will  be  long  enough 
to  cut  in  the  Russian  style.  Then  we  can  go  to  the  private 
mines,  and  hire  out  as  laborers  during  the  summer,  and  by  the 
end  of  summer  we  shall  be  able  to  travel  without  much  fear 
of  detection.  We  can  pretend  to  having  lost  our  passports, 
and  the  certificate  of  our  discharge  from  the  mine  where  we 
were  employed  will  be  sufficient  for  us  until  we  get  out  of 
the  province.  After  that  we  can  get  along  somehow ;  at  all 
events  we  can  stay  a  couple  of  years  in  the  mines,  and  then 
obtain  papers  that  will  carry  us  in  comparative  safety  where 
we  want  to  go.  It  may  take  us  two  or  three  years  to  reach 
Poland,  but  we  shall  certainly  be  better  off  than  by  running 
the  risk  of  recapture/ 

"  When  our  plan  was  settled,  we  all  knelt  and  prayed  for 
success.  We  observed  the  direction  of  the  sun,  and  travelled 
towards  the  south,  keeping  well  away  from  the  river  valley, 
where  we  could  see  the  only  settlements  which  the  region 
contains.  We  made  good  speed  that  day,  and  halted  at  night 
in  a  little  glen  surrounded  by  high  rocks,  and  affording  an 
excellent  place  for  concealment.  From  a  small  stream  near 
by  we  caught  a  few  fish,  and  as  each  man  had  carefully 
preserved  the  provisions  brought  from  the  station,  and  eaten 
nothing  but  the  two  turnips  obtained  in  the  morning,  we  had 
no  immediate  fear  of  starvation. 

"  Early  in  the  morning  we  continued  our  journey.  No  in, 
cident  of  importance  occurred  during  the  day,  and  at  night 
we  halted  in  a  place  much  like  the  one  where  we  had  last 
slept. 

"  On  the  third  day  we  saw  mountains  in  the  distance,  and 
knew  that  they  were  some  of  the  peaks  of  the  outlying  chain 
of  the  Altai  range ;  but  they  were  a  long  distance  away,  and 
seemed  to  recede  as  we  approached  them.  We  pressed  for- 


DISCOVERED  BY  A  TRAVELLER.  607 

ward  as  fast  as  possible,  though  some  of  us  were  in  danger  of 
falling  through  exhaustion.  Our  feet  were  sore,  as  we  had 
long  been  unused  to  travel,  and  on  the  fourth  night  we  con- 
cluded to  rest  a  day  or  two  to  gather  strength.  We  dared 
not  light  a  fire  through  fear  of  discovery,  and  so  we  passed 
the  cool  hours  between  sunset  and  sunrise  closely  huddled 
together,  and  shivering  till  our  teeth  chattered  with  pain.  We 
made  rude  beds  of  boughs,  and  slept  on  them  as  best  we  could ; 
but  our  sufferings  were  so  severe  that  we  shuddered  at 
thought  of  the  winter  that  was  coming,  and  more  than  once 
several  of  us  wished  we  were  back  again  in  prison.  The  day 
of  our  halt  was  passed  in  sleep,  two  of  our  number  being  kept 
at  watch,  to  warn  us  of  the  approach  of  any  one  who  might 
discover  us. 

"  Towards  evening  a  man  was  seen  approaching  our  retreat. 
The  murderer  convict,  whom  I  will  call  Egar,  was  on  the 
watch  at  the  time,  and  with  him  was  one  of  my  compatriots. 
A  low  whistle  from  Egar  warned  us,  and  we  all  sprang  to  our 
feet.  I  hoped  the  man  would  pass  without  seeing  us,  and 
consequently  we  would  not  have  occasion  to  harm  him ;  but 
fate  willed  it  otherwise.  He  came  directly  towards  our  re- 
treat :  had  he  stopped,  and  turned  back,  when  within  twenty 
feet,  he  might  have  escaped,  as  we  stood  among  the  rocks  in 
such  a  way  that  only  a  near  view  would  reveal  us.  As  he 
passed  the  spot  were  Egar  was  crouching  behind  a  rock,  the 
latter  sprang  forward  and  seized  the  stranger  by  the  throat. 
There  was  a  struggle,  in  which  both  fell,  and  we  rushed  to 
the  assistance  of  our  companion.  Egar  seized  a  stone,  and 
was  about  crushing  the  head  of  his  antagonist,  when  the  other 
watchman  seized  his  arm. 

"  '  Let  me  kill  him  ;  let  me  kill  him/  screamed  Egar. 

"  The  other  held  him,  and  in  a  moment  all  of  us  were  at  his 
side. 

" '  No  blood  :  no  blood/  was  our  united  demand  ;  l  or,  at 
least/  said  I,  '  let  us  do  no  murder.  If  the  man  must  die  for 
having  found  us,  let  us  give  him  a  little  time  for  preparation/ 

"  We  released  the  stranger  from  the  hands  of  Egar,  and 


608  MUTUAL   ASTONISHMENT. 

assisted  him  to  his  feet.  He  was  half  stunned,  and  I  saw  that 
he  was  greatly  frightened,  as  indeed  he  had  reason  to  be. 

" '  I  give  myself  up/  he  said,  as  soon  as  he  could  speak 

"  '  Where  are  you  from  ? '  I  asked. 

"'From  the  Petrovsky  mine/  he  replied. 

"  '  When  did  you  leave  it  ? ' 

" '  Three  weeks  ago.' 

" '  Where  have  you  been  during  that  time  ? ' 

tl '  Hiding  in  the  forest,  and  among  the  rocks  ;  but  take  me 
back,  and  I  will  not  resist.' 

"  '  Well,  come  along/  I  said,  in  a  tone  of  authority  ;  and  we 
led  him  to  the  place  we  had  just  left. 

"Two  of  us  held  the  muskets  over  our  prisoner,  while  I 
questioned  him  closely,  and  found  that  he  was,  like  ourselves, 
escaping  from  captivity.  When  fully  satisfied  of  the  truth  of 
his  story,  I  nodded  to.  my  companions,  and  told  him  our  true 
character. 

"  He  opened  his  eyes  in  astonishment,  and  then  fell  on  his 
knees,  to  thank  Heaven  that  he  was  yet  free.  Of  course  he 
was  added  to  our  party,  though  Egar  urged  that  it  was  the 
safest  plan  to  put  him  to  death,  and  thus  prevent  the  possi- 
bility of  his  escaping  and  giving  information  of  our  movements. 

"  But  all  the  rest  were  opposed  to  such  a  bloody  deed,  as 
we  shrunk  from  killing  a  fellow-being,  and  besides,  were  sat- 
isfied  that  the  man  told  the  truth. 

"  In  the  morning  we  changed  our  position  to  a  more  secluded 
spot,  as  we  naturally  thought  there  was  danger  that  others 
might  wander  in  the  same  direction  as  the  new  comer.  We 
rested  the  entire  day,  and  were  sufficiently  recovered  to  push 
on.  Just  as  we  were  about  starting,  our  lookout  saw,  in  the 
early  light,  a  couple  of  horsemen  riding  up  the  valley.  They 
were  followed  by  two  other  horsemen  at  a  short  distance,  and 
we  naturally  concluded  that  they  were  pursuing  us.  So  we 
remained  concealed,  and,  four  or  five  hours  later,  we  saw  the 
men  returning,  as  if  they  had  abandoned  the  search.  I  say, 
we  saw  them,  but,  in  fact,  only  one  of  our  number  did  so,  as 
the  rest  lay  concealed  among  the  rocks.  As  soon  as  they 


HOW  THE  WANDERERS  LIVED.  609 

were  out  of  sight,  we  moved  forward,  and  made  a  good  day's 
progress,  notwithstanding  the  loss  of  the  morning  hours. 

"  We  were  in  a  wild  country,  where  settlements  were  few, 
and  none  of  them  extended  beyond  the  valley  of  the  river. 
We  dared  not  approach  any  of  these  for  fear  of  giving  indica- 
tions of  our  whereabouts ;  we  could  trust  the  peasants  in  most 
instances,  but  of  course  there  might  be,  now  and  then,  one 
who  would  betray  us.  Some  of  the  settlers  in  this  region  are 
Cossacks,  and  these  have  not  usually  any  sympathy  with  the 
exiles,  but  would  capture  or  kill  them  with  little  compunc- 
tion. •'  Shoot  a  rabbit,  and  you  get  his  skin/  says  a  Cossack 
proverb  ;  <  but  shoot  a  varnak  (vagabond),  and  you  get  skin, 
pelisse,  and  overcoat/ 

"  We  lived  upon  fish  from  the  small  streams,  upon  edible 
roots  which  we  found  occasionally,  and  upon  the  remnants  of 
our  provisions  brought  from  the  mine.  We  resorted,  in  a  few 
instances,  to  theft,  at  the  suggestion  of  Egar  and  the  man  he 
had  captured.  A  strange  sort  of  friendship  sprang  up  between 
them,  and  they  went  together  on  several  enterprises  for  our 
common  support.  At  night  they  would  descend  to  a  farm, 
whenever  one  was  within  reach,  and  would  generally  manage 
to  bring  away  a  lamb  or  pig,  which  would  be  immediately 
killed  and  cooked.  We  made  fires  at  night  only,  and  always 
in  such  a  way  that  the  light  was  not  visible  for  any  distance ; 
but  this  mode  of  supply  was  precarious,  and  whenever  we 
obtained  anything  by  it  we  were  careful  to  preserve  our  pro- 
visions as  long  as  possible. 

"  Among  the  outlying  hills  of  the  Altai  we  left  the  settle- 
ments altogether,  and  depended  entirely  upon  our  own  re- 
sources. Now  and  then  there  were  villages  or  encampments 
of  the  Tartar  inhabitants  of  the  region,  but  we  avoided  them 
altogether,  though  occasionally  stealing  a  sheep  from  them. 
These  Tartars  have  large  flocks  of  sheep,  and  are  not  very 
watchful  of  them  ;  so  that  a  theft  was  comparatively  easy,  with 
the  exception  of  the  danger  of  discovery  by  the  dogs,  which 
are  always  kept  around  an  encampment.  Several  times  Egar 
returned  empty-handed  from  his  expedition,  and  severely 


610  KILLED   AMONG  THE  EOCKS. 

anathematized  the  dogs  for  interfering  with  what  he  con- 
sidered a  legitimate  pursuit. 

"  With  many  hardships,  but  with  no  adventures  of  impor- 
tance, we  reached  a  sheltered  place  in  the  mountains,  where  we 
thought  we  would  be  safe  from  pursuit,  and  established  our- 
selves for  the  winter.  We  found  a  glen  containing  a  grove  of 
larches  and  firs,  and  on  three  sides  the  rocks  were  precipitous 
and  overhanging.  The  entrance  was  narrow,  and  could  be 
easily  defended,  and  in  one  place  there  was  an  opening  in  the 
rocks  which  we  could  easily  roof  over  to  form  a  house.  The 
glen  wras  full  of  hares  and  other  small  animals  ;  Egar  and  his 
new  friend  were  skilful  in  constructing  traps,  and  we  at  once 
set  at  work  to  lay  in  a  supply  of  food.  Egar,  in  one  of  his  expe- 
ditions in  search  of  sheep,  had  stolen  an  axe,  which  proved  of 
great  service  to  us  in  many  ways.  We  made  a  comfortable 
shelter,  where  we  could  live ;  our  beds  were  of  boughs  cut 
from  the  trees,  and  we' soon  gathered  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
skins  from  the  animals  we  caught  to  make  a  good  supply  of 
coverlets  and  winter  clothing.  We  desired  to  save  our  ordi- 
nary clothing  for  future  use.  The  suits  we  wore  in  prison 
were  the  common  garments  of  the  peasantry,  and  the  only 
mark  to  indicate  our  character  was  a  number  sewed  upon  the 
right  shoulder.  This  we  had  carefully  removed,  so  that  we 
could  readily  pass  for  peasants. 

"  The  winter  came  on,  and  proved  of  unusual  mildness.  The 
snows  were  light,  and  we  were  well  sheltered,  so  that  we  did 
not  suffer.  We  trapped  game,  and  hunted  occasionally  among 
the  hills,  but  were  very  careful  of  our  ammunition,  so  that  we 
relied  almost  entirely  upon  our  traps.  On  several  occasions 
we  ran  down  the  argal,  or  mountain  sheep,  and  frightened 
them  into  attempting  to  jump  a  ravine  too  wide  for  their 
strength.  They  fell  upon  the  rocks,  and  were  killed  by  the 
force  of  the  fall.  But  we  found  this  mode  of  hunting  very 
dangerous,  and  once  it  resulted  fatally.  Serge  Ponitsky,  one 
of  my  countrymen,  was  pursuing  an  argal  over  the  rocks,  and 
half  a  dozen  others  of  our  party  were  shouting  to  the  animal 
in  order  that  he  might  keep  in  the  desired  direction.  Serge 


A  SAD   SEPARATION.  611 

was  close  upon  the  argal,  and  in  his  excitement  did  not  ob- 
serve that  he  was  near  the  edge  of  a  high  cliff.  Suddenly 
the  brute  stopped,  and  wheeled  around.  Serge  waved  his 
cap  to  make  him  continue  in  the  way  he  ought  to  go,  but  he 
had  made  up  his  mind  not  to  keep  on.  Serge  then  seized  him 
by  the  horns,  —  not  thinking  of  the  great  strength  of  the 
animal,  —  and  the  two  struggled  for  a  few  moments;  in  their 
struggles  they  went  near  the  edge  of  the  precipice,  and  sud- 
denly rolled  over  it. 

"  We  scrambled  to  the  foot  of  the  cliff  as  soon  as  possible, 
our  hearts  full  of  fear  for  the  result.  We  found  the  argal 
dead,  and  Serge  lying  upon  him.  Both  his  legs  were  broken, 
several  of  his  ribs  were  crushed,  and  as  I  bent  over  and  took 
his  hand,  I  heard  him  faintly  pronounce  the  words  :  home  y 
and '  Poland.'  He  then  became  unconscious,  and  five  minutes 
later  he  was  dead. 

"  We  buried  him  near  our  camping-place,  covering  the  grave 
with  heavy  stones,  and  erecting  a  cross  above  it.  The  event 
cast  a  gloom  over  our  party,  and  for  several  days  no  one 
cared  to  venture  into  the  mountains.  After  this  accident  we 
were  more  cautious,  and  nothing  of  a  serious  nature  occurred 
during  the  rest  of  the  winter. 

"  In  the  spring  we  divided  into  twos  and  threes,  as  previ- 
ously arranged,  and  left  our  camp.  We  drew  lots  to  settle  the 
order  of  departure,  as  it  was  arranged  that  the  divisions 
should  start  at  least  two  days  apart,  so  that  there  would  be 
little  risk  of  their  encountering  each  other,  and  attracting 
attention  by  their  numbers.  Our  parting  was  tearful,  as  we 
had  been  endeared  to  each  other  by  our  mutual  experience  of 
peril,  and  it  was  certain  that  we  should  never  again  be  united. 
My  lot  fell  to  the  third  division,  and  though  I  live  a  thousand 
years  I  shall  never  forget  the  morning  when  I  embraced 
those  I  was  leaving  behind  me,  and  set  out  to  encounter  dan- 
gers that  I  could  not  foresee.  Silently  with  my  two  com- 
panions I  left  the  camp,  and  for  more  than  two  hours  neither 
of  us  could  utter  a  word. 

"We  travelled  on  and  on  to  the  settlements  on  the  Yenesei, 


612  HOME   AT   LAST. 

subsisting  as  we  had  subsisted  at  the  time  of  our  escape.  At 
one  of  the  private  mines  we  obtained  work  during  the  sum- 
mer ;  laborers  were  scarce,  and  the  proprietors  were  quite 
willing  to  engage  us  without  asking  any  questions  that  might 
annoy  us. 

"  At  the  end  of  the  summer  we  were  paid  off.  A  few  days 
before  our  payment  we  managed  to  drop  some  worthless 
papers  into  a  fire  where  several  men,  among  them  one  of  the 
superintendents,  could  see  us.  We  pretended  to  be  in  great 
distress,  that  the  papers  were  our  passports,  and  that  we  had 
nothing  else  for  our  protection.  The  chief  of  the  mine  conse- 
quently made  certificates  to  the  loss  of  our  papers  by  accident, 
and  the  certificates  were  sufficient  for  our  protection.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  and  early  spring,  we  managed  to  travel  to  the 
Ural  Mountains,  where  we  again  hired  out  for  the  summer. 
In  this  way  we  obtained  money  enough  to  take  us  to  Poland, 
where  we  arrived  three  years  after  the  date  of  our  escape. 

"  What  became  of  the  rest  of  our  party  I  have  never  posi- 
tively known.  Two  of  them  have  reached  Poland,  as  I  am  in- 
formed; and  I  have  heard  vague  rumors  that  some  of  the 
others  were  captured,  and  returned  to  the  servitude  from 
which  they  had  escaped.  But  no  direct  tidings  from  any  of 
them  have  ever  reached  me." 


XLL 

LEAD  MINES  OF  IOWA. 

BLUFFS  AT  DTTBUQUE,  IOWA.  —  THE  LEAD  MINES.  — HOW  LEAD  IS  FOUND  THE2E. 
—  INDIAN  DISCOVERIES.  —  HOW  THE  SECRET  BECAME  KNOWN.  —  STORY  OF 
THE  SIX  INDIANS.  —  FOLLOWING  THEIR  TRACKS.  —  AN  INDIAN  TRAITOR.  — 

AN  EXPLORER'S  ADVENTURE.  —  THE  INDIAN  GUIDE  AND  THE  GREAT  SPIRIT.  — 
MURDER  OF  TWO  EXPLORERS.  —  USES  OF  ABANDONED  SHAFTS  AND  CAVES.  — 
AN  EDITOR'S  DISCOVERY.  —  AN  UNDERGROUND  BANQUET.  —  UPS  AND  DOWNS 
OF  A  LEAD  MINER.  — DEATH  OR  A  FORTUNE. — A  DANGEROUS  BLOW. — A 
MINUTE  OF  GREAT  PERIL. 

ON  the  Upper  Mississippi,  in  the  vicinity  of  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
there  are  many  lead  mines,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  these  mines 
the  bluffs  contain  numerous  caverns,  rarely  of  great  extent. 
Sometimes  these  caverns  are  in  the  form  of  a  succession  of 
chambers  extending  and  opening  into  one  another;  and  in 
these  chambers  rich  deposits  of  ore  are  found.  Several  years 
ago  the  author  visited  Dubuque  and  the  region  around  it,  and 
was  kindly  escorted  by  one  of  the  citizens,  Mr.  Henry  W. 
Pettit,  in  an  examination  of  the  natural  and  artificial  curiosi- 
ties of  the  place.  We  had  a  wearying  tramp,  and  returned  to 
the  hotel  covered  with  dust,  accumulated  in  our  inspection  of 
shafts,  tunnels,  caves,  and  other  underground  works  of  nature 
or  art.  I  was  under  the  impression  that  if  we  had  been  re- 
duced in  a  furnace,  a  fair  amount  of  lead  could  have  been  ob- 
tained by  the  reducer ;  and  lest  some  enterprising  resident 
should  make  an  effort  in  that  direction,  we  washed  off  the  ac- 
cumulation as  speedily  as  possible. 

The  lead  mines  of  Dubuque  were  discovered  and  opened 
soon  after  the  settlement  of  the  place  by  Julien  Dubuque, 
after  whom  the  city  was  named.  The  Indians  were  aware 
of  the  existence  of  the  rich  mineral,  and  the  first  information 
about  it  was  obtained  from  one  of  the  red-skinned  gentlemen 
33 


614  AN  INDIAN  SECRET. 

who  had  partaken  rather  freely  of  the  white  man's  fire-water. 
They  used  to  bring  lead  to  sell  to  the  whites ;  they  revealed 
some  of  the  localities  whence  they  obtained  it,  and  then  their 
white  neighbors  went  to  work  to  dig  for  themselves.  But 
there  was  one  deposit,  supposed  to  be  the  richest  of  all,  that 
the  Indians  would  never  reveal,  if  the  story  was  told  to  me 
correctly.  There  were  half  a  dozen  Indians  who  used  to 
appear  and  disappear  mysteriously ;  whenever  they  wanted 
money  or  goods,  they  would  go  away  a  few  days,  and  return 
with  all  the  lead  they  could  carry.  All  efforts  to  induce  them 
to  tell  where  they  obtained  it  were  of  no  avail.  The  experi- 
ment was  tried  repeatedly  of  getting  them  drunk,  but  the 
more  they  got  drunk,  the  more  uncommunicative  they  be- 
came. They  were  promised  that  if  they  would  show  the  rich 
deposit,  they  should  never  again  be  required  to  draw  a  sober 
breath  as  long  as  they  lived  ;  but  even  this  glittering  bait  did 
not  allure.  Wealth,  fame,  and  perpetual  intoxication  could 
have  been  theirs,  but  they  preferred  to  bask  in  the  sunshine 
of  the  smiles  of  the  Great  Spirit,  who  would  be  unpardoningly 
angry  if  they  told  their  secret  to  the  white  man. 

A  watch  was  set  upon  their  movements ;  but  an  Indian  is 
proverbially  a  troublesome  customer  to  the  detective  who 
tries  to  follow  him,  and  the  spies  on  the  track  of  these  aborigi- 
nes invariably  came  to  grief.  Finally,  one  of  the  pale-faces 
pressed  his  arguments  so  far  as  to  induce  an  Indian  to  agree 
to  turn  traitor  to  his  brethren,  and  reveal  the  locality  of  the 
lead  mine.  Comfortably  soaked  with  whiskey,  the  twain 
started,  with  provisions  for  several  days'  journey.  The  In- 
dian led  the  way  to  a  secluded  spot  among  the  hills,  miles 
away  from  any  human  habitation.  All  around  in  this  little  val- 
ley there  were  the  remains  of  fires  where  the  Indians  had  melted 
out  the  lead  from  the  ore  ;  it  was  so  rich  that  a  common  wood 
fire  in  the  open  air  was  quite  sufficient  for  its  reduction. 

But  suddenly  the  Indian  stopped,  and  looked  anxiously  into 
the  sky.  After  gazing  there  a  full  minute,  he  turned  to  his 
companion,  and  refused  to  show  him  further. 

"  Go  on,  go  on  !  "  said  the  impatient  explorer. 


A  FRIGHTENED   ABORIGINAL.  615 

"  No ;  not  go  on,"  replied  the  Indian.  "  Great  Spirit  angry ; 
I  see  him  looking  now." 

The  explorer  looked,  but  could  see  no  spirit  beyond  that 
which  he  carried  in  his  bottle.  He  offered  some  of  it  to  the 
Indian,  in  the  hope  of  overcoming  his  terror. 

But  it  was  "  no  go  "  with  the  red  man.  He  took  the  prof- 
fered drink,  and  then  looked  again  into  the  sky.  Evidently 
he  saw,  or  fancied  he  saw,  the  Great  Spirit  frowning  upon 
him,  for  he  turned  on  his  heel,  and  ran  faster  than  he  had  ever 
been  known  to  run  before. 

The  explorer  was  left  alone,  and  concluded  to  investigate 
on  his  own  account.  There  were  the  remains  of  the  fires 
where  the  lead  had  been  melted,  and  the  number  of  them 
showed  that  a  goodly  amount  of  smelting  had  been  done  there. 
The  mine  must  be  near,  and  of  course  it  ought  to  be  easily 
found.  He  looked  for  a  path  which  might  lead  to  it,  and  here 
he  found  that  the  Indians'  cunning  had  baffled  him.  In  no 
direction  was  there  any  track,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  In- 
dians had  made  it  a  rule  never  to  follow  the  same  course 
twice  when  entering  or  leaving  the  valley.  They  had  brought 
the  ore  from  somewhere,  but  there  was  no  way  of  knowing 
whether  that  place  was  feet,  yards,  or  miles  away. 

He  spent  a  couple  of  days  in  a  careful  examination  of  the 
vicinity,  but  found  nothing,  and  returned  home  very  little 
wiser  than  he  went  out.  He  had  a  suspicion  that  he  was 
watched  from  the  time  the  Indian  left  him  until  he  gave  up 
the  search,  but  could  not  say  positively  that  such  was  the 
case.  A  few  days  after  his  return,  the  Indian  made  his  ap- 
pearance with  a  fresh  lot  of  lead,  for  which  he  refused  all 
compensation,  though  he  did  not  decline  to  get  drunk  at  the 
expense  of  his  acquaintance.  He  would  not  talk  freely,  but 
solemnly  declined  to  go  on  another  expedition,  and,  further- 
more, cautioned  the  white  man  not  to  undertake  it. 

The  latter  would  not  be  advised ;  and,  two  or  three  weeks 
later,  he  set  out  with  a  friend,  with  the  intention  of  spending 
a  week  or  two  in  exploring  the  region  around  the  Indian 
smelting-place. 


616  MURDER  OF  THE  EXPLORERS. 

They  were  absent  one,  two,  three  weeks,  and  finally  their 
friends  became  alarmed  for  their  safety,  and  started  out  to 
look  for  them.  Their  search  was  unrewarded,  as  no  trace  of 
the  missing  men  could  be  found  anywhere.  No  Indians  were 
seen.  The  half-dozen  came  and  went  as  usual,  but  to  all 
questions  they  returned  the  most  unsatisfactory  and  non-com- 
mittal answers. 

One  day  a  hunter  found  the  remains  of  the  two  men.  Wild 
beasts  had  devoured  the  bodies,  but  their  weapons  and  scraps 
of  clothing  remained,  and  sufficed  for  their  identification.  In 
each  skull  there  was  a  deep  indentation,  caused,  undoubtedly, 
by  a  tomahawk  in  the  hands  of  an  Indian.  But  further  than 
this  the  circumstances  of  their  deaths  were  never  known. 
After  the  discovery  of  the  bodies,  the  Indians  did  not  visit 
the  settlement  as  often  as  before,  and  it  was  universally  sup- 
posed that  they  committed  the  murder,  or,  at  all  events,  knew 
to  whom  it  should  have  been  attributed. 

Years  afterwards  a  rich  vein  of  lead  ore  was  found  two  or 
three  miles  from  the  valley  to  which  the  Indian  led  the  first 
explorer.  There  was  a  small  cave,  so  carefully  concealed  by 
brushwood  that  it  was  only  revealed  by  accident.  There 
were  indications  that  it  had  been  visited  by  Indians,  and  that 
quantities  of  the  ore  had  been  carried  away.  All  around  the 
sides  and  roof  of  the  cavern  there  were  blocks  of  rich  ore,  and 
the  discoverers  made  a  comfortable  fortune  out  of  the  deposit. 
It  was  supposed  to  be  the  cave  whence  the  Indians  obtained 
their  supply,  but  whether  so  or  not  was  never  positively 
known. 

In  the  bluff  at  Dubuque,  lead  mining  was  carried  on  in  two 
ways  —  first,  by  entering  the  caverns  and  veins  from  the  foot 
of  the  bluff;  and,  secondly,  by  sinking  shafts  from  the  surface. 
The  shafts  were  not  very  deep,  so  that  no  elaborate  machinery 
was  required  for  hoisting  purposes,  a  common  windlass  or  a 
whim,  worked  by  horse  power,  being  all  that  was  required. 
Where  the  mining  was  pushed  from  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  levels 
were  driven  in  until  a  cavern  or  seam  was  reached,  and  very 
often  the  seams  in  the  bluff  were  taken  as  the  starting-point. 


AN  EDITOR'S  DISCOVERT.  617 

The  lead  was  iiot  found  in  continuous  veins,  like  coal  and  iron, 
but  in  separate  masses,  that  had  little  connection  with  each 
other,  though  frequently  the  chambers  or  caves  communicated. 
Consequently  a  mine  might  be  soon  exhausted,  and  then  the 
shaft  or  level  would  be  abandoned,  as  it  was  no  longer  lucra- 
tive. The  hills  back  of  Dubuque,  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  were 
full  of  abandoned  shafts,  and  it  was  dangerous  to  walk  there 
at  night,  as  many  of  the  shafts  were  entirely  unprotected  by 
fences  or  railings.  Several  accidents  have  occurred  by  per- 
sons falling  into  these  shafts ;  and  I  was  told  that  on  one  oc- 
casion two  lovers,  who  were  taking  an  afternoon  promenade 
there,  walked  into  a  shaft,  and  were  killed  by  the  fall. 

While  the  business  of  Dubuque  was  in  the  height  of  its 
prosperity,  about  1857,  some  enterprising  men  constructed  a 
shot  tower  on  the  low  ground  near  the  Mississippi  River.  It 
is  well  known  that  shot  for  ordinary  hunting  purposes  is  made 
by  pouring  melted  lead  through  a  sieve,  where  it  can  have  a 
fall  of  a  hundred  feet  or  more.  In  falling  it  assumes  a  spheri- 
cal shape,  and  at  the  same  time  is  cooled  and  hardened.  To 
save  it  from  injury  it  is  received  in  a  tank  of  water.  After- 
wards it  is  polished  and  brightened  by  being  rolled  in  plum- 
bago and  certain  other  substances,  and  is  then  ready  for  the 
bags  in  which  it  is  offered  for  sale  in  the  sporting  stores. 

Now,  the  shot  tower  costs  considerable  money,  and  in  order 
to  be  profitable,  the  work  of  making  shot  must  pay  the  interest 
of  the  cost  of  the  tower,  besides  the  wages  of  everybody  con- 
cerned. The  editor  of  a  newspaper  at  Dubuque  was  one  day 
rambling  among  the  abandoned  shafts  back  of  the  town,  and 
endeavoring  to  hit  upon  some  plan  for  making  them  once  more 
useful. 

Suddenly  an  idea  occurred  to  him,  and  he  hastened  to  lay 
it  before  a  friend  who  was  interested  in  the  shot  tower. 

"Here  is  my  idea,"  said  the  editor.  "The  melted  lead 
must  fall  from  a  certain  height,  and  you  have  spent  fifteen 
thousand  dollars  to  build  a  tower  to  give  that  height  to  the 
dropping  lead.  Now,  it  makes  no  difference  where  the  fall  is ; 
and  why  could  you  not  get  it  in  one  of  these  abandoned  shafts, 


618  A  SURPRISING  DISCOVERY. 

which  would  cost  nothing?  And  besides,  you  save  the  ex- 
pense of  hoisting  the  lead  to  the  top  of  the  tower.  I  can  start 
a  shot  company  that  will  undersell  you  in  spite  of  all  you 
could  do." 

The  tower  man  stood  a  full  minute  in  a  brown  study.  When 
he  had  collected  bis  thoughts,  he  said,  — 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  and  wonder  nobody  ever  thought  of 
it  before.  But  don't  say  a  word  about  it  for  the  present. 
The  St.  Louis  Shot  Company  is  now  negotiating  for  our 
tower ;  it  wants  to  have  a  monopoly  of  all  the  shot  business 
on  the  river,  and  we  shall  sell  out.  When  we  have  sold  out, 
and  have  the  money  in  our  hands,  you  can  start  your  theory, 
and  anybody  that  wants  to  try  it  can  do  so.  If  you  say  any- 
thing now,  you  may  spoil  the  whole  arrangement." 

The  editor  promised  to  wait,  and  kept  his  promise.  The 
Dubuque  tower  was  bought  by  the  St.  Louis  Company,  which 
congratulated  itself  on  having  a  monopoly  of  the  shot  business 
at  Dubuque.  But  very  soon  the  editor  advanced  his  theory; 
somebody  put  it  in  practice,  and  found  it  was  entirely  correct. 
Abandoned  shafts  were  occupied  by  shot-makers,  and  found 
to  answer  the  purpose  exactly,  and  the  business  of  the  tower 
came  to  an  end.  "  Why  did  not  somebody  think  of  this  be- 
fore ?  "  is  a  question  that  is  often  asked  whenever  a  new  and 
simple  invention  is  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  public. 

When  the  mines  were  operated  at  the  base  of  the  cliff  by 
means  of  levels,  and  the  chambers  were  stripped  of  their  lead 
ore,  the  owners  found  themselves  in  possession  of  magnificent 
cellars,  that  could  be  used  for  storage  purposes.  As  time 
rolled  on,  and  Dubuque  grew  into  importance,  many  Germans 
went  there  to  live.  The  German  is  fond  of  beer,  and  wher- 
ever you  find  Germans  in  goodly  numbers,  there  you  will  find 
the  care-dispelling  lager  and  the  appetizing  pretzel.  Brew- 
eries rose  and  flourished  at  Dubuque,  and  the  fame  of  the  beer 
that  flowed  from  them  extended  even  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Mississippi.  The  abandoned  caves  of  the  lead  workers  were 
well  suited  to  the  wants  of  the  brewers,  as  they  made  excellent 
cellars  for  storing  the  beer  between  the  time  of  its  manufac- 


BANQUET  IN  A  BEER  CELLAR.  619 

ture  and  of.  its  sale.  They  were  of  an  even  temperature 
throughout  the  year,  and  the  temperature  was  exactly  suited 
to  the  Teutonic  beverage. 

On  several  occasions  the  brewers  gave  entertainments  in 
their  cellars,  and  set  the  tables  for  their  guests  between  the 
rows  of  beer  casks.  The  guests  were  converted  into  casks 
of  beer  by  the  time  the  entertainments  ended,  and  occasion- 
ally they  needed  assistance  to  find  their  way  out  to  the  open 
air.  There  is  a  novelty  about  an  underground  banquet,  es- 
pecially when  you  find  your  legs  giving  way  beneath  your 
weight,  and  you  are  led  to  believe  that  the  earth  above  will 
come  down  at  an  inopportune  moment,  and  crush  you  as  flat 
as  a  sheet  of  paper,  without  giving  you  time  to  send  word  to 
your  friends. 

In  our  rambles  about  the  bluffs,  Mr.  Pettit  told  me  of  an  ad- 
venturous inhabitant  of  Dubuque  who  used  to  alternate  regu- 
larly between  wealth  and  poverty  every  few  months.  He 
was  a  lead  miner,  who  spent  most  of  his  time  in  discovering 
fresh  deposits  of  the  valuable  ore.  When  he  found  a  deposit, 
he  was  rich,  and  lived  at  a  rapid  rate  until  the  money  obtained 
from  it  was  gone.  Then,  without  a  dollar  to  call  his  own,  and 
frequently  burdened  with  debts  he  could  not  pay,  he  would 
shoulder  his  pick  and  start  on  a  tour  among  the  hills,  where 
he  hoped  to  find  the  material  with  which  his  fortune  could  be 
restored.  Sometimes  he  would  hunt  for  weeks  without  finding 
anything;  and  just  as  he  had  determined  to  abandon  the  search, 
and  hire  out  as  a  laborer,  he  would  find  what  he  wanted.  One 
of  his  adventures  was  narrated  to  me  in  his  own  words,  which 
I  will  give  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember  them. 

"  Once  I  was  dead  broke,"  said  he,  "  and  owed  a  good  deal  of 
money.  My  creditors  were  pressing,  but  they  knew  I  hadn't 
the  first  cent  to  pay  with,  and  so  they  didn't  press  very 
hard.  I  hunted  around  a  long  time,  but  not  a  bit  of  ore  could 
I  find,  and  I  seriously  thought  of  going  to  the  river  and  mak- 
ing cat-fish  bait  of  myself,  so  as  to  get  out  of  my  misery. 

"  One  day  I  got  in  among  the  chambers  in  the  bluffs,  and  in 
one  of  them  I  found  a  small  hole,  which  I  thought  might  possi- 


620  AN  EXCITING   MOMENT. 

bly  lead  to  something  rich.  I  enlarged  it,  and  got  through 
into  a  new  chamber  where  there  were  blocks  of  lead ;  and 
then  I  knew  there  was  more  of  it  close  by.  These  chambers 
often  lie  one  above  another,  and  there  was  evidently  one  just 
above  where  I  stood.  A  blow  or  two  of  my  pick  in  the  ceil- 
ing above  would  open  it,  and  when  it  was  opened,  there  was 
a  fortune  ready  for  me. 

"  Well,  no,  it  wasn't  a  sure  fortune.  This  business  has  its 
drawbacks,  and  sometimes  there  is  a  serious  drawback  in  a 
place  like  that.  Most  of  these  chambers  are  dry,  but  now 
and  then  they  are  full  of  water,  and  sometimes  you  will  find 
a  dry  chamber  under  one  that  is  full.  There  I  stood,  wonder- 
ing what  to  do.  I  was  never  more  puzzled  in  my  life. 

"  The  hole  where  I  entered  was  small  and  long.  It  was  a 
hard  place  to  get  through,  and  it  took  time.  The  place  was 
low ;  in  fact,  I  couldn't  stand  erect  without  butting  my  head. 
If  I  tapped  the  ceiling,  and  the  chamber  above  was  full  of 
water,  I  should  be  drowned  like  a  rat  in  a  cage.  One  blow 
would  loosen  the  whole  bottom,  and  the  water  would  come 
down  like  Niagara. 

"  If  I  went  out  and  tried  to  enlarge  the  entrance  before 
tapping  the  ceiling,  some  other  fellow  might  get  in  there  and 
take  possession.  If  he  opened  the  chamber  before  I  did,  he 
would  be  the  owner,  and  I  could  not  lay  any  claim  on  account 
of  discovery. 

"  I  thought  it  all  over.  I  thought  of  my  poverty  and  the 
fortune  that  lay  before  me.  I  thought  of  the  chance  of  death 
if  the  cave  was  full  of  water.  I  threw  down  my  pick,  and 
almost  determined  to  go  away,  and  not  take  the  risk.  Then  I 
looked  at  my  ragged  clothes,  and  remembered  that  they  were 
all  I  had,  and  that  I  hadn't  money  enough  to  buy  a  breakfast. 
Then  I  stooped  and  grasped  the  pick,  and  took  a  firm  hold  of 
the  handle. 

"  l  Here  goes,'  I  said, '  for  one  thing  or  the  other.'  I  set  my 
teeth,  swung  the  pick,  and  tapped  the  ceiling  above  me. 

"  The  water  came  down ;  I  dropped  to  the  floor,  and  felt 
that  I  was  lost.  I  must  have  fainted,  for  the  next  thing  I  re- 


A   FORTUNE   AT   ONE  BLOW.  621 

member,  my  candle,  which  was  only  half  burned  when  I  struck 
the  blow,  was  nearly  consumed,  and  I  was  lying  there  soaked 
in  a  small  pool  that  surrounded  me. 

"  I  rose,  rubbed  my  eyes,  and  looked  around,  and  then  I  saw 
bow  it  was.  There  had  been  a  few  buckets  of  water  in  the 
chamber  above,  where  there  might  have  been  hogsheads.  I 
was  alive  and  safe,  and  the  chamber  was  opened. 

"  I  lighted  another  candle,  and  went  to  work  enlarging  the 
hole  I  had  made.  In  a  little  while  I  was  able  to  climb  through 
it ;  and  there,  all  around  me,  lay  blocks  of  rich  ore ;  and  I  felt 
that  I  was  no  longer  the  poor  vagabond  I  had  been  a  few 
hours  before.  But  I  don't  think  I  would  go  through  that  ex- 
citement  again  for  all  the  lead  mines  that  ever  were  known." 


XLII. 

MINING  IN  THE  BLACK  HILLS.    THE  WONDERFUL  MINE  UNDER 
LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

FIRST  REPORTS  OF  GOLD  IN  THE  BLACK  HILLS — DISCOVERY  OF  PLACER  DE- 
POSITS— THEIR  EXTENT  AND  RICHNESS — DEADWOOD  AND  RAPID  CREEK — 
SAD  FATE  OF  AN  EARLY  EXPLORING  PARTY — VALUABLE  QUARTZ  VEINS — 
MODE  OF  REACHING  THE  COUNTRY — OTHER  RESOURCES  OF  THE  BLACK 
HILLS  REGION — BRILLIANT  PROSPECTS  FOR  THE  FUTURE — A  REMARKABLE 
MINE  UNDER  LAKE  SUPERIOR — CURIOSITIES  OF  SILVER  ISLET — WORKING 
UNDER  DIFFICULTIES — ORES  OF  UNEXAMPLED  RICHNESS — MINING  ADVEN- 
TURES UNDER  THE  LAKE — NEW  ROUTE  TO  THE  CENTER  OF  THE  EARTH. 

When  the  frontier  newspapers  first  began  publishing  their 
exciting  reports  of  rich  gold  discoveries  in  the  Black  Hills, 
some  of  their  editors  doubted  its  existence  there  in  paying 
quantities.  Gen.  Ouster  had  reported  gold  discoveries,  but  the 
scientific  gentlemen  accompanying  his  expedition  had  denied 
finding  it  in  deposits  of  a  remunerating  richness.  Doubt  and 
uncertainty  shadowed  the  prospect  uutil  the  development  of 
the  rich  claims  of  Deadwood  and  Whitewood  gulches,  and  the 
encouraging  indications  found  on  Rapid  Spring  and  French 
Creek,  in  the  spring  of  1876.  But  the  richness  and  extent 
of  the  Black  Hills  gold  mines  may  now  be  considered  demon- 
strated. A  great  deal  of  money  has  already  been  realized  from 
them,  and  as  yet  they  have  not  been  even  thoroughly  prospected. 
The  fact  that  the  Black  Hills  had  so  long  been  unexplored  and 
unsettled  by  white  men  is  not  altogether  attributable,  as  has 
been  popularly  supposed,  to  the  strength  and  hostility  of  the 
Sioux  Indians,  who  roamed  over,  and  are  still  dangerously 
powerful  to  the  west  of  that  region.  The  principal  reasons 
are  that  they  were  not  immediately  on  the  moving  lines  of 
transcontinental  emigration,  and  that  the  country  had  no  defi- 


THE   BLACK   HILLS.  623 

nite  knowledge  of  their  wealth  in  soil  and  mine,  while  the 
natural  resources  of  other  sections  of  the  far  West  were  adver- 
tised far  and  wide.  That  the  Black  Hills  have  been  taken 
possession  of  by  white  men  in  the  face  of  both  government 
opposition  and  Indian  hostilities,  proves  the  correctness  of  this 
assumption. 

Gold  was  discovered  there  by  white  men  years  before  the 
lamented  Ouster  entered  the  country  at  the  head  of  an  army. 
And  it  would  undoubtedly  have  been  settled  and  developed  im- 
mediately after,  had  not  these  unknown  first  discoverers  all 
been  massacred  by  Indians,  and  therefore  the  reports  of  their 
discoveries  were  never  published.  Near  Rapid  Creek,  and  on 
Whitewood  and  Deadwood  Creeks,  old  "  prospect  holes  "  have 
been  found.  There  is  an  old  shaft  on  a  gold-bearing  quartz 
vein  which  crosses  Deadwood  Gulch,  and  the  trees  near  by 
bear  the  marks  of  bullets  and  arrows,  whose  appearance  proves 
that  they  were  made  years  ago.  In  one  of  the  Deadwood 
claims  old  rusty  nails  were  found,  and  on  another  there  was 
an  old  pile  of  tailings.  Of  the  conclusion  arrived  at  from 
these  evidences  there  can  be  no  reasonable  doubt :  the  unfortu- 
nate' white  men  who  sank  the  shaft  on  the  gold  vein  were 
seized  and  tied  to  the  missile-scarred  trees  and  riddled  with 
arrows  and  bullets.  Those  who  excavated  the  old  "prospect 
holes  "  likewise  fell  victims  to  the  Sioux,  and  not  one  of  these 
first  discoverers  was  left  to  report  the  fate  of  the  others. 

The  Black  Hills  are  an  isolated  mass  of  elevations,  about 
120  miles  in  extent  from  northwest  to  southwest,  with  an 
average  width  of  50  miles;  their  area  being  not  less  than 
6,000  square  miles.  They  are  so  called  from  the  somber 
aspect  they  present  from  a  distant  view,  caused  by  the  vast 
evergreen  forests  of  pine  with  which  they  are  generally  clothed. 
According  to  the  latitudinal  lines  they  are  about  60  miles 
north  and  a  little  over  800  miles  west  of  the  city  of  Chicago, 
and  are  situated  between  the  two  forks  of  the  Cheyenne  river, 
which  surround  them  so  completely  that  both  these  streams 
have  their  origin  in  the  same  locality,  and  their  headwaters 
interlock.  The  north  current  is  usually  called  the  Belle 
Fourche,  or  beautiful  Fork, 


624  THE  FIRST  MINERS. 

The  Hills  are  reached  by  railroad  to  Sioux  City  and  Yank- 
ton,  or  to  Bismarck,  on  the  upper  Missouri,  or  to  Cheyenne 
and  other  towns  on  the  Union  Pacific.  They  embrace  all  that 
is  grand  and  beautiful  in  nature — cloud-piercing  peaks,  snow- 
crowned  nine  months  out  of  the  twelve ;  deep  down  canons, 
gloomy  and  savage,  with  dense  forests  and  craggy  walls  of 
slate,  granite,  or  limestone ;  fairy  fountains  and  crystal  streams, 
and  richly  flowered  plateaus  and  glades. 

The  highest  peaks  are  from  5,600  to  8,000  feet  high ;  not  so 
great  altitudes  as  are  found  among  the  perpetually  snow-capped 
mountains  of  the  Big  Horn  further  west,  but  they  appear  as 
lofty  when  measured  by  the  eye  in  comparison  with  the  sur- 
rounding elevations. 

As  soon  as  the  Custer  expedition  of  1874,  which  gave  to  the 
world  its  first  authentic  knowledge  of  the  existence  of  gold  in 
the  Black  Hills,  had  returned  to  Fort  Lincoln,  a  party  of 
adventurers  organized  at  Sioux  City  and  went  thither.  It  con- 
sisted of  twenty-eight  men  and  one  woman.  They  camped  on 
French  Creek,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Hills,  where  Custer 
City  now  stands,  and  erected  stockades.  They  found  encour- 
aging gold  prospects,  but  were  soon  forced  to  return  from  lack 
of  supplies.  The  "gold  fever"  continued  to  spread,  however, 
and  soon  got  under  such  headway  all  along  the  frontiers  that 
government  opposition  was  of  little  avail.  Hundreds  flocked 
to  the  new  El  Dorado,  their  objective  point  being  the  stockades 
on  the  French  Creek.  In  the  spring  of  1875  these  pioneers 
organized  themselves  into  a  town  company,  and  the  site  of 
Custer  City  was  staked  off  into  building  lots,  being  at  first 
christened  Stonewall.  The  number  rapidly  increased,  so  that 
by  the  last  of  December,  1875,  a  provisional  government  was 
organized,  and  a  few  laws,  simple  in  form,  but  comprehensive 
in  their  scope,  were  adopted,  their  execution  being  entrusted 
to  a  marshal  and  justice  of  the  peace.  Emigration  continued 
to  increase,  the  new  comers  first  satisfying  themselves  that  gold 
really  existed  on  French  Creek,  and  next  securing  a  town  lot 
and  erecting  a  building  thereon. 

Soon  a  house  of  some  kind  was  constructed  on  nearly  all  the 


THE  MINES.  625 

lots  contained  in  the  town  site  of  640  acres,  the  hopeful  own- 
ers believing  they  had  a  San  Francisco  in  embryo.  Notwith- 
standing that  danger  from  hostile  Indians  existed  everywhere, 
even  in  the  very  suburbs  of  the  town,  prospectors  pushed  their 
enterprise  in  all  directions,  and  soon  the  auriferous  deposits  of 
Spring  and  Rapid  Creeks,  to  the  northward,  were  covered  with 
miners'  claims  and  embraced  in  mining  districts.  During  the 
winter  of  18T5-6,  Deadwood  and  White  wood  gulches  were 
reached  70  miles  north  of  Ouster  City,  and  were  also  claimed 
throughout  their  extent. 

One  claim  in  the  former,  No.  1  below  discovery,  was  offered 
in  February  of  1876,  for  a  sack  of  flour  and  corresponding 
amount  of  bacon,  and  a  few  months  later  had  produced  gold 
to  the  amount  of  8250,000.  The  number  of  mines  in  thq 
Hills  on  the  first  of  July,  1876,  was  estimated  at  6,500,  about 
half  of  which  were  settled  in  and  about  Deadwood  City. 
Crook  City,  10  miles  below  Deadwood,  at  the  mouth  of  White- 
wood,  contained  about  500  inhabitants;  Hill  City,  on  Spring 
Creek,  had  150  houses  and  less  than  a  score  of  inhabitants; 
and  the  mountains  were  pretty  generally  filled  with  prospec- 
tors. 

An  old  placer  miner,  upon  his  first  view  of  French  Creek, 
would  shrug  his  shoulders  and  say,  "This  don't  suit  me." 
The  creek  has  a  low,  sluggish  flow,  the  fall  being  very  slight, 
and  the  natural  advantages  for  mining  are  very  bad.  But 
there  are  millions  in  the  auriferous  deposits  of  French  Creek, 
and  the  gold  is  the  purest  ever  found  on  the  American  conti- 
nent, the  mint  returns  showing  it  to  be  worth  $ 24  an  ounce. 
The  deposits  are  so  flat,  and  the  water  supply  so  limited,  that 
these  diggings  are  not  likely  to  be  a  successful  field  for  the 
labor  of  the  poor  man.  They  can  only  be  handled  by  company 
organizations  controlling  considerable  capital.  Steam  hydraul- 
ics have  been  suggested:  they  would  undoubtedly  be  successful 
on  the  adjacent  hills  and  some  of  the  higher  bars,  could  an 
adequate  supply  of  water  be  obtained. 

The  French  Creek  deposits  are  very  extensive,  the  main 
gulch  being  miles  in  length,  and  having  some  promising  tribu- 


626  THE   DEPOSITS. 

taries,  and  they  will  give  employment  to  several  thousand 
men,  when  fully  opened. 

The  quartz  interests  about  Ouster  City  are  important.  Many 
gold-bearing  ledges  have  been  discovered,  some  of  which  are 
being  developed  as  vigorously  as  the  limited  means  of  their 
owners  will  permit.  The  mica  deposits  are  worthy  of  note. 
Blocks  of  pure  mica  are  obtained,  which  will  shelve  off  in  unfrac- 
tured  plates  of  from  six  to  twelve  inches  square ;  it  is  found 
in  inexhaustible  quantities,  and  is  pronounced  of  good  com- 
mercial quality,  being  worth  from  four  to  six  dollars  a 
pound  in  the  markets.  This  may  become  an  important  source 
of  wealth. 

The  Spring  Creek  deposits  are  18  miles  north  of  Custer,  on 
the  road  to  Deadwood.  In  their  topography  and  geological 
formation,  they  look  much  more  favorable  for  gold  than  French 
Creek  district,  being  nearer  and  more  directly  connected  with 
the  eruptive  portions  of  the  Hills.  Rich  deposits  are  found  in 
Creek  Hill  gulch,  and  bar  ground,  and  they  are  extensive 
enough  to  give  thousands  employment.  But  the  Spring  Creek 
deposits,  like  those  of  French,  demand  capital  for  their  devel- 
opment. 

The  creek  ground  lies  more  advantageously  to  be  worked 
than  that  about  Custer,  but  it  is  so  very  deep  that  much  money 
must  be  expended  in  preliminary  work  before  pay  can  be  real- 
ized, and  water  can  only  be  brought  over  the  hills  and  higher 
bars  by  means  of  a  great  deal  of  costly  fiuming.  Capitalists 
are  now  directing  their  attention  to  Spring  Creek  district,  and, 
no  doubt,  several  millions  will  be  realized  from  it  within  a  few 
years.  The  Spring  Creek  quartz  interests  are  also  important. 
Many  very  promising  veins  have  been  located,  and  crossing 
Spring  Creek  there  is  a  quartz  belt  which  is  said  to  be  1,000 
feet  wide  and  over  80  miles  long.  Here,  as  along  French 
Creek,  there  is  an  abundance  of  the  finest  wood  for  timbering 
shafts,  fuel,  building,  etc.  The  formations  are  granite  and 
slate,  with  lime  often  capping  through  the  primitive  rocks. 

Fifteen  miles  north  of  Spring  Creek,  following  the  Dead- 
wood  road  from  Custer,  we  reach  Rapid  Creek,  just  half  way 
between  Deadwood  City  and  Custer,  and  in  the  very  center  of 


RAPID   CREEK.  627 

the  Black  Hills  gold  region.  It  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
of  the  mountain  streams,  its  water  being  as  clear  as  crystal 
and  delightfully  cool  in  the  hottest  weather.  It  has  an  aver- 
age width  of  about  twelve  feet,  an  average  depth  of  fifteen 
inches,  and  is  the  only  stream  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  Hills 
which  flows  continuously  the  year  through.  It  was  on  this 
stream,  as  credibly  reported,  that  the  Indians  found  and  pre- 
sented to  Father  De  Smet  many  years  ago  a  gold  nugget  worth 
several  dollars,  the  Father  being  camped  there  with  the  Indi- 
ans at  the  time.  Here  we  have  what  the  old  miner  would  call 
"  the  regular  old-fashioned  gold  wash."  In  the  pebbly  bed  of 
Rapid  a  great  deal  of  water-worn  quartz  is  found,  and  the  con- 
tiguous hills,  gulches,  and  bars  prospect  richly,  as  a  rule.  It 
is  generally  believed  that  Rapid  Creek  will  prove  the  most  pro- 
ductive portion  of  the  Black  Hills.  When  the  necessary 
fluming  shall  have  been  made  to  cover  this  rich,  high 
ground  with  water,  so  that  a  system  of  hydraulics  can  be  car- 
ried, the  yield  must  be  enormous. 

The  Rapid  diggings  are  many  miles  in  extent,  and  will  give 
employment,  when  fully  developed,  to  many  miners.  Some 
very  promising  gold-bearing  quartz  veins  have  been  discovered 
in  Rapid  Creek  district,  and  silver  discoveries  have  lately  been 
reported  from  there. 

I  am  indebted  for  much  of  my  information  concerning  the 
Black  Hills  to  Mr.  H.  N.  Maguire,  who  has  made  a  careful 
examination  of  the  country.  He  is  very  enthusiastic  about  its 
future  prospects,  and  in  summing  up  the  resources  of  the 
region,  he  says : 

"I  may  be  over-sanguine,  but  I  believe  all  those  vast  regions 
drained  by  the  southern  tributaries  of  the  Yellowstone,  or  the 
major  portion  of  them,  comprise  the  richest  mineral  fields  on 
the  continent — gold,  silver,  copper,  iron,  and  coal;  and  per- 
haps platinum,  quicksilver,  and  other  metals.  They  have  all 
the  other  natural  elements  of  imperial  wealth  and  expansion  : 
good  soil,  illimitable  pasturage,  health-giving  climate,  and  a  tem- 
perature delightful  in  summer,  and  very  endurable  in  winter. 
Now  that  the  Indians  are  about  whipped  into  submission,  I 
have  no  doubt  emigration  will  pour  thither  in  unprecedented 


628  YIELD   OP  GOLD-PRODUCING   COUNTRIES. 

numbers,  soon  resulting  in  an  unbroken  chain  of  industries, 
from  the  corn  fields  of  Dakota  to  the  stock  ranges  of  the  Yel- 
lowstone. The  farmer  and  miner  will  sustain  each  other, 
while  both  will  need  and  will  be  able  to  generously  remunerate 
the  artisan  and  tradesman.  Honest  industry  in  every  field 
can  not  fail  to  be  crowned  with  success." 

When  perusing  the  estimates  of  the  gold-yield  of  the  Black 
Hills,  we  come  to  the  conclusion  that  the  total  yield  has  been, 
for  the  year  1876,  about  82,000,000. 

Let  us  compare  this  with  the  yield  of  the  other  gold-produc- 
ing countries: 

California  produced  in  1848  (estimated),  -  -  83,826,230 
In  1849  (returns  manifested),  -  -  4,921,250 

In  1850  (returns  manifested),    -  -    27,676,346 

These  are  the  first  three  years  of  the  California  gold  fever. 
It  is  difficult,  at  this  late  date,  to  calculate  the  exact  amount 
of  gold  kept  in  the  hands  of  miners,  as  specimens,  and  as  a  cir- 
culating medium,  during  the  first  year  (1848),  but  suppose  we 
place  the  amount  at  8173,770  (which  is  a  liberal  estimate),  we 
have  then  84,000,000  as  the  yield  of  gold  in  1848.  Taking  into 
account  all  the  amounts  which  usually  escape  the  official  re- 
turns, and  also  the  amounts  buried  by  the  miners  until  their 
return  to  the  states,  the  most  liberal  estimates  of  these,  added 
to  the  official  returns,  can  hardly  place  the  yield  of  gold  from 
this  state  in  1848  over  810,000,000. 

Nevada  produced  from  her  placer  mines  from  1849,  the  year 
of  the  discovery,  to  1859,  when  they  ceased  working  them, 
both  years  inclusive,  only  8400,000.  This  was  produced,  how- 
ever, mostly  by  Chinese  miners,  of  whom  there  were  only 
about  200  in  the  mines.  It  will  be  remembered,  also,  that  the 
placers  of  Nevada  were  never  very  remunerative,  and  that  they 
decreased  in  the  amount  of  yield  as  we  approach  the  final 
year,  1859. 

Oregon,  in  1866,  only  produced,  -    82,000,000 

Montana,  with  an  area  of  146,689  square  miles, 

produced,  in  1862,  from  her  placers,  300,000 

In  1863,     - 8,000,000 


MINING   UNDER  LAKE   SUPERIOR.  629 

It  is  impossible  to  give  a  correct  estimate  of  the  yield  from 
Colorado  for  the  year  1859,  her  first  year,  but  the  most  liberal 
estimate  would  hardly  place  it  above  $ 800,000;  the  entire 
yield,  including  the  quartz-mills,  for  nine  years,  from  1859  to 
1868,  as  only  $30,000,000.  Of  course  there  are  several  causes 
which  it  is  not  necessary  to  enumerate  here,  which  operated 
fatally  against  any  large  yield  from  Colorado  during  these 
years. 

The  Black  Hills  proper  has  a  superficial  area  of  about  6,000 
square  miles.  The  bulk — we  might  almost  say  all — of  the 
gold  produced  thus  far  from  the  Hills  is  from  placer  mines ; 
the  quartz  interest  has  as  yet  hardly  begun  to  be  developed. 
By  referring  to  the  comparative  figures,  it  will  be  seen  that, 
considering  her  area,  and  the  disadvantages  which  have  sur- 
rounded her,  the  new  El  Dorado  has  done  remarkably  well 
this  year,  even  if  we  confine  her  to  the  $2,000,000  which  I 
have  accounted  for.  She  stands  upon  a  very  favorable  footing 
with  any  of  the  auriferous  districts  during  their  early  days. 
The  quartz  interest  will  give  a  large  increase  in  the  yield  of 
bullion  this  year  (1877),  both  in  gold  and  silver  and  we  may 
safely  place  the  yield  for  1877  at  17,000,000. 

MINING   UNDER  LAKE  SUPERIOR. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  mines  in  America  is  the  one 
known  as  Silver  Islet  in  Lake  Superior.  It  once  was  a  small 
barren  rock ;  its  greatest  width  was  seventy  feet  and  its  length 
eighty  feet.  It  was  only  eight  feet  above  the  water,  its  position 
being  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  main-land  and 
exposed  to  a  sweep  of  200  miles  of  Lake  Superior. 

Operations  were  begun  there  on  the  first  of  September,  1870. 
On  that  date  a  party  began  the  erection  of  cribs,  and  in  thirty 
days  there  were  put  in  place  460  feet  of  cribbing,  thoroughly 
bolted  together,  filled  with  rock,  and  having  an  average  depth 
of  thirteen  feet.  Such  an  enormous  extent  of  work  was  only 
accomplished  by  the  force  working  unitedly,  as  one  man, 
eighteen  hours  out  of  twenty-four.  Inside  of  the  crib-work  a 
coffer-dam  was  constructed,  enclosing  seventy  feet  in  length  of 
the  out-crop  or  back  of  the  vein. 
34 


630  SILVET  ISLET. 

The  water  in  the  enclosed  space  was  thrown  out  by  steam 
siphons,  and  mining  was  commenced  on  October  5th.  Every- 
thing worked  successfully  until  October  26th,  when  200  feet  of 
breakwater  was  carried  away  by  a  heavy  southeast  gale.  The 
coffer-dam  also  suffered  considerable  damage,  and  the  pit  ex- 
cavated on  the  vein  was  completely  filled  with  rock  from  the 
cribs.  This  breach  was  filled  more  substantially  than  at  first 
by  a  double  line  of  crib-work,  having  a  base  of  twenty-six  feet ; 
the  coffer-dam  was  repaired,  the  pit  cleaned  out,  and  mining 
resumed  on  November  18th,  which  was  continued  until 
November  26th,  when  the  last  shipment  of  ore  was  made  for 
the  season. 

All  through  that  season  and  the  next  the  work  was  constant- 
ly interrupted  by  accidents.  Whenever  a  severe  storm  arose 
the  sea  rolled  in  heavily  and  broke  down  portions  of  the  dam, 
or  crib-work,  so  that  the  mine  would  be  flooded  and  the  miners 
driven  from  their  posts.  But  in  spite  of  these  delays,  coupled 
with  the  small  space  in  which  the  men  could  work,  more  than 
a  million  dollars  worth  of  ore  was  taken  out. 

The  mine  is  one  of  the  richest  ever  opened  in  the  country. 
The  great  deposit  of  ore  occurs  in  a  fissure  vein  having  a  bear- 
ing of  N.  32°  W.,  the  dip  or  inclination  being  to  the  N.  E. 
The  vein  is  well  defined  at  points,  having  good  walls  or  clear- 
ages,  but  not  uniform  in  width,  opening  out  at  points  to  12  or 
15  feet,  and  again  closing  up  to  a  string  of  not  more  than  six 
inches.  The  average  width,  however,  might  be  put  down  from 
four  to  five  feet.  Still,  aside  from  the  vein  proper,  there  are 
several  strings  or  feeders,  some  of  them  at  a  distance  of  §0 
feet,  carrying  rich  packing  ore. 

The  vein  substance  generally  consists  of  calcareous  spar  and 
dolomitic  spar,  with  quartz,  in  which  are  enclosed  occasional 
masses  of  dioritic  wall  rock,  slate,  and  plumbago.  The  con- 
tained minerals  are  galena,  zinc,  blende,  iron  pyrites,  kupfer, 
nickel,  cobalt  ore,  with  small  quantities  of  antimony,  native 
silver,  and  silver  glauce,  or  sulphuret  of  silver. 

The  deposit  of  silver  is  found  at  the  intersection  of  the  vein 
with  an  immense  belt  of  diorite  and  plumbago.  This  diorite 


ISLE  ROYALE.  631 

is  an  intrusive  mass,  cutting  nearly  perpendicularly  through 
the  original  more  or  less  horizontal  formation  of  slates  and 
sedimentary  or  silicious  sandstone.  The  ore  varies  in  value 
from  $400  to  17,000  per  ton,  the  general  average  being  not  far 
from  $1,500  per  ton.  This  is  known  as  packing  ore,  for  the 
reason  that  it  is  packed  in  barrels  for  shipment.  In  addition 
to  it  there  is  a  broad  vein  of  stamp  rock,  valued  at  from  $45  to 
$50  per  ton. 

The  vein,  taking  a  northwesterly  and  southwesterly  direc- 
tion, crosses  Silver  Islet,  where  it  was  discovered.  On  its 
course  north  from  the  Islet  the  vein  goes  out  of  sight,  being 
covered  by  the  lake  for  about  3,000  feet,  and  then  makes  its 
appearance  on  Burnt  Island ;  submerged  again  by  water  for  a 
distance  of  350  to  400  feet,  it  reaches  the  mainland,  on  which 
it  can  be  traced  for  a  long  distance. 

Going  south  from  Silver  Islet,  the  vein  passes  under  Lake 
Superior,  and  is  said  to  cross  Isle  Roy  ale,  some  twenty  miles 
off.  Tesels  have  been  run  out  from  the  shafts,  so  that  the 
miners  work  far  under  the  lake,  and  during  heavy  storms  they 
can  distinctly  hear  the  roar  of  the  waters.  But  although  the 
vein  is  placed  below  the  lake,  its  position,  so  far,  has  not  put  it 
at  a  great  disadvantage,  compared  with  other  mines  producing 
.silver. 

There  are  features  about  this  mine  which  actually  make  it  a 
favorite  as  regards  cost  of  working.  The  two  great  causes 
which  increase  so  rapidly  the  cost,  and  delay  the  progress  of 
mining  everywhere,  are  influx  of  water  and  the  meeting  with 
what  is  termed  soft  ground.  This  mine,  so  far,  has  been 
opened  nearly  700  feet.  The  longest  level  opens  up  the  vein 
about  730  feet,  and  yet  by  pumping  some  155  gallons  per  min- 
ute, the  mine  is  kept  dry.  Most  of  this  water  enters  from 
above,  and  is  therefore  not  expected  to  increase  in  proportion 
to  the  depth  obtained  in  the  future.  Many  mines,  although 
situated  on  high  and  dry  land,  have  to  pump  far  more  water 
than  this.  The  rock  here  being  less  pervious  to  water  than 
elsewhere,  can  only  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  a  longer 
time  has  elapsed  since  this  region  has  undergone  any  serious 


632  CHARACTER  OF  THE  MINE. 

volcanic  disturbance.  Some  narrow  belts  of  slaty  shale  lying 
next  to  the  vein  are  identical,  except  in  age,  with  the  clay 
found  next  the  true  veins  in  other  places. 

The  vein  rock  itself  is  of  a  hard  and  firm  nature,  needing 
but  little  timbering  for  support.  Three  samples,  taken  from 
the  vein  yet  remaining  in  the  roof  of  the  mine,  showed,  from 
concentrations  and  assays,  as  follows: 

1.     South  end  of  vein,  silver  per  ton,  -    7,346    ozs. 
2     Middle  of  vein,      -  -    2,886      " 

3.    North  end  of  veins,  5f    " 

The  concentrations  of  No.  1  had  hardly  more  than  a  trace  of 
galena  in  them,  being  native  silver,  etc. 

No.  2  was  mixed,  consisting  of  galena  and  native  silver. 

No.  3  was  pure  galena. 

The  mineral  is  called  McFarlanite,  from  the  man  who  first 
brought  it  into  notice,  it  being  unlike  any  other  silver  ore,  a 
mingling  of  nickel  giving  it  a  peculiar  tinge  and  a  beautiful 
arborescence. 

The  mine  has  ten  levels  or  adits  running  north  and  south, 
besides  several  cross-cuts  east  and  west.  They  have  lately 
been  boring  with  a  diamond  drill  west  of  the  main  vein,  think- 
ing to  find  another  feeder  similar  to  the  east  vein,  or  to  ascer- 
tain if  the  streak  that  is  seen  in  the  water  west  may  be  a 
deflection  in  the  main  vein. 

They  descend  by  ladders  only,  the  shaft  being  used  solely 
for  hoisting  rock.  They  have  Burleigh  compressors  and  all 
modern  appliances.  Occasionally  they  strike  gas,  which 
throws  out  a  jet  of  great  power — at  one  time  of  forty  feet — 
and  burns  for  a  long  time  when  lighted.  A  miner  once  came 
upon  a  natural  cavity,  where  he  felt  sure  he  was  to  touch  the 
bonanza ;  so  he  inserted  his  head  with  the  candle  in  his  hat. 
It  came  out  quicker  than  it  went  in,  but  without  hair,  whiskers, 
eye-brows,  and  almost  without  scalp.  Holes  are  encountered 
discharging  water,  or  water  and  gas  combined.  Some  of  the 
miners  are  apprehensive  that  they  will  by  and  by  reach  the 
bottom  of  the  lake  and  fall  into  an  enormous  cavity,  which 
will  take  them,  perhaps,  to  the  center  of  the  earth. 


XLHL 

CALIFORNIA  AND  HER  TERRESTRIAL  TREASURES. 

WONDERS  OP  THE  PACIFIC  COAST — CALIFORNIA  IN  1835 — CAUSE  OF  HER  RAPID 
PROGRESS — THE  HONEST  MINER  OF  THE  OLDEN  TIME — FATE  OF  THE  FORTY- 
NINERS — EFFORTS  OF  A  NOVICE — RUSHES  TO  NEW  PLACERS — CHANGE  FROM 
PLACER  TO  QUARTZ  MINING — GRASS  VALLEY — EXTENT  OF  THE  GOLD-BEAR- 
ING RIDGE — AMALGAMATING  PROCESSES — SPECULATIONS  IN  MINING  STOCKS 
— HOW  A  SHARP  NEW  YORKER  WAS  SOLD — A  LUCKY  HIT — COPPER  MINES 
IN  CALIFORNIA  AND  ARIZONA — NEW  ALMA  DEN  AND  ITS  QUICKSILVER — BENE- 
FITS OF  AN  EARTHQUAKE. 

For  a  few  years  after  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California, 
little  attention  was  given  by  her  inhabitants  to  any  other  pur- 
suit than  mining.  But  in  course  of  time  the  agricultural 
resources  of  the  State  were  developed,  and  California  soon 
made  herself  one  of  the  grain-supplying  regions  of  the  world. 
The  mines  do  not  hold  such  a  prominent  place  as  they  did 
fifteen  years  ago,  but  they  are  still  an  important  source  of 
wealth  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  will  so  continue  for  a  long 
time  to  come.  Had  there  been  no  discovery  df  gold  or  other 
precious  metal  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  up  to  the  present 
time,  California  would  to-day  be  but  little  advanced  beyond  the 
condition  in  which  she  was  found  by  the  author  of  "Two 
Years  Before  the  Mast,"  when  he  landed  on  her  shores  in  1835. 
The  cities  along  the  coast  would  have  grown  larger,  and  the 
number  of  ships  trading  to  San  Diego,  San  Francisco,  and 
other  parts  would  have  steadily  increased,  but  the  traffic  would 
be  mainly  in  hides  from  California  cattle,  or  in  the  very  few 
articles  that  were  then  the  produce  of  this  region.  San  Fran- 
cisco could  not  have  become  in  a  few  years  a  great  city,  without 
the  discovery  of  gold  in  the  streams  and  on  the  hill-sides  of 
California. 


634  THE   MINERS   OP   CALIFORNIA. 

The  first  rush  of  gold-seekers  in  1849,  and  for  two  or  three 
years,  subsequent  to  that  date,  was  to  the  diggings  along  the 
various  rivers  and  their  tributaries.  Men  came,  with  pick  and 
shovel,  to  gather  up  a  fortune  by  separating  gold  from  the 
earth  along  the  valleys.  The  honest  miner,  with  the  tools  of 
his  profession,  with  his  bronzed  and  unshaven  face,  his  hair 
unkempt  and  matted  like  locks  of  wool,  his  clothing  of  the 
roughest  character,  and  utterly  innocent  of  whisk-broom  pr 
cologne  water,  was  a  figure  well  known  on  both  the  Atlantic 
and  the  Pacific  coast.  In  California  he  existed  in  reality,  but 
in  the  East  he  was  drawn  in  caricature  as  something  that  all 
California  emigrants  must  become.  He  toiled  in  the  sands  of 
the  Sacramento  and  its  tributaries,  now  with  a  run  of  good 
luck  that  sent  him  rejoicing  to  his  home  in  the  East,  or  fur- 
nished the  material  for  a  "high  old  time,"  and  again,  with  ill 
fortune  that  left  him,  after  long  exertion,  with  very  little  of 
the  valuable  metal  in  his  own  right. 

The  race  of  miners  has  not  become  extinct,  as  any  one  who 
has  visited  the  interior  of  California  can  testify,  but  it  is  by  no 
means  as  numerous  as  of  yore.  A  large  number  of  men  who 
now  stand  high  in  the  business  world,  began  their  California 
life  by  working  in  the  mines.  Many  of  the  former  miners 
have  gone  to  their  homes  in  the  East,  or  to  those  undiscovered 
regions  where  gold  is  said  to  be  of  no  particular  use.  Many 
long  since  drifted  to  other  gold-mining  countries,  and  many 
others  have  taken  to  agriculture,  or  to  some  business  more  cer- 
tain— though  less  seductive — than  gold-hunting.  Most  of  the 
placers  have  been  washed  out  and  abandoned  to  the  Mexicans 
or  Chinese.  Localities  that  formerly  supported  a  large  mining 
population  are  now  deserted,  while  others  can  still  count  a 
goodly  number  of  inhabitants.  Whenever  a  new  region  is 
opened  up  there  are  many  persons  ready  to  rush  to  it,  in  the 
belief  that  they  will  find  the  fortune  they  have  so  long  sought. 
Fraser  River,  Washoe,  Kern  River,  and  other  regions  have  all 
stood  high  in  the  bill  of  attractions,  and  all  proved  more  or 
less  delusive.  Hardly  a  year  passes  without  a  new  discovery 
somewhere,  and  a  consequent  rush  of  emigration.  Human 


THE   FIRST  MINERS.  685 

nature  remains  the  same,  and  there  is  no  probability  of  the 
arrival  of  a  time  when  men  will  no  longer  be  tempted  by  ex- 
travagant stories  to  go  in  quest  of  a  fortune. 

In  the  early  days,  thousands  of  persons  landed  at  San  Fran- 
cisco with  no  definite  knowledge  of  the  country,  and  with  the 
impression  that  the  gold  mines  were  within  a  few  hours'  walk 
of  the  city,  and  possibly  inside  its  corporate  limits.  The  story 
is  told  of  a  party  of  emigrants  who  came  ashore  from  a  steamer, 
breakfasted  at  a  cheap  hotel,  and  then,  with  their  mining  tools, 
proceeded  to  the  beach  at  the  foot  of  Telegraph  Hill,  and  began 
washing  for  gold.  The  Sacramento  was  the  deposit  of  a 
greater  wealth  than  that  of  the  Indies;  they  argued  that  all 
the  water  in  the  bay  of  San  Francisco  had  come  from  that 
river,  and  therefore  all  the  earth  that  it  touched  must  be  auri- 
ferous. Only  a  day's  toil  in  that  locality  could  convince  them 
that  their  theories  were  incorrect. 

There  was  very  little  geological  or  other  science  applied  to 
the  early  mining,  as  very  few  of  the  miners  had  any  knowledge 
in  that  direction  beyond  what  they  acquired  by  practice.  Men 
dug  where  they  could  find  pay-dirt,  and  abandoned  places  that 
did  not  pay  for  their  labor,  but  they  could  not  often  give  any 
reason  why  one  spot  in  a  valley  was  richer  than  another. 
Mining  was  almost  wholly  a  matter  of  experiment,  and  to  this 
day  the  theories  of  the  school  of  mines  are  of  comparatively 
little  value  in  the  eyes  of  many  miners.  Many  of  the  ordinary 
rules  of  geology  are  overthrown  in  the  formation  of  the  Pacific 
coast,  so  that  the  scientific  geologists  who  have  gone  to  Cali- 
fornia, find  themselves  involved  in  perplexities  at  almost  every 
step. 

The  revelations  of  General  Sutter's  mill-race  established  the 
existence  of  gold  in  California,  and  the  news  spreading  rapidly 
throughout  the  world,  brought  a  large  migration.  The  first 
miners  were  nearly  all  adventurers  without  capital,  and  though 
the  bulk  of  the  immigration  continued  of  this  character,  the 
second  and  subsequent  years  saw  men  of  capital  and  intelli- 
gence going  there  to  give  a  better  direction  to  the  interest  of 
the  country.  The  pick  and  pan,  the  primitive  rocker,  the  long 


636  QUARTZ  MINING. 

torn,  the  sluice,  the  tunnel,  and  other  accessories  of  placer 
mining,  marked  the  successive  development  of  means  for  rob- 
bing the  earth  of  its  treasures.  These  operations  culminated 
in  hydraulic  mining,  which  may  be  fairly  considered  as  the 
perfection  of  this  branch  of  work. 

Of  course  it  was  but  a  single  step  from  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  the  dirt  of  the  valleys,  to  its  discovery  in  the  veins  of  rock 
that  formed  the  hill-sides  and  mountains.  The  rock  from 
these  veins  was  carefully  assayed,  and  its  richness  established. 
Mere  hand  work  was  of  no  avail,  or  would  be  unprofitable  in 
reducing  these  ores  and  extracting  the  metal.  Heavy  machin- 
ery must  be  erected,  deep  mines  must  be  opened ;  shafts  and 
wheels  and  pits  would  be  expensive,  and  so  would  be  the  erec- 
tion and  mangement  of  machinery.  Hence  the  necessity  for 
capital  and  intelligence  in  this  kind  of  labor.  Individuals 
and  companies  led  off  in  this  work,  and  so  quartz  mining 
followed  upon  placer  mining,  and  became  a  business  of  magni- 
tude. 

The  best  established  gold  mines  in  California  are  at  Grass 
Valley,  a  neat  little  city  in  Nevada  County,  twelve  miles  from 
the  Central  Pacific  Railway,  and  for  some  time  the  home  of  the 
once  noted  and  notorious  Lola  Montez.  The  other  quartz 
mining  districts  are  scattered  through  the  mountainous  region 
of  the  State,  but  the  localities  where  the  mines  are  profitable 
are  not  very  numerous.  Further  explorations  will  of  course 
increase  their  number,  but  it  is  not  very  probable  that  the 
development  will  be  rapid. 

In  placer  mining,  the  object  is  to  separate  the  gold  from  the 
dirt  where  it  has  been  deposited,  and  to  accomplish  this,  water 
and  labor  are  the  only  necessities.  The  dirt  or  earth  is  to  be 
carried  away  while  the  gold  remains.  This  is  the  whole  pro- 
cess, whether  we  employ  the  simple  pan  and  rocker  or  some 
more  elaborate  means  of  working.  But  in  quartz  mining  the 
process  is  more  complicated.  The  rocks  must  be  taken  from 
the  veins  and  brought  to  the  surface.  There  it  lies,  solid 
rock,  with  the  gold  mixed  into  its  whole  mass,  while  in  a  fluid 
state,  just  as  salt  or  soda  are  mixed  with  flour  in  making 


QUARTZ  MINING.  637 

bread.  It  must  be  reduced  to  powder,  and  for  this  purpose 
heavy  machinery  is  employed.  When  reduced  to  a  powder, 
the  gold  must  be  extracted,  and  this  work  requires  more  care 
and  causes  more  perplexities  than  other  labor  connected  with 
quartz  mining.  Besides  the  gold,  there  are  various  chemical 
compounds,  some  of  which  remain,  while  others  may  be 
washed  away.  Many  men  must  be  employed  about  a  quartz 
mill;  the  monthly  disbursements,  provided  the  owners  are 
honorable,  are  very  large.  Hence,  while  a  man  without  capi- 
tal may  become  a  miner  in  the  gulches  and  placers,  the  begin- 
ner in  quartz  mining  requires  both  brains  and  capital. 

The  quartz  district,  which  is  from  fifteen  to  a  hundred  miles 
in  width,  commences  in  Mariposa  County,  and  extends  along 
the  western  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  for  four  or  five 
hundred  miles,  disappearing  somewhere  in  Oregon.  The 
ledges  of  rocks  lie  at  various  angles,  being  in  some  places 
almost  horizontal,  while  in  others  they  vary  little  from  the 
perpendicular.  There  are  various  theories  touching  the  forma- 
tion of  the  quartz  ledges  and  their  impregnation  with  gold,  but 
none  of  them  will  apply  to  all  cases.  The  mines  that  have 
been  opened  are  along  this  ridge,  and  many  shafts  have  been 
sunk  for  the  purpose  of  reaching  this  rich  rock.  A  consider- 
able proportion  of  these  shafts  have  been  abandoned  because 
they  did  not  reach  the  ledge,  while  others  have  been  forced  to 
quit,  because  the  ledge,  though  containing  gold,  was  unprofit- 
able. As  before  stated,  those  most  generally  successful  are  at 
Grass  Valley,  where  the  rock  does  not  vary  much  in  value, 
and  where  the  profits  of  a  year's  labor  can  be  estimated  before- 
hand with  considerable  accuracy.  Year  after  year  the  work 
has  gone  on,  and  the  town  of  Grass  Valley  has  a  more  thrifty 
appearance  than  the  majority  of  the  mining  centers  of  Cali- 
fornia. 

There  is  very  little  difference  in  the  character  of  the  quartz 
mines  and  mills  throughout  California.  Where  the  vein  is 
perpendicular,  or  nearly  so,  the  shaft  is  sunk  directly  through 
the  vein;  but  where  it  lies  at  an  angle,  the  shaft  is  sunk  so  as 
to  strike  the  vein  at  a  given  distance  from  the  surface.  In 


638  QUARTZ  MINING. 

either  case,  galleries,  called  levels,  are  run  off  from  the  shaft 
into  the  vein,  sometimes  for  a  long  distance.  At  the  surface, 
the  vein  may  be  but  a  few  inches  in  thickness,  but  it  gradually 
widens  as  it  descends,  so  that  some  of  the  veins  have  a  width 
of  twenty-five  feet  or  upwards.  Along  the  levels  the  ore  is 
brought  to  the  shaft,  and  then  sent,  in  buckets,  up  to  daylight. 
In  extensive  operations,  there  are  numerous  shafts,  galleries, 
and  levels  that  connect  with  each  other  and  form  a  subterra- 
nean net-work  of  streets  and  alleys.  Once  on  the  surface  of 
the  earth,  the  ore  is  sent  to  the  mill,  where  it  is  first  broken 
into  small  pieces  and  then  reduced  to  powder  by  the  action  of 
the  crushing  machinery. 

Various  kinds  of  machinery  have  been  devised  for  reducing 
the  ore,  the  first  being  the  stamp-mill,  which  consists  of  a  row 
of  heavy  pestles,  standing  in  troughs.  These  pestles  or 
stamps  are  raised  by  steam  power,  and  fall  by  their  own  weight. 
They  are  from  four  to  eight  in  number,  and  sometimes  there 
are  twenty  or  more ;  they  operate  just  as  do  the  feet  of  the 
smiling  maidens  in  the  vineyards  of  France,  when  treading  out 
the  juices  of  the  grape.  No  other  mill  has  proved  superior  to 
this  in  reducing  the  ore ;  the  testimony  of  miners  and  capital- 
ists is  almost  unanimously  in  favor  of  the  stamp-mill. 

A  stream  of  water  pours  into  the  trough  where  the  ore  is 
being  crushed,  each  stamp  falling  from  ten  to  eighty  times  a 
minute,  and  mixing  the  water  and  pulverized  rock  together. 
This  runs  upon  blankets,  which  catch  a  portion  of  the  gold ; 
then  it  passes  over  a  sloping  surface,  cut  with  horizontal  crev- 
ices, filled  with  quicksilver,  that  catches  all  the  gold  it  touches ; 
then  through  a  series  of  troughs  and  sluices,  with  occasional 
beds  of  quicksilver,  and  so  on  to  a  heap  of  wastes. 

No  perfect  process  of  saving  the  gold  has  yet  been  invented, 
and  much  of  it  is  still  carried  away  in  the  sand  or  "tailing" 
of  the  mills.  Rock  that  assays  $40  or  $50  to  the  ton  will 
rarely  yield  more  than  half  or  two-thirds  that  amount,  and 
sometimes  falls  far  below  it.  Some  of  the  mill  owners  claim 
to  be  satisfied  with  their  present  process,  while  others  are  con- 
stantly making  experiments.  Whoever  succeeds  in  finding  a 


THE   QUARTZ  MINERS. 

cheap  and  effective  means  of  saving  all  the  gold  in  the  pulver- 
ized rock,  has  a  sure  fortune  before  him.  Many  of  the  ores 
contain  sulphurets  of  various  kinds,  and  these  are  nearly 
always  more  or  less  refractory.  Many  of  the  mills  are  reserv- 
ing their  "  tailings,"  to  be  worked  down  again  when  some  suc- 
cessful inventor  makes  his  appearance.  Some  mill  owners  save 
the  sulphurets  from  the  ores  for  the  purpose  of  selling  them  to 
the  agent  of  an  English  house,  who  buys  them  for  shipment  to 
Wales. 

Most  of  the  quartz  mines  in  California  are  from  one  hundred 
and  fifty  to  six  hundred  feet  in  depth.  The  deepest  and  rich- 
est gold  mine  in  the  State  is  that  known  as  Hayward's  mine, 
on  Sutter's  Creek,  Amador  County.  Its  owner  was  unable  to 
make  it  pay  expenses  for  a  long  time,  but  it  grew  richer  as  it 
descended,  and  for  the  past  twelve  years  or  so  has  paid  a  hand- 
some profit.  Sixty  tons  per  day  are  taken  out  and  crushed ; 
the  operation  goes  on  constantly,  night  and  day. 

The  history  of  this  mine  seems  to  settle  the  question  about 
the  profitableness  of  deep  mining,  as  the  ore  grows  richer  the 
farther  it  gets  from  the  surface.  The  mines  at  Grass  Valley 
steadily  increase  in  richness  as  they  descend  from  the  sur- 
face. The  owners  of  one  mine  have  been  pocketing  a  profit  of 
$200,000  per  annum. 

All  the  fortunes  made  in  California  mining  operations  have 
not  come  from  actual  work  upon  the  ledges.  A  great  many 
men  who  never  saw  a  mine  have  become  rich  by  speculation  in 
mining  stocks ;  some  of  them  have  kept  their  money,  but  the 
majority  have  been  unable  to  hold  to  it,  in  consequence  of  their 
eagerness  for  more.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  more  fortunes  have 
been  made  by  lucky  sales  of  stock  in  mining  companies  than 
by  holding  for  dividends.  There  have  been  some  very  large 
speculations  in  this  kind  of  property,  and  at  one  time  Mont- 
gomery street  in  San  Francisco  rivaled  "Wall  street  in  New 
York  in  the  magnitude  of  its  operations.  It  is  still  a  scene  of 
financial  activity,  though  the  speculation  is  less  ftian  of  yore. 

The  California  speculators  are  up  to  all  the  tricks  and  equal 
to  the  smartest  of  the  Wall  street  men.  A  New  York  capital- 


640  "  CLEANING   THEM   OUT." 

ist  went  there  once  with  the  laudable  intention  of  "  cleaning 
them  out."  There  had  been  a  little  flurry  in  the  stock  of  a 
certain  company,  and  it  was  well  known  who  were  the  holders 
of  the  property.  One  day  he  received  a  telegram  announcing 
that  this  mine  had  suddenly  developed  immense  quantities  of 
very  rich  ore,  and  the  stock  would  consequently  make  an 
enormous  advance.  Other  persons,  who  claimed  to  be  his 
friends,  received  the  same  intelligence,  and  told  him  of  it  in 
the  strictest  confidence.  The  bait  took,  he  bought  all  accessi- 
ble stock  of  that  company,  paying  a  liberal  price,  and  rejoicing 
at  the  reception  of  his  news  in  advance  of  the  market.  The 
telegrams  were  all  bogus;  his  pretended  friends  assisted  in 
stocking  the  cards  so  as  to  win.  The  operators  on  the  street 
used  to  speak  of  this  as  a  very  neat  transaction,  and  declared 
that  Wall  street  could  not  excel  it. 

A  great  deal  depends  upon  knowing  when  to  sell  out.  A 
friend  of  mine  once  bought  fifteen  feet  of  a  mine,  just  opened, 
at  ten  dollars  a  foot,  and  sold  it  a  year  later  at  sixteen  thousand 
dollars  a  foot.  Three  months  later  it  could  have  been  bought 
for  not  more  than  ten  times  the  original  cost.  One  man,  who 
held  on,  is  still  keeping  ten  feet  of  the  same  mine,  and  is 
likely  to  do  so. 

Copper  mining  has  been  prosecuted  to  a  considerable  extent 
in  California,  and  at  one, time  was  very  profitable,  owing  to  the 
war  between  Spain  and  Chili,  which  excluded  the  latter  coun- 
try from  the  copper  market.  The  principal  copper  mines  in 
California  are  at  Copperopolis,  in  the  foot-hills  of  the  Sierra 
Nevadas,  about  forty  miles  from  Stockton.  The  ore  is  extract- 
ed in  the  form  of  sulphurets,  from  a  vein  about  twenty  feet  in 
width,  which  has  reached  a  depth  of  more  than  six  hundred 
feet.  In  consequence  of  the  expense  of  smelting  works,  and 
the  cost  of  fuel,  it  has  been  found  more  economical  to  send  the 
ore  to  England,  and  to  the  Atlantic  coast,  for  reduction.  The 
sulphur  is  driven  off  by  heat,  and,  after  undergoing  various 
manipulations  to  rid  it  of  foreign  matter,  the  fine  copper 
remains.  There  are  several  mines  at  Copperopolis,  all  of 
them  on  the  same  vein.  The  most  profitable  of  them  employed 


COPPER  AND   SILVER  MINES. 


641 


at  one  time  more  than  twenty  ships  in  freighting  its  ore  to  the 
places  where  it  was  smelted.  The  net  profit  to  the  owners  of 
the  mine  for  one  year,  during  the  Chilian  war,  exceeded  half  a 
million  dollars,  but  it  fell  off  greatly  with  the  return  of  peace. 

The  ore  contains  an  average  of  twenty  to  twenty-five  per  cent, 
of  copper,  the  balance  being  sulphur  and  other  chemicals,  in 
combination  with  such  earthy  substances  as  are  ordinarily 
encountered  in  sulphate  veins.  The  richest  copper  mines  of 
the  coast  are  in  Arizona,  very  near  the  California  line.  Speci- 
mens from  a  mine  on  "Bill  Williams'  Fork,"  eight  miles  from 
steamboat  navigation,  on  the  Colorado  River,  assayed  from 
sixty  to  seventy  per  cent,  of  copper.  The  ore  from  these 
mines  ought  to  yield  from  forty  to  fifty  per  cent,  pure  copper, 
and  the  miners  are  confident  of  a  richer  return  than  this  as 
they  descend  into  the  earth. 

Arizona  is  also  rich  in  silver  and  gold,  particularly  the  for- 
mer, but  the  climate  is  so  unhealthy,  and  the  Indians  have 
such  a  persistent  habit  of  killing  white  men  on  frequent  occa- 
sions, that  a  residence  there  is  not  as  desirable  as  a  home  on 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  or  the  Ohio.  But  as  we  are  always 
ready  to  go  wherever  there  is  a  prospect  of  money-making,  this 
out-of-the-way  territory  bids  fair  to  become  peopled  before  many 
years  have  passed  away.  Steamboats  are  running  on  the  Col- 
orado, and  the  Southern  Pacific  Railway  taps  the  country,  so  that 
the  mines  near  it  have  a  good  prospect  of  development.  Some 
of  the  companies  now  in  operation  in  Arizona  sell  their  ore  to 
speculators,  while  the  balance  ship  theirs  to  England  for 
reduction. 

The  want  of  good  coal  mines  is  severely  felt  in  California. 
Coal  has  been  discovered,  and  is  being  taken  out  in  considera- 
ble quantities  at  Mount  Diabolo,  thirty  miles  from  San  Fran- 
cisco, but  it  is  of  inferior  quality,  and  unfit  for  many  purposes 
where  coal  is  used.  The  same  is  the  case  with  the  coal  from 
Bellingham  Bay,  British  Columbia,  and  from  nearly  all  other 
points  on  the  Pacific*  coast  where  mines  have  been  opened. 
The  river  steamers  burn  the  California  coal.  Some  of  the 
founders  use  it,  as  well  as  all  the  establishments  on  land  where 


642  CALIFORNIA   QUICKSILVER. 

the  making  of  steam  is  the  only  object.  It  is  said  that  ocean 
steamers  cannot  burn  it,  in  consequence  of  its  tendency  to 
spontaneous  combustion,  when  kept  in  the  hold  of  a  ship  for 
any  considerable  time.  Coal  is  taken  there  from  the  Atlantic 
seaboard,  and  from  Sidney,  New  South  Wales.  If  a  mine, 
favorably  located  anywhere  on  the  Pacific  coast,  furnishing  a 
good  quality  of  coal,  could  be  found,  it  would  yield  a  fortune  to 
its  owners. 

I  have  spoken  of  gold,  silver,  and  copper  among  the  min- 
erals, but  there  is  another  metal  which  is  an  important 
product  of  the  coast,  though  the  area  of  its  production  is 
somewhat  limited.  I  allude  to  quicksilver,  which  exists  in 
quantities  worthy  of  note,  only  in  Spain,  California,  and  Peru. 
For  a  very  long  time  the  Almaden  quicksilver  mine  in  Spain 
was  the  only  one  known,  and  it  held  a  rigid  monopoly  of  the 
trade.  The  discoveries  in  Peru  opened  a  new  field,  but,  though 
it  reduced  the  price  for  a  time,  it  did  not  seriously  affect  it. 
The  discovery  in  California  threw  such  a  quantity  into  the 
market,  that  the  whole  quicksilver  trade  of  the  world  is  now 
ruled  by  it. 

The  great  mine  is  at  New  Almaden,  sixty  miles  south  from 
San  Francisco.  The  ore  is  taken  from  a  mine  in  the  hills  on 
the  inside  of  the  Coast.Range  of  mountains,  and  is  found  in 
chambers,  instead  of  veins.  Some  of  the  earthquakes  that 
occasionally  disturb  San  Francisco,  put  money  in  the  pockets 
of  the  New  Almaden  owners,  as  they  open  up  new  and  very 
rich  chambers,  not  previously  discovered.  The  ore  from  which 
the  quicksilver  is  taken  is  about  the  color  of  a  well-burned 
brick,  and  looks,  when  piled  up  for  use,  much  like  a  heap  of 
broken  granite  and  bricks.  The  ore  is  placed  in  furnaces,  a 
wood  fire  is  built  beneath,  the  quicksilver  flies  off  in  vapor, 
and  is  caught  and  condensed  in  air-tight  rooms,  partly  filled 
with  water.  After  condensation,  it  is  bottled  up  in  flasks  con- 
taining 76J  pounds,  each  of  these  being  the  same  as  the 
weight  used  at  the  Almaden  mine  in  Spain. 

This  mine  has  been  the  subject  of  much  litigation,  as  indeed 
has  nearly  everything  valuable  in  California.  The  product  in 


QUICKSILVER.  643 

one  year  was  47,194  flasks,  worth  about  850  per  flask,  or  a 
total  value  of  $2,359,700.  The  cost  of  producing  this  result  was 
about  8800,000,  leaving  a  very  fair  margin  of  profit.  The  ore 
averages  from  twelve  to  eighteen  per  cent,  of  quicksilver,  and 
frequently  exceeds  the  latter  figure.  A  piece  of  the  ore  which 
I  picked  up  at  the  mine,  lies  before  me  as  I  write.  It  is  a 
deep  red  color,  heavy,  like  a  lump  of  lead,  and  is  said  to  contain 
about  twenty  per  cent,  of  quicksilver. 

A  large  quantity  of  quicksilver  is  used  in  gold  and  silver 
mining  on  the  Pacific  coast,  and  the  balance  goes  to  various 
parts  of  the  world.  Of  the  production  of  the  year  I  mentioned, 
fourteen  thousand  flasks  were  sent  to  China,  ten  thousand  to 
London,  five  thousand  to  Peru,  two  thousand  to  Chili,  seven 
thousand  to  New  York,  two  thousand  to  Mexico,  and  two 
hundred  to  Australia. 


XLIY. 

RAPID  TRANSIT  IN  NEW  YORK. 

THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILWAY  SCHEMES.  — ELEVATED  RAILWAY  LINES.  —  THE 
WEST  SIDE  RAILWAY.  —  TRAVELLING  ON  LAMP  POSTS.  —  ADVANTAGES  OF  A 
SECOND  STORY  ROAD.  —  ADVENTURES  WITH  THIEVES.  —  PERILS  OF  THE 
MODERN  STREET  CAR.  —  ARTISTIC  PACKING  OF  PASSENGERS.  —  THE  PNEU- 
MATIC RAILWAY.  —  VANDERBILT'S  SCHEME.  —  AN  UNCOMFORTABLE  JOUR- 
KEY.  —  SHOT  FROM  A  GUN. 

FOR  several  years  the  people  of  New  York  city  have  been 
agitated  on  the  subject  of  rapid  transit  from  one  end  of 
Manhattan  Island  to  the  other.  In  one  respect,  New  York 
is  unlike  any  other  city  on  the  globe.  Nearly  all  its  business 
is  conducted  at  one  end  of  the  island  on  which  it  stands, 
while  nearly  all  the  residences  are  at  the  other  end.  Con- 
sequently, a  large  part  of  the  population  must  be  transported 
in  the  morning  from  the  upper  part  of  Manhattan  Island  to 
the  lower  end,  and  transported  back  again  in  the  afternoon 
and  evening.  All  the  lines  of  street  railway  and  the  stages 
are  densely  crowded  at  these  times.  There  is  not  a  street 
car  or  an  omnibus  that  is  not  packed  to  its  fullest  capacity,  in 
the  morning,  with  people  going  down  town,  and  packed  in  a 
similar  way,  about  sunset,  with  people  going  up  town. 

Travel  at  these  times  in  the  direction  indicated  is  accom- 
panied with  many  annoyances.  On  some  of  the  lines  of  street 
railway,  the  passengers  are  stowed  away  very  much  like  sar- 
dines in  a  can,  or  like  negroes  in  the  hold  of  a  slave  ship. 
Comfort  is  not  at  all  considered.  Every  man  is  anxious  to 
reach  his  destination  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  if  the  seats 
are  all  taken,  he  is  willing  to  stand.  Very  often  passen- 
gers are  wedged  so  closely  that  the  movement  of  one  affects 
nearly  all  the  rest,  and  a  person  near  the  middle  of  the  car 


SECTION    OF    THE    BROADWAY    UNDERGROUND    RAILWAY 


AN  INGENIOUS   DEVICE.  647 

finds  it  hard  work  to  get  out.  Straps  are  suspended  from 
horizontal  bars  running  fore  and  aft  the  car,  and  the  standing 
passengers  suspend  themselves  from  these  straps. 

An  ingenious  individual  has  devised  a  plan  whereby  the 
space  above  the  heads  of  the  standing  passengers  may  be 
utilized.  He  proposes  some  additional  straps,  on  which  a  few 
passengers  can  be  suspended  horizontally,  very  much  as 
dried  fish  in  a  museum  are  hung  up  against  the  wall.  The 
position  would  be  uncomfortable,  but  comfort  is  a  secondary 
or  tertiary  consideration  altogether. 

The  ordinary  street  car  is  designed  to  seat  thirty-two  pas- 
sengers, but  very  often  as  many  as  a  hundred  passengers  are 
crowded  on  a  single  vehicle.  The  front  and  rear  platforms 
are  occupied  down  to  the  very  edge  of  the  steps.  It  is 
uncomfortable  enough  when  the  passengers  are  sober  and 
well-behaved ;  but  when,  as  often  happens,  half  of  them  are 
drunk,  and  fifty  per  cent,  of  the  drunken  ones  are  quarrelsome, 
the  position  becomes  serious.  A  man  who  travels  late  at  night 
©n  a  main  line  of  street  railway  will  have  his  love  for  sport 
fully  gratified.  He  may  expect  a  broken  rib  every  week  or 
two,  and,  as  the  noble  and  manly  art  prevails  among  the 
drunken  gentlemen,  he  can  be  accommodated  with  a  fight 
whenever  he  wishes  it,  and  very  often  when  he  doesn't. 

The  modern  science  of  pocket-picking  is  very  much  in 
fashion  in  New  York,  and  a  goodly  portion  of  the  inhabitants 
seem  to  be  engaged  in  an  effort  to  make  an  honest  living  by 
robbing  the  rest.  On  a  densely  crowded  car,  one  can  frequently 
see  gangs  of  pickpockets,  varying  from  two  to  half  a  dozen  per- 
sons, and  unless  he  is  very  attentive,  they  will  go  through 
him  without  his  knowing  it.  They  are  skilful  operators,  and 
the  rules  of  the  profession  forbid  the  practice  of  the  science 
until  the  artist  is  able  to  pick  away  a  man's  eye-winkers  with- 
out his  feeling  it.  I  always  look  with  pleasure  on  a  man  who 
boasts  that  no  pickpocket  can  rob  him.  His  confidence 
begets  carelessness,  and  the  result  is,  that  he  is  generally 
robbed  more  than  any  other  man. 

With  a  long  experience  on  street  railways,  it  has  been  my 
35 


648  SKILL   OF  PICKPOCKETS. 

pleasure  to  suffer  the  depredations  of  pickpockets  several 
times ;  and  I  will  do  them  the  credit  to  say  that  their  rob- 
beries were  almost  always  committed  when  I  was  on  the  lookout 
for  them,  and  was  quite  confident  they  could  do  me  no  harm. 
They  never  took  my  watch  or  pocket-book,  but  on  two  occa- 
sions they  have  taken  a  letter  case  out  of  the  inside  pocket 
of  my  coat,  and  once  invaded  my  trousers,  and  carried  off  a 
card  case  which  had  no  cards  in  it.  They  have  gone  through 
my  overcoat,  and  relieved  it  of  kerchiefs,  and  gloves,  and  such 
trifles,  and  I  was  in  blissful  ignorance  of  their  operations 
until  some  time  afterwards,  when  I  happened  to  put  a  hand 
in  my  pocket,  and  found  that  my  property  had  gone. 

Quite  often  I  have  seen  the  pickpockets  "  working  "  a  car, 
and  have  admired  the  effectual  and  artistic  manner  in  which 
they  perform  their  duty.  A  few  days  before  writing  this 
description,  I  travelled  with  five  of  these  individuals  on  my 
way  down  town,  and  saw  them  go  from  one  end  of  the  car  to 
the  other,  —  the  vehicle  was  very  much  crowded,  —  and  after 
taking  what  watches  and  pocket-books  they  could  find,  they 
left  from  the  rear  platform.  The  cry  of  robbers  was  raised  a 
little  too  late,  and  when  the  first  announcement  was  made  that 
valuables  had  disappeared,  they  were  off  the  car  and  three 
or  four  blocks  away.  Two  pocket-books  and  four  watches 
were  the  result  of  that  evening's  enterprise  —  a  very  fair  com- 
pensation for  five  minutes'  work. 

The  omnibuses  are  somewhat  better  in  character  than  the 
street  cars,  though  they  do  not  afford  accommodations  for 
standing,  especially  if  the  passenger  happens  to  be  in  the 
vicinity  of  six  feet  high.  Many  persons  do  stand  in  them, 
however,  and  revenge  themselves  for  their  discomfort  by 
treading  on  the  toes  of  the  sitters  at  every  lurch  of  the 
carriage.  Intoxicated  people  do  not  ride  in  the  omnibuses 
as  much  as  in  the  street  cars,  partly  for  the  reason  that  the 
majority  of  drunkards  live  on  the  railway  rather  than  on  the 
omnibus  routes,  and  partly  for  the  reason  that  it  is  not  so 
easy  to  enter  an  omnibus  as  to  enter  a  street  car.  The  car 
has  a  conductor,  whose  duty  it  is  to  assist  passengers  on  board 


SCHEMES   OF   RAPID   TRANSIT.  651 

and  collect  their  fares,  to  kick  off  the  disorderly  ones,  and 
keep  everybody  on  good  behavior.  Between  the  pickpockets 
and  passengers,  the  conductors  generally  occupy  a  neutral 
position,  very  much  like  the  woman  in  the  celebrated  contest 
between  her  husband  and  a  bear.  The  omnibus  has  no  con- 
ductor, and  as  no  one  is  responsible  for  the  conduct  of  the 
passengers,  they  generally  behave  much  better  than  on  board 
a  street  car.  If  a  man  misbehaves  himself  in  the  former 
vehicle,  his  fellow-passengers  eject  him  ;  but  in  the  latter 
conveyance,  the  passengers  do  not  wish  to  take  upon  them- 
selves the  conductor's  duty,  and  as  he  is  generally  unwilling 
to  perform  it,  it  is  not  performed  at  all. 

Time  is  an  important  consideration  on  these  lines  of  travel. 
There  are  so  many  stoppages  for  landing  and  receiving 
passengers,  so  many  blockades  arising  from  vehicles  in  the 
street,  and  from  other  causes,  that  the  journey  from  end  to 
end  of  Manhattan  Island  is  not  a  rapid  one.  From  the  City 
Hall  to  Harlem,  the  ordinary  time  required  is  an  hour  arid  a 
half,  and  proportionally  for  other  distances.  The  omnibus  is 
even  slower  than  the  street  car,  as  it  has  not  the  advantage 
of  rails  on  which  to  move,  and  makes  frequent  stoppages  to 
wait  for  its  passengers.  The  consumption  of  time  in  city 
travel,  added  to  the  annoyances,  makes  it  very  desirable  that 
a  more  perfect  system  should  be  devised. 

Consequently  the  question  of  rapid  transit  has  been  very 
much  debated,  and  several  schemes  have  been  proposed.  I 
shall  not  attempt  to  give  all  the  systems  proposed  for  public 
consideration,  as  they  would  occupy  much  more  space  than 
I  have  at  my  disposal.  Some  inventors  propose  an  under- 
ground railway,  and  some  propose  a  railway  elevated  suffi- 
ciently high  to  offer  no  obstacle  to  the  passage  of  vehicles. 
There  has  been  a  great  deal  of  talk  on  the  rapid  transit  ques- 
tion, but  up  to  this  time  comparatively  little  has  been  done. 
A  single  track  has  been  placed  in  the  air  on  iron  posts  some- 
thing like  lamp  posts,  and  carried  from  the  Battery  through 
Greenwich  Street,  and  connecting  streets  and  avenues,  as  far 
as  Thirtieth  Street.  It  is  very  doubtful  if  it  ever  gets  any 


652  HOW  T0  STUDY  PRIVATE  LIFE. 

farther,  or  if  anything  more  than  a  single  track  is  built  The 
enterprise  thus  far  has  not  met  the  expectations  of  its  pro- 
jectors. It  has  swallowed  up  a  great  deal  of  money,  and 
secured  very  little  travel.  It  carries  passengers  at  a  fair 
speed,  but  it  has  had  two  or  three  accidents  that  have  ren- 
dered the  public  distrustful  of  its  accomplishments. 

It  possesses  one  advantage  —  that  of  enabling  strangers  to 
study  the  private  life  of  the  people  on  second  story  floors 
along  its  route ;  and  for  this  reason  I  presume  distinguished 
foreigners,  who  come  to  New  York,  are  generally  invited  to 
make  a  journey  over  this  railway.  By  no  other  means  now 
known  can  so  good  a  knowledge  of  the  domestic  habits  of  New 
York  be  obtained.  A  gentleman  who  made  a  journey  in  one 
of  the  cars  of  this  road  soon  after  its  opening,  stated  that  he 
counted  ninety-seven  families  at  breakfast,  of  whom  thirty- 
three  were  eating  fish,  twenty-seven  were  eating  beefsteaks 
or  mutton-chops,  while  the  balance  were  sticking  to  bread 
and  vegetables  in  various  forms,  or  were  breakfasting  on  noth- 
ing at  all.  He  saw  thirteen  family  quarrels  in  various  stages 
of  progress,  and  observed  one  lady,  apparently  of  foreign 
origin,  discussing  home  affairs  with  a  broom-handle.  He 
obtained  an  intimate  knowledge  of  wearing  apparel  for  both 
sexes,  and  saw  a  great  many  things  he  had  never  seen  before, 
and  hardly  expected  to  see  on  so  short  a  journey. 

Soon  after  this  Elevated  Eaihvay  was  begun,  sonie  enter- 
prising gentlemen  undertook  the  construction  of  a  railway 
under  Broadway,  on  the  pneumatic  plan.  They  leased  a 
cellar  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Warren  Street,  dug  a 
tunnel  under  the  sidewalk,  and  thence  directly  under  Broad- 
way for  a  distance  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet.  It  had 
been  claimed  that  an  underground  railway  could  not  be 
made  beneath  Broadway  without  interfering  greatly  with 
the  traffic  of  that  busy  thoroughfare.  The  projectors  of  this 
line,  known  as  the  Beach  Pneumatic  Railway,  contended  that 
they  could  do  their  work  without  interference  with  travel, 
and  they  not  only  did  it  in  that  way,  but  they  kept  the 
entire  public  ignorant  of  their  operations  until  they  were 


INTERIOR   OF    PNEUMATIC    PASSENGER    CAR. 


PORTAL   OF    THE    BROADWAY    TUNNEL. 


OPENING  AN  UNDERGROUND   RAILWAY.  655 

ready  to  throw  open  the  completed  portion  of  their  line  for 
inspection.  They  were  at  work  three  or  four  months  before 
any  outsider  obtained  the  least  hint  of  what  was  going  on, 
and  for  the  last  few  months  of  their  work,  the  public  dwelt 
almost  entirely  in  conjectures.  It  leaked  out  that  something 
was  being  done  there,  but  what  it  was,  nobody  could  ex- 
actly tell. 

Finally,  a  certain  day  was  fixed  for  the  opening,  and  a( 
great  many  persons  were  invited  to  be  present.  They  found 
a  comfortable  station  and  waiting-room  under  the  sidewalk  of 
Warren  Street.  They  found  a  passenger  car  on  the  track, 
and  a  well-lighted  tunnel,  through  which  they  could  walk,  and 
listen  to  the  rumbling  of  carriages  overhead.  The  tunnel 
was  as  dry  and  comfortable  as  brickwork  and  whitewash  could 
make  it.  Telegraph  wires  extended  from  end  to  end,  so  that 
communication  could  be  had  at  any  moment  with  the  engi- 
neer ;  and  although  the  distance  was  short,  the  car,  in  moving 
along  the  track,  attained  considerable  speed.  They  found 
powerful  machinery,  capable  of  forcing  thousands  of  cubic  feet 
of  air  per  minute,  and  propelling  the  cars  at  a  rapid  rate. 
The  machinery  was  moved  by  steam  power,  and  the  cars 
were  propelled  by  the  force  of  the  air  pressing  against  them. 
Whether  the  tube  was  five  yards  in  length  or  five  miles,  as 
long  as  it  remained  tight  the  car  could  be  driven  by  the 
power  of  the  stationary  machinery. 

Unfortunately  for  the  rapid  prosecution  of  the  enterprise, 
the  Pneumatic  Railway  was  not,  for  the  purpose  of  carrying 
passengers,  a  chartered  institution ;  and  up  to  the  time  of 
writing,  it  has  never  progressed  farther  than  a  single  section, 
between  Warren  and  Murray  Streets.  Its  projectors  have 
full  faith  in  its  ultimate  success,  and  certainly  the  result  of 
their  enterprise,  so  far,  has  been  satisfactory.  They  claim  to 
be  able  to  drill  their  tunnels  for  any  distance,  under  any  part 
of  the  city,  without  interfering  with  business ;  and  they  even 
propose  to  push  their  way  under  the  East  River,  and  thus  ex- 
tend their  route  to  Brooklyn.  They  propose  to  have  stopping- 
places  every  half  mile,  where  passengers  can  be  taken  up  and 


656  AN  ELEVATED  EAILWAY. 

left,  and  they  promise  to  run  their  cars  from  one  end  of  New 
York  to  the  other  inside  of  half  an  hour.  They  promise  that 
there  shall  be  comfortable  weather  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
and  are  very  certain  that  their  route  will  never  be  blocked 
with  snow.  They  assert  that  collisions  are  impossible,  because 
their  mode  of  propulsion  is  such  that  two  cars  cannot  approach 
or  go  from  each  other  on  the  same  track  at  the  same  time. 
One  of  the  great  troubles  of  operating  a  line  of  railway  by  steam 
is  the  impossibility  of  making  two  trains  pass  each  other  on  a 
single  track.  Many  a  railway  engine-driver  has  attempted  it, 
but  on  every  occasion  he  has  come  to  grief,  and  has  generally 
brought  some  of  his  passengers  to  an  unhappy  end.  On  an 
atmospheric  railway  the  attempt  to  make  such  a  meeting  and 
passage  is,  from  the  nature  of  things,  impossible ;  conse- 
quently accidents  from  this  cause  can  never  occur. 

Another  atmospheric  railway  proposed  for  New  York  is  to 
be  elevated  in  the  air.  An  iron  arch  is  to  be  thrown  over  the 
streets  or  avenues,  sufficiently  high  to  permit  the  passage  of 
vehicles  beneath  it,  and  sufficiently  strong  to  sustain  a  great 
weight.  On  the  top  of  this  archway  two  large  tubes  are  to 
be  placed,  each  tube  nine  or  ten  feet  in  diameter,  and  having 
a  railway  track  inside,  where  car-wheels  can  run.  The  pneu- 
matic system  is  to  be  applied  to,  the  propulsion  of  these  cars, 
very  much  as  it  is  used  to  propel  the  cars  on  the  underground 
line  already  described.  It  would  possess  most  of  the  advan- 
tages of  the  underground  system,  and  there  is  no  good  reason 
to  predict  the  failure  of  a  line  constructed  in  this  way. 

Another  elevated  railway  has  an  iron  arch,  similar  to  the 
one  just  mentioned ;  but  the  roadway  is  open,  and  the  cars 
are  propelled  by  steam.  Its  advocates  are  sanguine  of  suc- 
cess, and  its  opponents  say  that  it  would  frighten  all  the 
horses  that  come  anywhere  in  sight  of  it  when  its  trains  are 
in  motion.  But  if  the  horses  choose  to  get  frightened,  that  is 
their  affair ;  and  the  probability  is,  that  they  would  soon  become 
accustomed  to  the  strange  noise,  and  behave  themselves 
properly.  Horses  can  be  accustomed  to  anything.  All  that 
is  wanted  is  proper  training. 


THE  VIADUCT  RAILWAY.  657 

Somebody  has  proposed  a  three-tier  railway,  having  one 
line  or  track  under  ground,  another  at  the  surface,  and  another 
elevated  high  in  the  air.  His  scheme  is  a  magnificent  one, 
and  has  a  good  many  advocates ;  but  the  probability  is,  that 
some  of  the  rival  enterprises  will  be  completed  before  this  is 
adopted,  mainly  for  the  reason  that  the  cost  of  their  construc- 
tion is  much  less. 

Several  years  ago  an  underground  railway  company  was 
chartered,  and  set  about  the  construction  of  a  line.  A 
little  work  had  been  done,  and  only  a  little.  The  route  was 
surveyed  and  laid  out,  and  the  managers  of  the  company  set 
about  raising  the  needed  capital.  Somehow  the  desired 
money  was  not  forthcoming,  and  up  to  this  time  the  railway 
has  existed  more  on  paper  and  in  the  minds  of  its  advocates 
than  in  the  locality  where  it  was  to  be  constructed. 

A  year  or  so  after  this  line  was  chartered,  another  scheme 
was  proposed  for  making  a  railway  on  brick  arches,  to  bo 
known  as  the  Viaduct  Railway.  It  was  in  the  hands  of  men 
then  in  power  in  New  York,  and  soon  after  the  organization 
of  the  company  it  was  announced  that  a  large  amount  of  stock 
had  been  taken.  The  route  was  surveyed,  and  maps  were 
published,  showing  the  proposed  line  of  travel.  There  were 
many  real  estate  speculations  growing  out  of  it,  and  the  sup- 
position is,  that  the  managers  of  the  Viaduct  Railway  pocketed 
handsome  amounts  of  money  out  of  these  speculations ;  but 
somehow  the  public  did  not  grasp  with  any  confidence  the 
enterprise,  which  was  in  the  hands  of  the  magnates  of  the 
Tammany  Ring,  and  the  Viaduct  Railroad,  at  the  time  I  write, 
exists  only  on  paper. 

After  this  failure  to  meet  the  much  felt  want,  the  genius  of 
Vanderbilt  was  brought  into  action.  The  commodore,  as  he 
was  called,  was  able,  by  the  influence  he  could  bring  to  bear 
on  the  legislature,  to  secure  a  charter  for  an  underground 
railway  from  City  Hall  to  the  upper  end  of  the  island.  He 
went  at  it  in  a  business-like  way,  and  promised  that  in  a  few 
years  one  could  ride  under  ground  from  the  City  Hall  to  Har- 
lem in  twenty  minutes. 


658  SPHERICAL  TRANSPORTATION. 

If  Yanderbilt  had  lived  to  -the  age  of  Methuselah,  and  con- 
tinued in  vigorous  health,  he  would  doubtless  have  done  some- 
thing for  rapid  transit  whenever  he  found  that  it  would  carry 
business  to  his  railway.  But  his  grand  scheme  of  several 
years  ago  amounted  to  nothing,  and  shrewd  people  suspected 
that  he  was  satisfied  with  the  existing  surface  roads. 

Among  the  schemes  that  have  been  proposed  for  rapid 
travel  and  transportation  of  freight,  there  is  one  which  pur- 
poses to  make  use  of  tubes,  either  under  ground  or  on  the 
surface,  in  which  spheres  or  globes  shall  be  placed,  and  pro- 
pelled by  means  of  a  rapid  current  of  air.  The  inventor 
claims  that  a  sphere  will  move  through  a  tube  with  very  little 
friction,  and  can  be  driven  with  great  rapidity.  He  would 
make  a  tube  several  feet  in  diameter,  and  have  his  spheres 
so  arranged  that  they  could  be  opened  and  filled  with  freight, 
then  closed,  properly  fastened,  placed  in  the  tube,  and  started. 
I  believe  that  he  proposes  to  propel  them  one  or  two  hundred 
miles  an  hour,  at  comparatively  slight  expense.  For  certain 
kinds  of  freight  this  mode  of  transportation  and  propulsion 
might  be  well  enough,  but  there  are  things  for  which  it  would 
not  answer.  Imagine,  for  example,  one  of  the  spheres  filled 
with  fresh  strawberries  in  Virginia  for  transportation  to  New 
York.  The  strawberries  would  be  constantly  rolled  against 
each  other,  so  that  by  the  time  they  reached  New  York  they 
would  be  in  a  condition  of  jelly. 

As  a  passenger  route  this  line  would  have  great  disadvan- 
tages. Imagine  a  man  enclosed  in  a  sphere,  either  doubled 
or  laid  out  horizontally,  to  make  a  journey  from  New  York  to 
Washington.  He  would  be  standing  alternately  on  his  head 
and  on  his  feet  about  one  hundred  times  a  minute,  and  if  he 
went  through  alive  it  would  be  a  wonder,  and  he  would  be 
likely  to  be  very  much  confused ;  especially  if  he  were  not 
packed  tightly  in  his  travelling-box,  he  would  have  a  rough 
time  of  it.  Every  square  inch  of  his  body  would  be  covered 
with  bruises,  and,  besides,  he  would  have  a  hard  time  to 
breathe,  as  the  supply  of  air  would  be  exceedingly  limited. 


THE    BOMB    FERRY — TRAVEL    IN    THE    30TH    CENTURY. 


THE    PUBLIC    HIGHWAY — TRAVEL    IN    THE    30TH   CENTURY. 


PROPULSION  BY  GUNPOWDER. 

I  believe  the  inventor  proposes  that  all  parcels  going  by 
his  route  should  be  tightly  packed  ;  consequently,  it  would  be 
necessary  to  wrap  the  passengers  and  secure  them  some- 
what after  the  style  of  an  Egyptian  mummy,  and  stow  them 
in  their  places  by  means  of  an  hydraulic  press.  None  of  this 
mode  of  travel  for  me,  if  you  please. 

I  have  heard  of  a  scheme  of  locomotion  in  which  the  in- 
ventor proposed  to  load  his  passengers  into  a  large  cannon, 
having  a  bore  of  three  or  four  yards,  and  then  shoot  them  to 
their  destination.  The  journey  could  be  made  fast  enough,  but 
such  a  mode  of  travel  is  liable  to  accidents,  both  on  starting 
and  stopping.  If  one  could  get  off  and  be  well  under  way 
without  being  singed  by  the  powder,  he  would  run  a  great 
risk  of  being  somewhat  injured  when  reaching  his  stopping- 
place.  "  It  was  not  the  falling,"  said  a  hod-carrier  one  day, 
speaking  of  a  tumble  of  twenty  or  thirty  feet,  —  "  it  was  not 
the  falling  that  hurt  me,  darling,  but  the  stopping  so  quick 
at  the  end." 


XLY. 

THE  TUNNELS,  AND  THE  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD  IN  LONDON. 

DESCRIPTION  OP  THE  LONDON  HARBORS— THE  CATHARINE  DOCK — ENORMOUS 
STORE-HOUSES — HOW  THE  TUNNEL  WAS  BUILT — PLAN  OF  THE  FRENCH 
ENGINEER,  ISAMBERT  BRUNEL — HOW  THE  WORK  WAS  CHECKED  BT  A 

BREAK  IN  THE  BED  OF  THE  THAMES — SIX  LIVES  LOST — REMARKABLE 
EESCUE  OF  THE  SON  OF  MR.  BRUNEL — ENORMOUS  LABOR  AND  STRUGGLE 
AGAINST;  THE  ELEMENTS — TRIUMPH  AT  LAST — THE  MOST  REMARKABLE 

RAILROAD  IN  THE  WORLD— LONDON  CROSSED  UNDERGROUND  BT  A  SERIES 
OF  TUNNELS — HOW  LIGHT  AND  AIR  IS  PRODUCED — THE  NEWEST  IMPROVE- 
MENTS OF  THE  ROAD — THE  CAItB  PASSING  UNDER  THE  DWELLING  OF  THE 
DEAD. 

The  London  harbor  belongs  to  the  grandest  and  most  inter- 
esting ones  in  the  world.  Here  in  vivid  writing  the  history 
of  the  English  commerce  is  recorded;  from  this  point,  a 
gigantic  net  of  navigation  is  spread  all  over  the  globe.  Voices 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  of  animals  and  men ;  all  human 
races,  of  every  color,  from  the  deepest  black  to  the  palest 
white  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  shores  of  the  White  Sea,  are 
met  with.  Merchandise  is  taken  in  here,  which  has  undergone 
an  uninterrupted  travel  of  three-quarters  ot  a  year,  until  at 
last  it  found  here  a  preliminary  object,  and  the  statistics  alone 
can  give  an  idea  of  the  immense  amount  of  products  of  all 
lands,  which  are  unloaded  in  this  harbor,  and  stored  in  the 
enormous  magazines.  The  harbor-basins,  where  those  store- 
houses are  situated,  are  crowded  with  boats  for  unloading  the 
wares,  give  a  refuge  to  colossi  of  ships ;  here  the  steam-whis- 
tles resound;  columns  of  smoke  rise  to  the  sky;  chains  are 
rattling  and  cranes  are  creaking.  In  those  long,  extended 
buildings,  which  are  almost  as  large  as  a  country  town,  the 
merchandise  is  stored,  free  of  duty  until  it  is  put  in  the  mar- 
ket. Oil,  wine,  tobacco,  silk,  weod,  flour,  etc.,  etc.,  are  stored 


THE  DOCKS   OF  LONDON.  663 

in  innumerable  vaults,  in  the  six  stories  of  the  monstrous 
buildings.  Steam  is  in  operation  to  unload  the  ships,  and 
small  railroads  allow  the  wares  to  be  easily  transported.  The 
principal  of  these  store-houses  are  the  Catharine-docks,  which 
are  easily  to  be  reached  from  the  Tower.  It  is  only  separated 
from  this  gloomy  witness  of  the  reign  of  tyranny  of  the  Middle 
Ages,  by  a  street,  and  here  one  is  astonished  at  the  hubbub 
which  is  going  on.  These  docks  were  opened  to  the  traffic  in 
182S ;  in  former  times,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  fifty 
houses,  with  eleven  thousand  three  hundred  inhabitants  were 
found  there.  The  flood-gates  which  lead  to  the  basin  are  so 
deep  that,  at  the  time  of  tide,  ships  of  seven  hundred  tons 
(one  ton  equals  forty-two  cubic  feet)  can  easily  enter  and 
leave.  The  store-houses  have  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  and 
ten  thousand  tons.  The  Catharine  steamboat-wharf  is  espe- 
cially used  as  pier  for  the  steamers  which  come  from  the 
continent.  A  whole  series  of  docks  is  connected  with  the 
Catharine-docks.  Among  them  are  the  London-docks,  with 
room  for  two  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  tons  of  goods,  and 
a  cellar  with  a  capacity  of  eight  million  two  hundred  and 
twenty-five  thousand  gallons.  The  tunnel  of  the  Thames 
leads  from  that  part  of  the  city  which  is  south  of  the  London- 
docks,  two  miles  below  London  Bridge,  to  Rotherhithe,  which 
lies  on  the  right  shore  of  the  Thames. 

The  Thames  flows  through  the  city  of  London,  and  divides 
it  into  two  parts.  Many  bridges  span  the  river,  but  they  are 
insufficient  in  number  for  the  great  traffic,  and  the  idea  was 
entertained  of  constructing  a  new  bridge.  It  must  be  so  con- 
structed, however,  that  the  largest  vessels  could  pass  under  it. 
In  order  to  avoid  this,  Yesey  commenced,  at  the  beginning  of 
this  century,  to  build  a  tunnel  under  the  Thames,  which  plan, 
although  it  was  nearly  executed,  had  to  be  relinquished  in 
1809,  on  account  of  too  many  obstacles.  In  the  year  1823, 
the  idea  was  revived.  The  French  engineer,  Isambert  Brunei, 
looking  at  the  keel  of  a  ship,  saw  how  the  worms  hollowed 
out  their  single  passages  into  the  ship,  by  corridors  closely 
adjoining  each  other,  and  conceived  the  idea  that  a  great 


664  HOW  THE  EXCAVATIONS  WERE  MADE. 

tunnel  might  be  constructed  by  proceeding  in  the  same  way. 
He  had  twelve  boxes  made  without  bottom,  such  as  are  used 
for  a  foundation  for  water-works.  These  frames  he  placed 
perpendicularly,  the  one  next  to  the  other,  and  divided  each 
in  three  parts,  by  means  of  traverses,  so  that  he  had,  in  all, 
thirty-six  divisions,  which  served  as  points  of  commencement 
for  the  excavations  of  so  many  single  shafts. 

Each  one  of  these  divisions  was  designed  for  one  laborer ; 
it  was  open  in  the  back  and  in  front,  supported  by  many 
planks,  which  were  movable.  All  the  frames  together  were 
called  the  shield.  This  shield  was  placed  before  the  portions 
of  ground  to  be  excavated ;  the  laborer  removed  one  of  the 
planks,  and  commenced  digging,  placed  the  plank,  afterwards, 
against  the  sides  of  the  shaft,  which  had  been  digged,  and 
supported  it  in  this  position  by  heavy  poles;  the  work  was 
continued  in  the  same  way.  As  soon  as  the  laborer  had 
advanced  to  the  same  length  in  all  the  three  divisions  ot  a 
frame,  it  was  pushed  forward  by  two  dummies,  one  of  which 
worked  at  the  top,  the  other  at  the  bottom,  into  the  excavated 
space. 

As  soon  as  the  frame  had  advanced,  masons  commenced 
vaulting  immediatety  behind  the  laborers;  the  shield,  how- 
ever, protected  the  earth  until  the  vaults  were  ready,  and  the 
rolls,  which  now  had  been  built,  in  their  turn  served  as  sup- 
port for  the  dummies,  by  which  the  single  frames  were  pushed 
forward.  To  this  so  simple  means  of  excavating,  London 
owes  her  underground  railroad,  which  had  long  been  consid- 
ered as  a  work  impossible  of  achievement. 

In  the  year  1824,  an  action-company  was  formed  for  the 
restoration  of  the  tunnel,  and  soon  the  only  point  where  such 
a  work  could  be  commenced,  was  found.  It  was  between 
Rotherhithe  and  Wapping,  between  London  and  Greenwich. 

At  this  point,  the  shores  of  the  Thames  are  one  thousand 
one  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  apart.  The  construction  was 
commenced,  in  1825,  by  building  a  cylinder  of  brick  on  the 
side  of  Rotherhithe,  at  a  distance  from  the  water  of  one  hund- 
red and  fifty-five  feet.  This  cylinder  was  forty-three  feet  high, 


SINKING  THE   CYLINDERS. 

half  a  foot  thick,  and  had  a  diameter  of  fifty-three  feet. 
Over  the  upper  opening,  Brunei  placed  an  engine  of  thirty 
horse-power,  which  took  the  earth  and  the  water  from  the 
interior,  until,  in  that  way,  the  cylinder  had  sunk  sixty-six 
feet  deep  into  the  earth.  Now  he  placed  a  second  cylinder 
within  the  first,  which  had  a  diameter  of  only  sixteen  and 
one-half  feet,  and  sunk  it,  in  the  same  manner,  eighty-two 
and  one-half  feet  deep.  The  tunnel  now  commences  from  the 
first  cylinder,  at  a  depth  of  sixty-two  and  one-half  feet;  its 
breadth  is  thirty-nine  and  one-half,  and  its  height  twenty-three 
feet,  the  wall  inclusive.  The  section  is  formed  by  two  ovals, 
which  touch  each  other ;  in  that  way,  two  vaulted  corridors 
are  made,  each  of  which  is  almost  sixteen  and  one-half  feet 
high,  and  has  a  road  for  carriages,  and  one  for  pedestrians, 
the  one  next  to  the  other.  Both  corridors  are  united  by  open- 
ings, in  which  are  gas-lights,  which  lighten  them  both. 

At  the  beginning  of  1826,  they  commenced  the  horizontal 
labor  for  the  tunnel  proper,  from  the  bottom  of  this  shaft. 
They  soon  came,  from  a  firm,  clay  soil,  to  a  loose,  moist  layer 
of  sand,  but,  some  time  afterwards,  clay  was  met  with  again. 
The  construction  progressed  slowly  but  steadily;  every  day 
two  feet  were  accomplished.  On  the  30th  of  June,  1826,  the 
construction  reached  the  bed  of  the  river,  and  on  the  2d  of 
March  of  the  following  year,  they  had  advanced  four  hundred 
and  seventy-five  feet,  or  almost  one-third  of  the  length  of  the 
tunnel  had  been  completed. 

Although  the  tunnel  was  constructed  with  such  a  decline 
that  at  every  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet,  it  inclined  almost 
nine  and  one-half  feet,  the  top  of  the  tunnel  approached,  at 
the  middle  of  the  river,  the  bed,  by  three  meters.  Till  now, 
every  thing  had  gone  on  very  well,  although  the  obstacles  and 
dangers  for  the  laborers  increased  the  more  they  approached 
the  bed  of  the  stream.  Brunei  did  not  lose  his  courage,  and 
the  increasing  danger  more  than  once  imperiled  his  life. 
With  the  purpose  of  examining  the  bed  of  the  Thames,  him- 
self, he  went  down  into  the  deep  with  a  diving-bell,  on  the  22d 
of  April,  1827,  which  bold  undertaking  he  repeated  for  several 


666  A   FATAL   ACCIDENT. 

days.  He  found,  at  several  points,  the  reason  why  the  water 
trickled  through,  and,  consequently,  he  sunk  there  several 
baskets  and  bags  with  clay  and  lime. 

He  purposely  dropped  several  tools,  shovels  and  a  hammer, 
and  when  the  laborers,  a  few  days  afterwards,  digged  out  in 
the  tunnel  some  watery  substance,  they  found  every  one  of 
the  tools.  So  these  tools  had  worked  through  the  sand  and 
mud  beds  of  twenty-nine  feet  of  the  Thames,  and  to  the  depth 
of  the  tunnel ;  a  very  bad  indication  of  the  loose  substance  of 
the  soil.  However,  the  labor  was  continually  pushed  forward, 
when,  unfortunately,  several  large  vessels,  which  had  drifted 
down  with  the  stream,  threw  their  anchors  exactly  over  the 
tunnel.  The  consequence  was  such  a  violent  rush  of  the 
water  of  the  Thames,  that  the  engines  could  not  master  it 
longer.  All  efforts  were  in  vain.  The  laborers  saved  them- 
selves, the  tunnel  was  filled,  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  with 
water  and  some  thousand  tons  of  sand  and  mud.  This  hap- 
pened on  the  18th  of  May,  1827.  Brunei  did  not  lose  his 
courage.  Again  he  went  down,  in  his  diving-bell,  to  the  hole 
which  had  been  made,  and,  to  his  great  joy,  he  saw  that  the 
masonry  had  not  been  harmed,  and  his  shield  stood  on  the 
same  spot  where  the  laborers  had  left  it.  He  commenced,  at 
once,  to  repair  the  damage.  With  sixty  thousand  hundred- 
weights of  clay, -let  down  in  baskets,  he  fillci  the  hole,  and 
pumped  the  tunnel  dry  with  several  engines.  A  month  after 
the  disaster,  the  work  went  on  again.  This  accident,  however, 
seemed  to  be  the  beginning  of  a  series  of  misfortunes,  which 
threatened  the  continuation  of  the  tunnel.  The  laborers  had 
lost  their  courage,  by  the  last  disaster,  which  had  almost 
proved  fatal  to  them.  One  cry  of  alarm  followed  another, 
when  masses  of  combustible  gas  filled  the  interior,  and,  at 
the  least  carelessness  with  the  lamps,  exploded,  and  filled  the 
whole  empty  space  with  flames  and  such  a  terrible  stench  that 
the  laborers  swooned.  However,  up  to  the  12th  of  January, 
1828,  they  had  advanced  fifty-three  feet  farther,  when  the  flood 
broke,  for  a  second  time,  through  the  ceiling.  This  unfor- 
tunate incident  was  paid  for  by  the  lives  of  six  laborers.  The 


OPENING   OF  THE  TUNNEL.  667 

son  of  Brunei  was,  at  that  time,  in  the  tunnel ;  he  crept  for- 
ward, blindly,  in  the  space,  which  was  blacker  than  night,  then 
the  current  of  water  took  him  up,  but,  happily,  it  forced  him 
up  into  the  shaft.  This  second  hole  was  at  a  distance  of  six 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  feet  from  the  entrance.  Again, 
Brunei  went  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  river;  the  tunnel  was 
pumped  dry,  and  it  was  proved  that  the  masonry  had  not  been 
damaged. 

Now  the  means  for  continuing  the  work  commenced  to  give 
out,  and  it  was  interrupted  for  seven  years.  At  last,  the  gov- 
ernment supplied  the  means  for  its  completion.  The  work 
commenced  anew,  but  it  proceeded  very  slowly ;  the  bed  of 
the  river  proved  to  be  so  soaked  through  that  a  new  bed  had 
to  be  formed;  the  shield,  which,  till  now,  had  been  used,  was 
damaged,  and  had  to  be  replaced  by  another.  Three  times, 
again,  the  water  forced  its  way  through  the  ceiling.  However, 
the  work  went  on,  amid  the  uninterrupted  struggles  with  the 
obstacles  of  the  soil  and  the  elements,  and  on  the  13th  of 
August,  1841,  Isambert  Brunei  had  the  satisfaction  to  walk 
through  the  whole  length  of  the  tunnel,  after  continuous 
struggles  and  labor  of  sixteen  years!  After  the  entrance 
and  exit  of  the  tunnel  had  been  constructed,  the  tunnel  was 
opened,  with  great  festivities,  for  the  general  traffic. 

The  gigantic  labor  took  three  million  five  hundred  thousand 
dollars.  Everybody  passing  through  it  has  to  pay  one  penny. 

Brunei,  the  able  architect,  was  made  a  baronet,  by  the 
queen.  He  died  in  1849. 

The  tunnel,  in  the  beginning,  paid  so  little  that  those  who 
held  bonds  were  obliged  to  pay  for  a  part  of  the  repairs,  but, 
in  1865,  the  tunnel  was  bought  by  the  East  London  railroad 
company,  for  two  hundred  thousand  pounds,  and  at  the  present 
time,  forty  railroad-trains  are  going  up  and  down  under  the 
water  of  the  Thames,  and  effect  the  communication  between 
Wapping  and  Rotherhithe,  where  the  great  Commercial-  and 
West  India-docks  are  found,  which  are  the  greatest  in  the 
world,  and  which  have  room  for  four  hundred  and  fifty  West 
Indiamen. 


668  UNDERGROUND  RAILROAD. 

The  underground  railroad  in  London  is  the  most  remark- 
able one  on  the  globe,  as  its  rails  are  laid  almost  entirely  in 
tunnels.  It  was  opened  in  January,  1863,  and  was  built  by 
the  civil  engineers,  J.  Fowler  and  Mason  Johnson,  with  the 
purpose  of  connecting  the  four  most  important  railroad  sta- 
tions on  the  north  side  of  the  Thames.  It  commences  at  the 
last  station  of  the  Great  Western  road,  and  terminates  in  the 
City.  The  road  has  six  or  seven  halts,  and  is  laid  above  the 
ground  only,  where  the  lots  lying  in  the  line  of  the  road,  and 
the  buildings  on  them,  could  be  cheaply  purchased;  for  the 
greatest  part,  however,  the  road  is  underground,  and  leads 
through  tunnels,  which  are  lighted  by  gas.  The  stations  have 
platforms  of  a  length  of  two  hundred  and  five  feet,  and  a 
breadth  of  ten  feet. 

The  road  follows,  with  its  double  track,  the  direction  of  the 
streets ;  it  curves,  however,  considerably,  to  such  an  extent, 
even,  that  in  a  distance  of  four  English  miles,  mosfly  under- 
ground, it  makes  a  curve,  the  diameter  of  which  is  six  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  feet.  The  tunnels,,  constructed  with  an  ellip- 
tic section,  are  about  twenty-nine  and  one-half  feet  wide,  and 
sixteen  feet  high.  The  walls  are  all  twelve  inches  thick,  and 
built  of  brick  with  hydraulic  lime,  on  account  of  the  moisture. 
The  greatest  ascent  of  the  road  is  one  foot  per  hundred,  and 
the  greatest  depth  under  the  surface  of  the  earth,  fifty-six  feet. 
Good  light  and  sufficient  ventilation  is  not  wanting,  and  the 
new  locomotives,  which  consume  their  own  steam  and  smoke, 
prove  to  be  a  perfect  success.  The  stations  of  Baker  street  and 
Gower  street,  have  a  peculiar  system  of  illumination.  Four- 
teen enormous  windows  open  on  both  sides  of  the  immense, 
dark  vaults.  The  daylight,  which  they  allow  to  6nter,  falls  on 
a  perpendicular  wall  of  white,  polished  tiles,  and  is  reflected 
through  the  windows  proper,  sidewise  in  the  halls.  Neverthe- 
less, the  light  is  only  feeble,  gloomy,  and  vague.  The  real 
sun  of  London  underground  is  gas.  Even  the  passenger  cars 
are  provided  with  it.  From  six  o'clock  in  the  morning,  till 
after  midnight,  a  train  goes  up  and  down  every  twenty  min- 
utes, and  the  charges  are  less  than  those  of  the  omnibusses. 


REMARKABLE  ENGINEERING  WORKS.  671 

The  road  has  cost  about  one  million  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  thousand  pounds,  for  the  construction  proved  to  be  a  very 
difficult  one,  as  well  on  account  of  the  water-works,  gas-works, 
etc.,  which  of  course  had  to  be  avoided,  and  which  often  sud- 
denly presented  themselves  as  obstacles,  but  also  on  account 
of  the  unstable  nature  of  the  soil,  which  necessitated  very 
expensive  constructions. 

Lately,  the  underground  railroad  has  been  extended,  and 
the  new  Aldgate  station  has  been  opened  to  the  public. 

Although  this  extension  amounts  to  only  half  a  mile  in 
length,  it  has  involved  great  expense,  because  of  the  remark- 
able engineering  works  that  were  required;  for  example,  the 
walls  of  some  of  the  immense  tea  warehouses  of  the  St.  Cath- 
arine Dock  Company,  eighty-six  feet  high,  and  four  feet  thick, 
had  to  be  "  underpinned,"  and  deeper  foundations  put  in  for 
them;  but  this  work  was  successfully  carried  out  without  the 
slightest  injury  to  the  buildings.  In  spite  of  all  obstacles,  the 
diversion  of  nine  great  sewers,  and  the  construction  of  a  large 
sewer,  five  feet  by  three  feet,  beneath  the  rails  along  the  whole 
length  of  the  line,  the  works  have  been  promptly  completed. 
The  excavations  were  just  outside  where  the  old  City  walls 
stood,  and  a  few  Roman  relics  were  found.  Outside  the  new 
station,  twenty  feet  below  the  surface,  was  discovered  an 
immense  deposit  of  bullocks'  horns,  cartloads  of  which  were 
removed  and  sold.  No  other  bones  were  with  them,  and  how 
they  came  there  in  such  numbers  is  a  mystery. 

There  are  plenty  of  openings  for  ventilation  along  the  new 
line.  Aldgate  station  is  the  lightest  and  airiest  station  along 
the  line.  The  glass  roof  extends  half  the  length  of  the  plat- 
form; the  other  half  length  is  covered  by  narrower  roofs,  sup- 
ported on  wooden  pillars  rising  from  the  platforms  themselves. 
The  front  of  the  station  is  in  High  street,  Aldgate,  a  door  or 
two  from  the  old  church  of  St.  Botolph,  and  opposite  to  the 
Minories. 

Entering  the  station-building  on  High  street,  the  visitor  passes 
by  easy  steps  down  the  landing,  thence  by  the  stairs  to  whichever 

platform  he  desires  to  reach.     The  situation  of  the  terminus  is 
36 


672  RAPID-TRANSIT  RAILWAY  SYSTEM. 

most  convenient,  and  will  bring  the  company  a  large  amount  of 
business.  Within  a  short  distance,  are  the  London  and  the 
St.  Catharine's  docks,  Fenclmrch  and  Leadenhall  streets,  the 
Commercial  road,  and  the  densely  populated  neighborhoods  of 
Whitechapel  and  Towerhill.  Thus  the  eastern  extremity  of 
the  City,  and  the  best  business  parts  of  the  East  End,  will  be 
brought  within  a  few  minutes'  journey  of  Holboru  and  the 
West  End  of  London,  the  Great  Northern,  Great  Western, 
Midland,  and  Chatham  &  Dover  Railways.  The  increase  in 
the  fares  to  Aldgate  will  be  only  a  penny  per  ticket.  All  the 
trains  of  the  Metropolitan  Railway  Company  will  run  through 
to  the  new  station,  except  the  Great  Western  mainline  trains, 
which  are  few  in  number.  A  marble  tablet  in  the  Aldgate 
station  records  the  fact  that  this  extension  of  the  Metropolitan 
Railway  was  commenced  on  March  1,  1876,  and  gives  the 
names  of  Sir  Edward  Watkin,  chairman  of  the  company,  and 
his  fellow-directors ;  the  general  manager,  Mr.  Myles  Fenton ; 
Mr.  Brady,  the  engineer ;  and  Messrs.  Lucas  and  Aird,  con- 
tractors. 

During  Sir  Edward  Watkin's  visit  to  New  York,  a  few 
months  ago,  he  gave  some  very  interesting  particulars  con- 
cerning the  operation  of  the  rapid-transit  railway  system  of 
London. 

The  London  underground  railroad  companies,  he  said, 
already  had  about  sixteen  miles  of  road  in  operation,  and  in 
a  few  months  they  would  have  twenty  miles  of  completed 
road.  They  were  negotiating  for  a  still  further  extension  of 
their  routes,  and  would  in  time  burrow  under  the  whole  city 
of  London.  These  roads  had  proved  to  be  a  greater  con- 
venience to  the  poorer  classes  than  to  wealthy  persons.  The 
average  fare  collected  was  five  cents,  and  the  rate  per  mile 
was  reduced,  by  a  system  of  commutation,  to  one  penny. 
These  roads  carried  seventy  million  passengers  a  year.  Heavy 
locomotives  were  used,  and  one  thousand  trains  per  day,  each 
having  a  carrying  capacity  for  one  thousand  persons,  were  run 
over  them.  The  rate  of  speed  was  very  great.  The  cost  was 
five  million  dollars  per  mile,  of  which  about  four-fifths  was  due 


OVERCROWDING    THE   CARS.  673 

to  damages  to  real  estate  caused  by  cutting  through  blocks  of 
buildings  and  tunneling  under  houses.  In  some  places  the 
roads  ran  under  graveyards  without  disturbing  the  graves  and 
the  vaults  above. 

This  enormous  cost  for  land  would  be  wholly  saved  in  New 
York,  because  here  the  railway  lines  would  be  longitudinal 
with  and  run  directly  under  the  main  streets,  without  invading 
private  property.  But  in  London,  owing  to  the  formation  of 
the  city,  the  underground  roads  pass  athwart  the  streets  and 
cut  through  private  property  in  all  directions.  The  citizens 
of  London  have  ascertained,  by  practical  experience,  that  the 
underground  system  is  the  best,  have  invested  in  it  upward  of 
eighty  millions  of  dollars,  and  are  annually  increasing  the 
investment  and  extending  the  works. 

Sir  Edmund  said  that  ninety-three  per  cent,  of  the  passen- 
gers on  the  London  underground  roads  traveled  only  short 
distances,  and  only  seven  per  cent,  of  them  were  carried  to 
the  end  of  the  various  routes. 

The  underground  line  is  admirably  managed,  the  only 
objection  to  it  being  the  overcrowding  of  the  carriages.  A 
London  man  once  said  to  us:  "I  can  very  seldom  get  a  seat 
in  a  train,  when  I  travel  on  it,  not  because  I  am  so  big,  but 
because  the  other  fellows  take  up  all  the  room.  This  over- 
crowding is  a  great  inconvenience  to  ladies,  who  use  the 
railroad  quite  as  much  as  the  other  sex.  It  serves  them  in 
their  calling  or  on  shopping  expeditions,  in  lieu  of  cabs  or 
omnibusses.  The  last  report  of  the  underground  railroad 
presented  to  the  share-holders  shows  that  the  number  of  pas- 
sengers carried,  during  the  last  half  year,  was  twenty-six 
million  two  hundred  thousand,  which  seems  an  enormous 
number,  nearly  fifty-two  million  five  hundred  thousand  per 
year.  One  would  suppose  that  with  such  patronage  the  road 
must  pay. 

The  most  remarkable  feature  of  this  new  work  is  the  fact 
that  a  considerable  portion  of  the  line  is  built  under  water. 
The  commerce  of  the  world  may  be  said  to  float  and  navi- 
gate directly  over  a  part  of  the  roof  of  the  tunnel,  which 


674  RAILROAD   UNDER  WATER. 

extends  southeasterly,  from  the  Liverpool  street  station  of  the 
Great  Eastern  Railway,  passing  directly  under  tho  warehouses 
and  water-basin  of  the  London-docks,  thence  under  the  em- 
bankmcnt,  across  and  under  the  Thames  river,  to  the  New 
Cross  station  of  the  Southeastern  Railway,  thus  connecting 
all  the  roads  named,  and  also  the  London  &  Brighton  and 
South  London  lines.  At  Shadwell  and  Whitechapel,  magnifi- 
cent stations,  each  four  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  length,  have 
been  erected.  The  total  cost  of  this  new  line,  which  is  a  little 
less  than  six  miles  in  length,  has  been  three  million  two  hund- 
red thousand  pounds,  or  sixteen  millions  of  dollars.  Of  the 
advantageous  nature  of  this  line  to  the  public,  the  London 
papers  say  there  is  no  doubt.  That  portion  of  the  line  under 
the  Thames  passes  through  the  old  Thames  tunnel,  built  by 
the  celebrated  engineer,  M.  I.  Brunei.  This  work,  of  which  I 
spoke  before,  never  proved  of  much  value  to  the  public  until 
brought  into  use  several  years  ago  as  a  railway  tunnel. 


XLYL 

DUNGEONS. 

LIFE  IN  THEM.  —  ANCIENT  DUNGEONS.  —  THE  PRISON  OP  ST.  PAUL.  —  THE  DUCAL 
PALACE.  —  "  SOTTO  PIOMBI."  — THE  POZZI.  —  SHUT  UP  IN  THE  DARK  CELLS. 
—  A  NIGHT  OF  HORROR.  —  A  GUIDE'S  BLUNDER.  —  DUNGEONS  OF  ST. 
PETERSBURG.  —  PETER  THE  GREAT  TORTURING  HIS  SON.  —  A  PRINCESS 
DROWNED  IN  PRISON. 

A  GREAT  many  people  have  at  some  time  in  their  lives  been, 
in  dungeons ;  some  of  their  own  accord,  and  others  much 
against  their  wills.  Those  who  have  gone  there  voluntarily 
rarely  stay  long,  as  their  visits  are  made  out  of  curiosity ; 
and  curiosity  in  regard  to  dungeons  is  very  speedily  satisfied. 
I  have  been  in  a  fair  number  of  dungeons,  but  I  generally 
made  my  way  out  of  them  with  very  little  delay.  They  are 
not  very  agreeable  places  of  residence  ;  and  if  one  of  them 
were  assigned  to  me  as  a  spot  to  dwell  in,  I  should  get  out  at 
the  earliest  moment,  when  it  was  in  my  power  to  do  so. 

A  dungeon  is  an  old-fashioned  institution,  but  it  is  not 
altogether  out  of  date.  If  the  history  of  all  the  dungeons 
in  the  world  could  be  written,  there  would  be  many  startling 
tales  narrated,  and  many  volumes  could  be  made  concerning 
what  has  transpired  within  them. 

In  the  days  of  the  ancient  Romans,  every  emperor  of  good 
and  respectable  standing  kept  a  private  dungeon  for  his  own 
use  ;  and  he  had  a  good  many  public  ones  lying  round  loose  for 
his  friends  to  occupy.  Some  emperors  kept  their  dungeons  well 
stocked  at  all  times,  with  an  assorted  lot  of  humanity.  They 
were  not  particular  as  to  age  or  sex,  as  long  as  they  could 
have  their  dungeons  liberally  patronized.  Nero  did  a  fine 
business  in  the  dungeon  line,  and  successfully  rivalled  many 
of  his  competitors.  He  displayed  great  ingenuity  in  starving 


676  IN  THE   PRISON   OP   ST.   PAUL. 

his  prisoners,  and  occasionally  in  putting  them  to  death ;  and 
so  did  others  of  the  Roman  rulers.  Nero  was  a  festive  old 
fraud,  and  did  not  mind  putting  his  friends  to  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  in  order  to  amuse  himself.  I  have  elsewhere  alluded 
to  his  fine  array  of  gridirons,  toasting-forks,  racks,  and  thumb- 
screws with  which  he  used  to  get  up  exhibitions  of  a  very 
select  character. 

Many  of  the  old  dungeons  are  now  closed,  partly  for  want 
of  business,  and  partly  for  the  reason  that  their  present  pro- 
prietors have  a  delicate  regard  for  the  reputation  of  their  an- 
cestors, and  do  not  wish  any  prominence  given  to  tbese  old 
prisons.  Other  dungeons  are  kept  open  to  visitors,  but  no- 
body is  confined  in  them.  One  of  the  most  celebrated  dun- 
geons of  Rome,  for  instance,  is  that  in  which  St.  Paul  was 
involuntarily  lodged  during  a  part  of  his  stay  in  Rome. 
There  are  two  dungeons,  one  below  the  other :  the  upper  one 
is  not  altogether  uncomfortable,  though  its  space  is  rather  re- 
stricted, and  does  not  afford  much  room  for  exercise. 

When  I  visited  this  place  the  guide  pointed  out  several  of 
its  peculiar  features :  one  of  them  is  an  impression  of  a  hu- 
man face  in  the  solid  rock,  at  the  side  of  the  staircase  ;  and 
he  related,  with  great  solemnity,  that  while  St.  Paul  was 
being  led  down  the  stairs  his  keeper  pushed  him,  and  pressed 
his  face  against  the  stone.  An  ordinary  face,  he  explained, 
would  have  been  injured  by  the  operation,  but  a  miracle  was 
performed,  in  the  instantaneous  softening  of  the  rock,  so  as 
to  receive  the  visage  of  the  apostle  without  injury.  The  im- 
pression thus  made  remains  to  this  day. 

Another  curious  feature  is  the  spring  of  water  from  which 
St.  Paul  baptized  one  of  his  jailers.  It  is  related  that  one  of 
the  jailers  became  converted,  and  desired  Paul  to  baptize  him. 
No  water  was  at  hand  for  the  purpose  ;  but  a  miracle  was 
performed,  by  the  opening  of  the  rock  in  the  floor  of  the  dun- 
geon and  the  appearance  of  a  spring  of  water.  This  spring 
remains  at  this  day,  and  contains  water  apparently  fresh  and 
sweet.  The  keeper  of  the  place  dipped  a  quantity  of  the 
water  from  the  spring,  and  offered  it  to  our  party  for  drinking. 


"SOTTO   PIOMBI."  677 

We  were  about  to  drink,  when  the  guide  who  accompanied 
us  shook  his  head,  and  intimated  that  the  liquid  was  not  good. 
"We  did  not  taste  it ;  and  therefore  I  cannot  speak  positively 
as  to  its  character.  A  picture  has  been  painted,  and  is  pre- 
served in  the  room  above,  showing  the  miraculous  opening  of 
the  floor,  the  water  rising  like  a  fountain  from  the  rock,  and 
the  apostle  engaged  in  the  act  of  baptizing  the  jailer,  who  is 
kneeling  before  him. 

In  the  middle  ages  every  owner  of  a  feudal  castle  had  a 
dungeon  about  his  premises,  though  it  was  not  always  under 
ground.  Sometimes  it  was  hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  which 
formed  the  foundation  of  the  edifice,  and  sometimes  it  was  in 
a  high  tower  placed  at  one  corner,  where  the  occupant  could 
look  out  and  enjoy  the  scenery,  though  he  was  debarred 
from  any  practical  knowledge  of  it  other  than  what  he  could 
obtain  through  his  eyes.  Many  a  person  has  lived  and  suffered 
for  years,  shut  up  in  a  high  tower  where  he  could  look  out  on 
the  world  around  him  with  the  consciousness  that  he  was 
never  more  to  enjoy  his  liberty. 

The  Ducal  Palace  of  Venice  was  well  provided  in  the  dun- 
geon line.  There  were  prisons  under  the  roof  of  the  palace 
which  were  known  amongst  the  Italians  as  the  "  Sotto  Piombi," 
or  "  Under  the  Leads."  They  were  so  named  from  their  po- 
sition, directly  under  the  roof.  They  were  hot  as  ovens  in 
summer,  and  as  cold  as  refrigerators  in  winter,  and  they  were 
connected  with  the  room  where  the  famous  Council  of  Ten 
used  to  sit.  From  these  prisons  persons  accused  of  crimes 
against  the  republic  were  taken  before  the  Council,  whose 
members  sat  with  their  faces  covered  with  masks,  and  their 
bodies  wrapped  in  cloaks  and  mantles,  so  that  it  was  utterly 
impossible  to  identify  them.  To  be  dragged  before  the  Coun- 
cil was  equivalent  to  a  sentence  of  death ;  and  generally  the 
trial  of  an  offender  would  be  very  brief. 

Any  one  could  make  an  accusation  against  a-'  person,  who 
would  be  speedily  arrested  and  taken  to  trial.  He  never 
knew  who  were  his  accusers ;  and  very  often  he  did  not 
know  what  testimony  was  to  be  given  against  him. 


678  THE  BRIDGE  OF   SIGHS. 

From  the  Council  Chamber  he  was  generally  taken  to 
execution,  though  not  always  ;  in  either  case  he  was  led  across 
the  famous  Ponte  di  Sospiri,  or  Bridge  of  Sighs  ;  and  accord- 
ing to  tradition  the  bridge  received  its  name  because  prison- 
ers, weeping  and  sighing,  were  led  across  it  for  execution, 
or  were  taken  from  the  prison  for  trial  before  the  Council 
of  Ten. 

Byron  has  written, — 

\\ 

"  I  stood  in  Venice  by  the  Bridge  of  Sighs, 
A  palace  and  a  prison  on  either  hand." 

Between  the  Ducal  Palace  and  the  prison  proper  of  Venice 
there  is  a  narrow  canal.  The  bridge  is  elevated  far  above 
the  water,  and  has  two  passages,  each  about  four  feet  in  width. 
In  regard  to  these  passages  traditions  differ  :  one  tradition  is, 
that  the  two  were  designed,  one  for  noble  prisoners,  and  one 
for  plebeians,  while  another  says  that  they  were  used  in- 
differently, patrician  or  plebeian  being  allowed  either  pas- 
sage without  regard  to  the  rank  or  position  he  held.  The 
reader  can  accept  whichever  explanation  suits  him  best. 

Down  beneath  the  palace  was  a  real  dungeon :  it  could 
never  have  been  an  inviting  place,  and  it  is  very  far  from 
being  so  at  this  day.  No  effort  is  made  to  keep  it  in  fine  con- 
dition :  it  is  not  carpeted ;  its  walls  are  not  painted,  neither 
are  they  frescoed.  I  remember  on  my  first  visit  that,  after 
we  had  wandered  through  the  palace,  our  guide  descended  a 
series  of  stairways,  and  finally  brought  us  to  a  place  below 
the  level  of  the  water  which  surrounds  Venice.  "  Here,"  said 
he,  "  are  the  dungeons  ;  and  here  is  where  many  state  prison- 
ers, who  offended  the  laws  of  Venice,  passed  the  portion  of 
their  lives  immediately  preceding  their  deaths.  You  can 
enter  them,  gentlemen,  and  see  how  you  would  like  them." 

Torches  were  lighted,  and  we  told  the  guide  that  we  pre- 
ferred to  follow  him.  On  we  went,  where  not  a  ray  of  light 
from  the  outer  world  could  reach  us.  Had  our  torches  been 
extinguished  we  should  have  been  in  darkness  as  deep  as 
that  of  the  lowest  and  most  elaborate  mine  in  the  world.  It 


IMPRISONED  IN  THE  LOWEST  DEPTH.  679 

did  not  require  a  vivid  imagination  to  roll  back  the  centuries, 
and  bring  before  us  the  thousands  and  thousands  of  men  who 
had  lain  there,  day  after  day,  without  hope,  until  led  to  trial, 
and  thence  to  execution.  What  a  world  of  mystery  lies  con- 
cealed in  these  prisons !  Here  is  the  cell  where  Marino  Fa- 
liero  was  confined ;  and  here  is  the  cell  where  Jacopo  Foscari 
passed  the  days  preceding  his  execution ;  and  here  is  the  cell 
where  dozens  of  men  of  noble  birth  and  gentle  rearing  were 
kept  day  after  day,  till  they  died  of  starvation  and  for  want 
of  fresh  air.  The  cells  are  little  boxes,  some  of  them  not 
more  than  six  or  eight  feet  square,  and  not  high  enough  to 
allow  a  tall  man  to  stand  erect.  One  cell  is  only  four  feet 
high ;  and  it  was  said  that  a  healthy  man  confined  in  this  cell 
generally  died  on  the  sixth  day,  owing  to  the  dampness  and 
impurity  of  the  air  he  was  compelled  to  breathe. 

To  have  a  practical  realization  for  a  few  moments  of  the 
horrors  of  imprisonment,  we  entered  one  of  these  cells,  and 
told  the  guide  to  take  away  the  torches  and  not  to  return  for 
five  minutes,  whether  we  called  him  or  not.  He  went  away ; 
the  air  had  been  chilly,  damp,  and  disagreeable  ;  and  it  seemed 
ten  times  more  so  as  the  light  disappeared.  The  darkness 
was  of  the  intensest  blackness ;  we  could  not  distinguish  any- 
thing. With  our  faces  turned  towards  the  door  of  the  cell  it 
seemed  the  same ;  the  finger  held  an  inch  before  the  eye  was 
no  more  visible  than  if  it  had  been  cut  off  and  buried  a  hun- 
dred feet  deep  in  the  earth. 

One  minute  was  quite  enough  of  this  sort  of  thing,  and  we 
were  inclined  to  shout  for  the  guide,  when  we  remembered 
that  we  had  told  him  to  get  out  of  hearing,  and  not  to  return 
even  if  we  called. 

I  almost  expected  the  ghost  of  one  of  the  departed  occu- 
pants to  rise  before  me,  and  add  to  the  discomfort  of  the 
occasion.  A  ghost  is  bad  enough  anywhere ;  but  I  always 
prefer  to  encounter  him  above  ground,  and  where  there  is,  at 
least,  enough  light  to  enable  me  to  see  him.  Had  one  of 
those  gentlemen  made  his  appearance,  it  would  have  been 
necessary  for  him  to  bring  a  lantern,  or  rub  his  unearthly 
limbs  with  phosphorus,  to  enable  us  to  see  him. 


680  SHUT   UP  ALL  NIGHT. 

But  no  ghost  made  his  appearance,  possibly  for  the  reason 
that  the  body  in  the  flesh  had  had  quite  enough  of  that  place, 
and  had  no  wish  to  send  his  shadow  back  again.  The  five 
minutes'  absence  of  Jthe  guide  seemed  at  least  an  hour,  and 
when  he  returned  we  welcomed  him  with  all  the  enthusiasm 
with  which  we  would  have  welcomed  a  brother  from  whom 
we  had  been  separated  a  dozen  years.  We  told  him  that  we 
thought  he  had  been  away  much  longer  than  the  time  stipu- 
lated, but  he  assured  us  he  had  not. 

On  narrating  this  incident  afterwards  to  a  party  of  gentle- 
men in  Paris,  I  was  told  of  a  similar  experience,  only  a  great 
deal  more  so,  of  a  couple  of  travellers,  one  an  Englishman 
and  the  other  an  American,  who  tried  the  experiment  which 
we  did.  It  seems  that  the  men  wished  for  a  little  taste  of 
imprisonment,  and  sent  away  their  guide  for  half  an  hour. 

It  happened  to  be  near  the  close  of  the  day.  Their  guide 
was  a  stupid  fellow,  and  thought  he  would  improve  his  thirty 
minutes  by  retiring  to  a  Trattoria  to  indulge  in  a  bottle  of 
cheap  wine.  So  he  came  out  of  the  palace  and  crossed  the 
Piazzetta  San  Marco  to  a  restaurant  near  the  corner  of  the 
piazza.  He  took  his  wine,  indulged  himself  for  about  twenty 
minutes,  and  then  started  on  his  return.  He  had  not  observed 
the  hour  of  his  departure  from  the  palace,  and  when  he  re- 
turned to  the  entrance  he  found  it  closed.  It  was  the  time 
for  closing,  and  the  persons  in  charge  of  the  premises  had 
shut  the  doors  and  gone  away. 

Here  was  a  predicament.  He  had  left  the  two  gentlemen 
down  in  the  dungeon  in  total  darkness,  where  he  could  not 
reach  them,  and  where  their  shouts  could  not  be  heard.  He 
tried  to  obtain  an  entrance  to  the  palace,  and  to  explain  the 
matter,  but  the  porters  were  obstinate,  and  did  not  believe 
his  story.  Italians  are  very  suspicious,  and  the  custodian  of 
the  palace  suspected  that  he  wished  to  get  inside  in  order 
to  steal  something ;  so  they  turned  him  away,  and  he  walked 
off  sorrowing. 

It  was  during  the  time  Venice  was  under  the  rule  of 
Austria.  The  Austrian  officers  were  never  inclined  to  show 


MAKING   A  NIGHT   OP  IT.  681 

any  favors  to  the  Italians,  and  consequently  the  appeals 
of  the  guide  to  those  in  charge  of  the  city  were  of  no  avail. 
So,  finally,  with  Italian  resignation  to  what  could  not  be  very 
well  helped,  he  went  home,  wrapped  himself  in  the  bosom 
of  his  family,  and  slept  the  sleep  of  the  innocent  and  con- 
scientious. 

Meantime  the  two  travellers  were  having  a  good  time  of  it 
down  below.  They  stood  it  for  a  while  very  well,  but  the 
half  hour  appeared  to  them  three  or  four  times  what  it  really 
was.  Very  soon  the  thing  ceased  to  be  a  joke.  They  were 
well  aware  that  the  time  might  seem  long  to  them,  but  they 
thought  it  was  stretching  itself  out  altogether  too  much  for 
comfort.  They  were  in  a  cell  where  they  could  not  walk 
around,  and  where  there  was  no  chance  to  kill  time  by  turning 
summersaults  or  playing  leap-frog.  They  stood  a  while  and 
talked ;  then  they  stood  a  while  and  swore  ;  and  then  they 
had  another  period  of  standing  still  and  shouting.  The 
facilities  for  standing  still  were  unlimited,  but  those  for  doing 
anything  else  were  very  much  restricted. 

They  shouted  themselves  hoarse,  and  obtained  no  response. 
The  result  of  their  swearing  was  pretty  nearly  the  same. 
They  began  to  grow  hungry  and  thirsty,  but  there  was  noth- 
ing to  eat,  and  there  were  no  materials  at  hand  for  quenching 
their  thirst.  The  half  hour  extended  to  an  hour,  and  then  to 
two  hours,  and  then  they  concluded  to  sit  down  and  wait  for 
the  fellow  to  come  back.  They  had  no  means  of  knowing 
how  time  was  passing,  as  their  watches  were  not  of  that 
peculiar  kind  that  strikes  the  hours,  and  tells  you  how  you 
are  getting  along. 

They  listened  and  listened,  and  finally  they  heard  sounds ; 
but  they  were  not  welcome  ones,  as  they  were  caused  by  the 
rats  that  ran  about  the  place.  The  rats  seemed  to  have  a 
fondness  for  the  dungeon.  They  did  not  make  much  noise,  and 
could  only  be  heard  when  the  strangers  were  perfectly  still ; 
but  there  they  were  in  goodly  numbers,  and  their  presence 
was  not  consoling  to  the  travellers. 

From  hungry  and  thirsty  they  began  to  grow  sleepy,  but  the 


682  RATS   AND   THEIR   FAMILIARITIES. 

facilities  for  sleeping  were  not  good.  The  furniture  of  these 
prisons  was  never  elaborate,  even  in  the  days  of  the  glory 
of  Venice.  The  rulers  of  that  city  never  thought  of  provid- 
ing their  prisons  with  upholstered  sofas,  and  four-post  bed- 
steads. The  furniture  generally  consisted  of  a  bundle  or  two 
of  straw,  and  possibly  a  chain.  Sometimes  a  stool  was  added, 
but  it  was  a  luxury  which  every  prisoner  did  not  possess. 
There  was  neither  straw  nor  sofa  in  the  cell  at  the  time  these 
unhappy  travellers  were  shut  up  there,  and  consequently, 
if  they  wished  to  sleep,  they  must  lie  down  on  the  bare  floor 
of  stone  and  hard  earth,  at  the  risk  of  taking  cold  and 
spoiling  their  store  clothes. 

They  compromised  the  matter  by  sitting  down  in  the 
corners  and  taking  occasional  winks  of  sleep.  Their  slumbers 
were  not  of  long  duration,  and  were  interrupted  by  the  rats 
running  over  them,  and  making  themselves  remarkably  free, 
considering  that  they  had  never  been  introduced. 

Hour  after  hour  passed  away.  One  of  the  men  said,  "  it 
seemed  as  if  we  were  shut  up  a  full  month ;  and,"  said  he, 
"  I  suppose  if  I  had  been  alone  it  would  have  seemed  to  me 
about  six  months." 

Finally,  in  the  morning,  as  soon  as  the  palace  was  opened, 
the  guide  returned  with  his  torches,  and  rescued  the  prisoners 
from  their  confinement.  He  tried  to  make  them  believe  that 
he  had  only  been  gone  about  half  an  hour,  and  he  almost  con- 
vinced them  of  the  truth  of  his  averment,  by  proceeding 
to  show  them,  in  a  very  mechanical  way,  the  other  curiosities 
of  the  place,  and  to  tell  them  it  would  soon  be  sunset,  when 
he  would  go  home  and  prepare  to  show  them  the  way  to  the 
theatre  in  the  evening.  He  told  them,  "  I  suppose,  gentle- 
mans,  it  seemed  to  you  as  if  you  were  there  a  good  many 
hours.  It  always  seem  so  to  gentlemans;  they  say  so 
always." 

The  travellers  admitted  that  it  did  seem  as  if  they  had  been 
there  a  good  many  hours ;  and  as  they  came  up  stairs,  saw  the 
sun  rising,  and  saw  the  movements  of  the  people  indicating 
that  it  was  morning,  they  perceived  how  they  had  been 


DUNGEON  ON  THE  BANKS  OF  THE  NEVA.        683 

treated.  Without  heeding  the  request  of  the  guide  to  be 
paid  for  his  trouble,  they  kicked  him  from  the  door  of  the 
Ducal  Palace  half  away  across  the  piazzetta,  and  left  him  to 
go  home  without  any  fee  for  his  day's  services,  and  with  the 
impression  of  an  Eaglish  and  an  American  boot  painfully  evi- 
dent on  his  person. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Neva,  in  St.  Petersburg,  there  are  some 
famous  dungeons  in  which  prisoners  of  state  have  been  con- 
fined. Peter  the  Great  ordered  one  of  his  sons  imprisoned 
there,  and  treated  him  with  great  severity.  Peter  .was  a  hard- 
hearted monarch,  and  with  his  love  for  Russia,  he  was  as 
ready  to  visit  punishment  upon  the  members  of  his  own  family 
as  upon  any  one  else.  The  Empress  Catharine  is  also  said  to 
have  shut  up  some  of  her  relatives  in  these  prisons ;  but  her 
cruelty  never  quite  came  up  to  that  of  Peter,  who  is  said  to 
have  caused  his  son  to  be  put  to  torture  in  his  own  presence, 
and  to  have  stood  calmly  by  and  witnessed  his  dying  agonies. 
But  then  she  was  a  woman,  and  a  good  deal  must  be  allowed 
to  her  in  the  way  of  womanly  feelings. 

A  pleasant  feature  of  these  dungeons  at  St.  Petersburg  is 
that  they  are  located  under  the  level  of  the  river.  St.  Peters- 
burg was  built  originally  on  a  marsh.  There  is  not  a  hill  in 
the  whole  city,  and  the  level  of  the  street  is  only  a  few  feet 
above  the  banks  of  the  Neva  at  high-water  mark.  Once  or 
twice  in  a  century,  the  city  is  inundated,  and  in  such  cases 
the  prisoners  in  these  underground  cells  are  quietly  drowned  ; 
at  any  rate,  such  has  been  their  fate  on  two  or  three  occasions. 
It  is  true  they  might  have  been  saved,  had  the  officers  in 
charge  of  the  prison  been  willing  to  open  the  doors,  and  allow 
them  to  leave  their  cells ;  but  no  one  thought  of  an  inunda- 
tion, and  as  the  prison-keepers  had  strict  orders  to  keep  the 
prisoners  in  their  cells,  unless  otherwise  commanded  by  their 
superiors,  and  as  the  superiors  were  away  at  the  time  of  the 
flood,  the  poor  victims  were  drowned  like  rats  in  cages. 

There  is  a  thrilling  story  about  one  of  these  dungeons,  or 
rather  about  one  of  the  prisoners  confined  there. 

A   Russian   adventuress,  said   to  be  a  princess,  of  great 


684  A  PRINCESS  DECOYED. 

beauty  and  accomplishments,  about  the  year  1822,  was  in  the 
south  of  Europe,  and  claimed  a  relationship  to  the  emperor's 
family.  Some  persons  at  this  day  insist  that  her  claim  was 
well  founded,  while  others  say  that  it  was  purely  fictitious. 
At  any  rate  she  made  a  great  stir,  and  created  so  much 
trouble  to  the  emperor  and  the  Russian  government,  that  an 
attempt  was  made  to  bring  her  back  to  the  empire,  where  she 
could  be  properly  dealt  with. 

Various  traps  were  set,  and  various  plans  were  laid,  but 
none  of  them  were  successful,  until  one  day  —  I  think  it  was  at 
Genoa  or  Leghorn  —  she  was  invited  to  visit  some  ships  lying 
at  anchor  in  the  harbor.  A  party  had  been  made  up,  and 
every  one,  including  the  princess,  whose  name  I  do  not  now 
recall,  had  partaken  liberally  of  champagne. 

A  Russian  officer  in  civilian  dress  was  of  the  party,  and 
adroitty  managed  to  induce  her  to  go  on  board  a  Russian  ship 
of  war  then  in  the  harbor.  The  instant  she  touched  the  deck 
the  anchor  was  lifted,  and  she  was  invited  below.  The  rest 
of  the  party  were  put  ashore,  and  the  ship  sailed  for 
Cronstadt. 

She  was  kept  in  close  confinement  during  the  voyage,  and 
on  her  arrival  at  St.  Petersburg  was  consigned  to  one  of  the 
dungeons.  There  she  was  kept  a  close  prisoner  in  the  hands 
of  the  government  to  which  she-  owed  allegiance,  and  which 
she  had  deeply  offended.  While  she  was  still  in  this  dun- 
geon there  came  the  great  inundation  of  1824.  The  prison 
where  she  was  kept  was  flooded,  and  the  unhappy  princess 
was  drowned. 

I  heard  the  story  of  her  unhappy  fate  while  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  afterwards  in  Paris.  It  was  recalled  to  me  m  tho 
latter  city  by  a  painting  in  the  Russian  department  of  the 
great  Exposition  of  1867.  The  most  attractive  picture  in  the 
Russian  collection  was  the  one  which  represented  her  death. 
It  was  not  a  large  picture,  but  fearfully  realistic  in  its 
character. 

It  showed  the  interior  of  her  cell,  and  the  torrent  of  water 
flowing  in  through  a  small  grated  window  near  its  roof.  It 


i)ROWNED   IN  A   CELL.  685 

was  pouring  in  like  a  miniature  cascade.  It  Jiad  covered  the 
floor  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  rude  pallet  which  formed  her 
bed.  Its  sheep-skin  covering  was  hanging  over  its  edge  ;  rats 
by  the  dozen  were  climbing  up  this  coverlet  and  crouching 
around  the  unhappy  woman,  who  knelt  on  the  couch,  her 
hands  clasped,  and  her  face  turned  upward.  There  was  a 
dim  light  in  the  cell,  just  enough  to  render  the  scene  as 
gloomy  as  possible.  The  attitude  and  features  indicated 
agony  and  despair  at  the  nearness  of  a  horrible  death,  from 
which  there  was  little  hope  of  relief. 


XLVH. 

ANIMALS  UNDER  GROUND. 

HORSES  IN  MINES.  —  EFFECT  OF  AN  EVEN  TEMPERATURE  ON  HORSES  AND 
MULES.  —  EFFECT  OF  DEPRIVATION  OF  LIGHT.  —  WALKING  IN  DARKNESS.  — 
RATS  IN  MINES.  — A  MONKEY  IN  A  SILVER  MINE. — THE  CONSTERNATION  HE 
CREATED. — WHAT  HE  WAS  SUPPOSED  TO  BE. —  HIS  UNHAPPY  FATE. — A 
MONKEY  AT  SEA.  —  HIS  PRANKS.  —  DEMOCRATIC  HABITS.  —  HOW  HE  LOST 
HIS  LIFE.  —  HIS  LAST  PERFORMANCE.  —  DOGS  IN  MINES,  AND  THE  EFFECT  OF 
UNDERGROUND  CONFINEMENT.  —  JOY  AT  REACHING  DAYLIGHT  AGAIN.  — 
TWO  DOGS  AT  SEA,  AND  WHAT  THEY  DID.  —  A  DOG  SAILOR,  AND  WHAT  HE 
DID.  —  HIS  UNHAPPY  END. 

As  a  general  thing,  miners  do  not  devote  -much  of  their 
time  under  ground  to  the  care  of  pet  animals.  The  horses 
and  mules  that  are  kept  below  are  not  regarded  as  pets,  but 
as  a  part  of  the  working  force,  and  are  required  to  do  their 
whole  duty.  They  are  cared  for  just  as  well  as  animals  of 
their  kind  in  similar  occupations  above  ground.  Their  stables 
are  comfortable,  and  from  their  location  the  beasts  can  hardly 
be  expected  to  suffer  from  cold,  though  they  may  sometimes 
find  the  heat  rather  severe.  In  many  localities  horses  and 
mules  that  have  been  kept  a  long  time  under  ground,  in  an 
unvarying  temperature  of  seventy  degrees  or  more,  lose  their 
hair,  or  a  large  portion  of  it.  They  never  suffer  from  rain  or 
snow,  because  there  can  be  no  storms  hundreds  or  thousands 
of  feet  under  ground ;  and  they  need  no  protection  against 
cold  where  there  is  no  cold.  Sometimes  they  become  blinded 
from  constant  deprivation  of  the  light  of  day.  They  very 
soon  learn  to  walk  along  certain  ways  and  levels  in  complete 
darkness,  though  they  manifest  a  decided  preference  for  light 
rather  than  for  its  opposite. 

The  presence  of  rats  in  mines  has  been  referred  to  else- 
where. In  some  mines  they  are  rarely  or  never  seen,  while 


A   MONKEY  IN  A  MINE.  687 

in  others  they  are  numerous.  The  facilities  for  good  living 
for  rats  are  not  abundant,  and  they  certainly  have  small  en- 
couragement to  stay  in  the  levels  and  tunnels,  when  they 
might  do  much  better,  and  live  much  happier,  above  ground. 
Generally  they  have  no  means  of  exit,  as  they  cannot  easily 
go  out  of  the  shaft ;  and  the  shaft  is  the  only  means  of  egress. 

I  once  heard  an  amusing  story  of  the  consternation  created 
in  a  mine  by  the  introduction  of  a  monkey.  Somebody  con- 
nected with  the  place  had  in  a  mysterious  way  become  pro- 
prietor of  a  monkey,  and  one  day  he  took  the  beast  with  him 
into  the  mine.  The  monkey  made  no  objection  to  going 
there  j  but  after  reaching  the  tunnel  where  the  men  were  at 
work,  he  became  alarmed,  and  ran  about  very  uncomfortably. 
He  went  from  one  place  to  another,  attracted  by  the  light, 
and  in  hopes  of  finding  a  friend.  Many  of  the  men  had  never 
seen  a  creature  of  his  kind  before  ;  some  thought  it  was  the 
devil,  as  they  could  not  imagine  what  else  it  could  be,  and 
some  thought  it  an  enormously  overgrown  rat. 

One  of  the  men  was  lying  on  his  side,  digging  away  at  the 
base  of  a  vein  of  coal.  The  monkey  thought  he  recognized  in 
this  man  a  friend,  or  somebody  who  ought  to  be  a  friend,  and 
went  for  him.  The  man  knew  nothing  about  the  presence  of 
the  beast  until  the  latter  scrambled  upon  him  and  looked  full 
in  his  face.  The  miner  gave  a  scream,  and  fainted.  Such  a 
face  had  never  before  been  turned  towards  his  own,  and  his 
alarm  was  not  at  all  surprising.  The  monkey  left  him,  and 
then  sprang  among  a  group  of  men  who  were  loading  a  car 
of  coal.  They  stopped  work,  and  shouted  to  their  comrades 
that  the  devil  was  in  the  mine.  In  fact,  within  fifteen  min- 
utes'that  single  animal  had  created  an  alarm  among  the  men 
that  was  not  quelled  for  two  or  three  hours.  The  beast  finally 
ran  to  the  shaft,  made  a  leap  into  the  darkness,  went  down 
four  hundred  feet  or  more,  and  struck  upon  a  pile  of  coal.  As 
a  monkey,  he  was  not  of  much  consequence  after  that. 

Digressions  are  permi?sible  in  a  popular  work  of  this  kind, 
and  I  take  the  liberty  of  giving  a  story  of  a  monkey,  which 
was  told  me  quite  recently  by  an  eye-witness  of  his  pranks. 
37 


688  PRASSB  OP  A  MONKEY  AT  SEA. 

'•'  I  was  sailing  as  an  ordinary  seaman  at  one  time  OH  «a 
American  man-of-war.  There  were  about  five  hundred  men  on 
board,  and  sometimes  there  was  very  little  for  us  to  do.  Out 
in  the  East  Indies,  at  one  of  the  ports  where  we  touched,  we 
picked  up  a  lot  of  monkeys.  They  belonged  to  the  officers, 
but  somehow  the  monkeys  preferred  to  associate  with  the 
men.  They  had  the  free  run  of  the  whole  ship,  and  did  pretty 
much  as  they  liked.  They  used  to  steal  everything  they 
could  lay  their  hands  on,  and  for  a  month  or  two  the  sailors 
had  very  little  to  do  except  playing  with  them. 

"  When  we  got  out  to  sea,  nearly  all  of  the  brutes  died. 
We  sailed  up  north  in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  it  got  rather 
cold.  One  monkey  had  brains  enough  to  hunt  out  a  warm 
place,  and  went  down  into  the  engine-room,  where  he  used  to 
sit  and  look  at  the  stokers  stirring  up  the  fires.  He  would 
sit  there,  and  make  faces  at  them ;  and  one  of  the  officers  said 
that  the  monkey,  if  he  had  any  idea  of  a  future  state  of  exist- 
ence, must  imagine  that  he  was  in  a  sort  of  purgatory,  and 
that  the  stokers  stirring  up  the  fire  were  keeping  it  hot  for 
roasting  a  lot  of  fellows  who  were  expected  to  arrive.  He 
managed  to  live  until  we  got  back  into  the  tropics  again,  and 
then  he  came  out  of  his  hrding-place,  and  used  to  go  round 
among  us  as  sociable  as  ever. 

"  He  wasn't  an  aristocrat,  that  monkey,  and  didn't  seem  ta 
have  any  high  notions  about  society.  One  hour  he  would  be 
in  the  cabin  with  the  captain,  and  the  next  thing  you  would 
hear  of  him,  he  would  be  in  the  galley,  making  friends  with 
the  nigger  cook.  One  day  he  took  the  cook's  cap,  carried  it 
into  the  cabin,  and  put  it  on  the  captain's  head.  The  captain 
did  not  like  that  sort  of  familiarity,  and  he  ousted  the  beast 
from  his  cabin.  He  was  constantly  kicking  up  a  row  every- 
where, but  he  was  such  an  amusing  duck  that  everybody 
liked  him. 

"  When  we  were  lying  in  the  harbor  of  Nagasaki,  we 
opened  our  gun-ports,  just  as  we  always  did  when  at  anchor. 
One  of  the  favorite  jumping-places  of  the  monkey  was  to  go 
from  the  end  of  a  yard  down  to  the  port  on  the  starboard  bow, 


A   LIVELY  CHASE.  689 

and  whenever  they  were  chasing  him,  he  would  be  sure  to 
make  in  that  direction.  One  day  we  got  up  steam,  and  pre- 
pared to  leave ;  and  of  course  our  ports  were  then  triced  up. 
Just  as  we  were  starting,  the  monkey  was  full  of  play,  and 
made  for  his  favorite  jump.  He  did  not  stop  to  see  that  the 
port  was  closed,  and  that  in  the  place  where  he  jumped  there 
was  nothing  for  him  to  light  on ;  so  down  he  went  into  the 
water.  We  threw  a  rope  over  the  side  of  the  ship,  and  he 
caught  hold,  and  climbed  up.  He  was  always  mighty  careful 
after  that  about  his  jumping-place. 

"  Occasionally,  when  we  were  lying  idle,  and  everybody 
was  tired,  the  officers  would  get  up  a  purse  of  five  dollars, 
and  then  pipe  the  men  to  catch  the  monkey.  The  monkey 
would  start  up  the  rigging,  and  the  men  would  go  for  him ; 
and  the  first  man  that  got  him  would  have  the  money.  You 
see,  there  would  be  over  four  hundred  men  in  the  rigging. 
The  monkey  could  jump  and  run  much  better  than  they 
could,  but  they  were  so  thick  that  almost  everywhere  he  went 
he  was  in  danger  of  lighting  on  a  man.  He  seemed  to  enjoy 
the  fun  just  as  much  as  anybody  else,  and  he  would  make  a 
lively  race  all  over  the  rigging.  Sometimes  he  would  go 
clear  up  to  the  main  truck,  and  sit  on  the  top.  It  was  rather 
tough  work  to  get  him  there,  and  it  was  no  use  climbing  for 
him,  because  before  a  man  could  get  hold  of  him  he  would 
be  sure  to  jump  somewhere  else.  So  we  had  a  rule,  that 
when  he  got  there,  we  tried  to  shake  or  frighten  him  off  in 
some  way ;  and  if  he  was  caught  in  that  jump,  the  catch  did 
not  count. 

"  We  had  lots  of  fun  that  way.  The  officers  would  stay  on 
the  deck,  and  see  the  fun ;  and  the  men  would  do  their  best 
to  catch  the  beast,  as  they  knew  that  somebody  would  make 
five  dollars  out  of  the  job.  Every  few  days  we  had  a  race  of 
this  kind,  but  there  came  a  time  when  we  had  the  last  one. 
The  rule  always  had  been  that  the  monkey  should  not  be 
hurt,  but  should  be  caught  uninjured,  and  brought  down. 

One  day  the  captain  had  his  charts  out,  spread  over  tb* 
table  in  the  cabin  —  his  very  best  charts,  and  things  t-b-*t  were 


690  SITTING   ON  A  STEAM-PIPE. 

pretty  important.  He  was  studying  them,  and  marking  off 
his  ship's  course,  and  left  them  a  few  minutes,  to  go  into  his 
state-room.  That  infernal  monkey  was  around,  and  as  soon  as 
the  captain  was  gone,  he  jumped  on  the  table,  dipped  his  paw 
into  the  inkstand,  and  began  marking  out  a  course  on  the 
chart  to  suit  himself.  He  daubed  that  chart  all  over  with 
ink,  and  when  the  captain  came  out  of  his  state-room,  and 
found  what  had  been  done,  he  was  about  the  maddest  man 
you  ever  saw.  He  made  a  grab  for  the  monkey,  but  of  course 
the  monkey  got  away.  He  struck  out  for  the  deck,  and  shinned 
up  into  the  rigging. 

"  The  captain  came  out  without  his  cap,  and  was  perfectly 
white  with  rage.  We  saw  that  something  had  happened,  but 
what  it  was  we  did  not  know.  We  were  steaming  slowly 
along,  and  the  men  were  scattered  all  about  the  deck. 

" l  Pipe  all  hands  to  catch  the  monkey ! '  said  the  captain. 
'  Ten  dollars  for  anybody  that  gets  him,  dead  or  alive ! ' 

"  We  knew  there  was  business  then,  and  we  went  for  the 
monkey ;  and  the  monkey  knew  there  was  business  too.  He 
understood  there  was  no  time  for  fooling.  I  fancied  that  that 
monkey  knew  it  was  a  race  for  life  or  death,  and  he  never 
tried  so  hard  before  to  keep  out  of  our  way.  Every  man 
who  could  be  spared  from  the  management  of  the  ship  was 
sent  into  the  rigging.  We  chased  him  from  mainmast  to 
mizzenmast,  and  from  bowsprit  back  to  the  stern.  He  went 
into  all  parts  of  the  rigging,  and  had  several  narrow  escapes. 

"  We  were  closing  in  on  him,  and  had  him  in  very  tight 
quarters,  when,  all  of  a  sudden,  he  played  a  trick  which  he 
had  never  tried  before.  He  jumped  to  the  top  of  the  smoke- 
stack, and  then  to  the  steam-pipe,  and  there  he  sat.  The 
smoke-stack  was  too  hot  for  him,  but  the  steam-pipe  was  cool 
and  comfortable.  Our  ship,  you  know,  was  a  low-pressure 
one,  and  we  only  used  the  steam-pipe  when  we  let  off  steam, 
or  had  an  excess  of  it. 

"  Of  course  nobody  could  shin  up  that  steam-pipe,  and  there 
sat  the  monkey  for  at  least  a  minute.  While  we  were  all 
wondering  what  to  do,  one  of  the  boys  went  to  the  pipe,  and 
pulled  the  string  of  the  fog-whistle. 


UNHAPPINESS  OF  DOGS.  691 

"  Well,  sir,  there  was  a  jet  of  steam,  and  that  unfortunate 
monkey  was  blown  up  about  twenty  feet  into  the  air,  and 
came  down  on  the  deck,  stone  dead,  with  every  hair  singed 
off  him.  He  looked  just  as  if  he  had  been  through  the  bar- 
ber's hands,  and  was  preparing  to  go  to  church.  The  boy 
picked  him  up,  carried  him  to  the  captain,  and  got  his  ten 
dollars.  We  did  not  have  any  more  monkeys  on  the  ship 
after  that." 

Pet  dogs  are  sometimes  kept  in  mines,  but  they  soon  lose 
their  activity,  and  appear  so  unhappy  that  the  miners,  out  of 
pity  for  them,  take  them  to  the  open  air  again.  I  once  saw  a 
dog  that  had  been  kept  a  fortnight  in  a  silver  mine,  without 
once  seeing  daylight.  I  happened  to  be  at  the  entrance  when 
he  was  brought  to  the  surface,  and  never  did  I  see  a  dog 
manifest  more  joy  than  did  this  one.  As  soon  as  he  was 
placed  on  the  ground,  saw  daylight,  and  snuffed  the  clear, 
open  air,  he  ran  about,  jumping  first  upon  one  and  then  upon 
another  of  the  miners,  and  seemed  to  thank  them  for  his  re- 
lease from  prison.  He  kept  this  up  for  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  then  he  darted  about  in  wide  circles,  running  at  the  very 
top  of  his  speed,  and  paying  no  heed  to  anybody.  He  ran  in 
this  way  until  fairly  exhausted,  and  then  came  up  to  his  mas- 
ter, and  lay  down  at  his  feet.  His  master  then  endeavored  to 
coax  him  into  the  cage,  to  descend  the  shaft  again,  but  the 
dog  would  not  move.  As  his  master  stepped  into  the  cage, 
he  tried  to  call  him  down,  but  the  dog  turned,  and  ran  away. 
He  had  had  quite  enough  of  underground  life. 

I  have  seen  dogs  that  had  been  kept  a  long  time  on  ship- 
board act  in  just  the  same  way  when  going  on  land.  Sailing 
once  from  San  Francisco,  across  the  Pacific  Ocean,  we  picked 
up,  just  before  our  departure,  two  small  dogs  —  one  a  Skye 
terrier,  and  the  other  a  black  and  tan.  For  the  first  few  days 
they  were  not  in  love  with  sea  life,  but  before  we  had  been  a 
week  on  our  voyage,  they  were  accustomed  to  it,  and  wan- 
dered around  the  ship  at  will.  They  made  friends  with 
everybody.  The  black  and  tan  had  the  run  of  the  main 
cabin,  but  the  Skye  lived  forward  with  the  men.  The  two 


692  TAKING  THE  DOGS  ASHORE. 

dogs  played  together  a  great  deal.  The  black  and  tan  would 
go  forward,  and  apparently  invite  the  Skye  aft.  He  would 
come,  and  they  would  play  about  the  deck;  but  he  never 
ventured  into  the  cabin.  He  appeared  to  know  his  place, 
and  kept  it  very  carefully. 

Twenty-four  hours  before  we  sighted  land,  when  it  was 
more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  away,  those  dogs  began 
to  sniff  the  air  uneasily,  and  rather  wistfully  indicated  that 
they  knew  we  were  approaching  shore,  and  that  they  wanted 
to  get  upon  it.  But  when  we  entered  harbor,  they  did  not 
manifest  any  particular  wish  for  the  land ;  and  though  they 
looked  around  the  deck,  and  off  towards  the  shore,  they  showed 
no  desire  to  seek  it. 

It  was  morning  when  we  came  to  anchor,  and  we  imme- 
diately made  our  official  visits,  and  returned  to  the  ship  about 
noon.  Opposite  our  anchoring-place  there  was  a  partially 
wooded  point,  which,  we  thought,  would  give  us  a  pleasant 
promenade ;  and  so,  in  the  afternoon,  four  of  us  went  ashore, 
taking  the  dogs  with  us. 

They  were  reluctant  to  get  into  the  boat,  and  the  sailors 
were  obliged  to  carry  them  down  the  gangway  stairs  to  the 
boat,  and  put  them  ashore  when  we  touched  land.  But  as 
soon  as  they  had  touched  it,  and  realized  that  they  were  on 
solid  earth,  they  began  to  caper  and  run  about  in  the  most  ex- 
travagant way.  I  think  that  before  we  had  walked  a  mile 
those  dogs  had  run  at  least  ten  miles,  and  had  examined,  in 
their  canine  way,  every  bush,  and  tree,  and  shrub  in  the  re- 
gion. Several  dogs  of  ten  times  their  size  were  wandering 
about,  but  these  little  brutes  gave  chase  to  them  as  readily  as 
though  the  strangers  had  been  rats.  When  they  came  back 
to  our  landing-place,  they  did  not  want  to  enter  the  boat,  and 
we  had  to  carry  them  in. 

After  that,  whenever  a  boat  went  ashore,  there  was  no  oc- 
casion to  invite  the  dogs  or  urge  them  to  go.  The  very  first 
instant  they  saw  any  preparations  for  leaving  the  ship,  they 
would  descend  the  gangway,  and  enter  the  boat;  and  if 
driven  back,  they  would  look  wistfully  over  the  side,  and 


A   QUADRUPEDAL  MARINER.  693 

sometimes  fairly  howl  with  sorrow.  On  two  or  tLree  occa- 
sions, when  we  allowed  them  to  descend  to  the  foot  of  the 
gangway  stairs,  and  pushed  off  without  them,  they  jumped 
into  the  water,  and  followed  us. 

I  may  still  further  digress,  and  say,  that  on  one  occasion 
we  had  at  sea  with  us  a  dog  evidently  born  to  a  marine  life. 
He  was  really  attached  to  that  ship,  and  apparently  never 
cared  to  go  ashore.  If  taken  on  shore  by  the  captain  or  one 
of  the  officers,  he  would  quite  likely  get  lost ;  but  he  always 
knew  enough  to  make  his  way  back  to  the  landing.  If  the 
ship  was  tied  to  the  dock,  he  could  select  her  from  dozens  of 
others.  He  never  made  a  mistake,  and  never  went  aboard 
the  wrong  craft.  At  sea  he  would  stand  his  watch  as  regu- 
larly as  any  one  of  the  officers.  When  the  starboard  watch 
was  called,  he  roused  himself  up,  and  went  on  deck.  Some- 
times, when  he  would  be  lying  asleep,  a  call  would  be  made 
for  all  hands,  and  he  would  be  the  first  on  deck.  The  rest  of 
the  crew,  when  called  out,  were  generally  obliged  to  put  on 
some  article  of  dress  —  at  any  rate,  a  hat,  and  possibly  a  coat; 
but  Charley,  as  the  dog  was  called,  had  no  toilet  to  make,  and 
consequently  he  would  be  the  first  at  his  post. 

If  he  saw  a  man  pulling  at  a  line,  he  would  seize  it,  and 
pull  also;  and  sometimes,  when  there  was  no  chance  for  him 
to  pull  at  the  line,  he  would  seize  the  rear  man  by  the  seat  of 
his  trousers,  and  pull  away  for  dear  life.  The  men  didn't 
like  this  sort  of  thing,  as  sometimes  he  included  a  little  flesh 
in  the  folds  of  the  trousers ;  and  Charley  got  a  good  many 
threshings  in  consequence.  But  he  was  so  anxious  to  do 
something,  that  within  fifteen  minutes  after  he  was  threshed, 
if  he  saw  a  line  of  men  hauling  in  a  rope  which  ho  could  not 
get  hold  of,  in  would  go  his  teeth  into  the  trousers  of  the 
rear  man,  —  and  he  had  long  and  strong  teeth  too. 

Every  dog  has  his  day,  and  Charley  had  his.  As  before 
stated,  he  could  pick  out  his  own  craft  among  dozens  of  ships. 
If  she  was  anchored  from  the  shore,  he  would  come  down  to 
the  water's  edge,  give  a  look  around,  and  discover  the  ship. 
Then  he  would  strike  boldly  into  the  water,  and  swim  towards 


694  CHARLEY'S  FATE. 

her.  Somebody  would  see  him,  and  a  rope  would  be  low- 
ered, with  a  noose  at  the  end.  Charley  would  put  his  fore 
paws  in  the  noose,  seize  the  rope  with  his  teeth,  and  be 
drawn  on  deck. 

One  day,  when  the  ship  was  at  anchor  in  the  Bay  of  Pana- 
ma, Charley  started  to  swim  out,  as  usual.  The  bay  was  full 
of  sharks,  and  just  as  he  had  reached  the  side  of  the  ship,  and 
was  putting  his  paws  through  the  noose  lowered  to  receive 
him,  there  was  a  swirl  of  the  water.  The  head  and  belly  of  a 
large  shark  were  visible  for  a  moment,  and  with  a  single  yelp 
of  pain  and  terror,  Charley  was  dragged  under  the  water,  and 
never  seen  again. 


XLVIIL 

OUT   OF  PRISON. 

WONDERFUL  ESCAPE  FROM  A  FRENCH  PRISON.  —  PLANS  OP  ESCAPE.  —  A  LONO 
LABOR.  —  TUNNELLING  THROUGH  A  WALL.  —  INGENUITY  OF  A  SAILOR.  — 
LUCKY  ACCIDENTS.  —  DISCOURAGING  EVENTS.  —  HOW  SUCCESS  WAS  AT- 
TAINED. —  ELUDING  THE  GUARDS.  —  REACHING  A  PLACE  OF  SAFETY. 

AMONG  the  most  remarkable  efforts  of  prisoners  to  escape 
from  their  confinement  was  that  of  some  French  Communists, 
who  were  sentenced  to  incarceration  upon  their  failure  to 
establish  their  government  in  France,  after  the  downfall  of 
Louis  Napoleon  in  the  disaster  at  Sedan.  The  story,  as  told 
by  one  of  them,  is  of  the  most  thrilling  character. 

We  were  political  prisoners  —  three  hundred  of  us  —  in 
the  fortress  of  Port  Louis,  a  part  of  that  line  of  fortifications 
which  was  built  by  Sully  to  defend  the  French  coast  from 
Brest  to  La  Rochelle.  At  high  tide  the  fortress  is  entirely 
surrounded  by  the  sea,  and  communicates  with  the  land  only 
by  a  bridge.  Round  its  circuit  runs  a  rampart  on  which  the 
casemates  abut.  The  entrance  is  opposite  the  bridge  —  that 
is  to  say,  facing  the  peninsula  on  which  stands  the  little 
town  of  Port  Louis.  On  the  left  are  the  offices  of  the  prison 
authorities  and  the  residence  of  the  governor ;  011  the  right, 
the  quarters  of  the  soldiers.  In  the  centre  of  ^the  fortress 
are  barracks,  forming  a  square,  and  having  an  inner  court ; 
and  it  is  here  that  the  prisoners  are  confined.  The  soldiers 
are  strictly  forbidden  to  speak  to  the  prisoners.  Their  duty 
consists  in  mounting  guard  on  the  terrace  running  along 
above  the  casemates.  A  road,  known  as  the  Round  Road, 
goes  round  the  citadel,  and  separates  the  casemates  from  the 
buildings  in  which  the  prisoners  are  confined.  The  ground 
floor,  occupied  by  the  prisoners,  is  divided  into  twenty  dor- 


696  PULLING  NAILS  WITH  FINGERS. 

mitories,  of  unequal  size,  containing  from  seven  to  thirty 
prisoners  each. 

The  dormitories  are  lighted  by  windows  looking  out  on  one 
side  on  the  Round  Road,  and  on  the  other  side  on  the  inner 
court ;  and  these  windows  are  protected  by  strong  iron  bars. 
Having  observed  that  the  floor  boards  were  badly  joined,  the 
idea  occurred  to  us  of  working  out  with  our  finger-nails  the 
nails  by  which  they  were  fastened ;  and  having  done  this, 
we  discovered  under  our  room  large  excavations  without  any 
outlet,  which  had  doubtless  been  formed  for  ventilation.  On 
lifting  two  of  the  floor  boards  under  my  bed,  we  were  able  to 
descend  into  this  cellar  ;  and  then,  after  working  holes  in  the 
walls  separating  the  different  compartments,  we  reached  the 
foundation  wall  abutting  on  the  Round  Road.  Immediately 
the  working  party  had  descended  into  the  cellar,  the  floor 
boards  were  replaced,  and  were  only  lifted  again  when  it 
was  necessary  for  those  below  to  remount.  The  only  tools 
we  had  were  large  nails  or  spikes,  which  had  been  used  in 
fixing  the  stand  for  the  arms,  these  quarters  having  formerly 
been  occupied  by  soldiers.  We  had  worked  out  these  nails 
with  our  hands  ;  and  to  do  so  had  cost  us  several  days'  labor 
and  no  little  laceration  of  fingers.  We  then  conceived  the 
idea  of  excavating  a  tunnel  to  run  from  the  cellar  to  the  sea. 
We  found  that  we  were  just  on  a  level  with  the  Round 
Road  ;  but  this  road  served  as  a  thoroughfare  for  wagons 
loaded  with  powder,  and  for  all  the  vehicles  bringing  pro- 
visions and  other  stores  into  the  citadel.  It  was  therefore 
necessary,  before  excavating  the  tunnel,  to  sink  a  vertical 
shaft  about  thirteen  feet  in  depth,  in  order  that  the  super- 
incumbent weight  of  the  wagons  passing  might  not  cause 
the  road  to  fall  in. 

Digging  with  the  nails,  we  loosened  the  earth,  which  we 
then  scooped  up  in  a  tin  plate  which  we  had  been  able  to 
conceal.  When  we  had  in  this  manner  filled  a  dinner  nap- 
kin, we  formed  a  sort  of  chain,  and  passed  from  hand  to  hand 
the  napkin  full  of  earth,  which  was  deposited  in  the  farthest 
of  the  underground  compartments  and  well  trampled  down, 


UNDER  THE  BOUND  ROAD.  697 

so  that  it  might  occupy  as  small  a  space  as  possible.  There 
were  only  six  of  us  to  carry  on  this  work,  for  the  numberless 
difficulties  which  stood  in  the  way  of  our  escape  had  dis- 
couraged the  others.  We  followed  to  the  last  the  same 
method  of  disposing  of  the  earth  and  the  stones,  which  we 
worked  out  one  by  one  after  incredible  efforts.  Having  fin- 
ished this  shaft  of  thirteen  feet  in  depth,  we  commenced  the 
horizontal  tunnel.  We  had  in  the  first  place  to  pass  under 
the  Round  Road,  which  is  twenty-two  or  twenty-three  feet 
in  width.  As  the  earth  was  much  easier  of  excavation  than 
stone,  we  excavated  our  gallery  with  a  downward  slope,  in 
order  that  we  might  be  able  to  pass  underneath  the  founda- 
tion wall  of  the  casement  facing  our  dormitory.  Thanks  to 
this  slope,  we  succeeded  so  well  that  for  a  space  of  about 
forty-six  feet  —  that  is  to  say,  until  we  reached  the  wall  of 
the  rampart  —  we  had  only  to  work  through  earth.  This 
tunnel  was  just  large  enough  for  one  man  to  creep  along  in 
it.  We  therefore  took  our  turns  at  the  excavations,  lying 
flat  on  our  faces.  Unforeseen  accidents  occurred  to  increase 
the  difficulties,  already  great,  which  we  had  to  surmount. 
The  part  of  the  tunnel  passing  under  the  Round  Road,  not- 
withstanding the  depth  below  the  surface  at  which  it  was 
excavated,  and  notwithstanding  the  care  we  took  to  con- 
struct it  arch-shaped,  so  that  it  might  be  better  able  to  sup- 
port the  heavy  weights  passing  above,  threatened  entirely  to 
fall  in.  Heavy  rains  had  loosened  the  soil,  and  pretty  large 
masses  of  earth  fell  every  day.  It  was  necessary  that  this 
part  of  the  tunnel  should  be  propped  up.  How  could  it  be 
done  ?  One  of  our  number,  who  had  been  a  sailor,  and  who 
was  a  resolute  and  enterprising  man,  as  sailors  usually  are, 
conceived  the  idea  of  supporting  the  earth  by  packing  against 
the  sides  of  the  tunnel  the  stones  which  we  had  removed 
from  the  walls.  This  was  done  ;  and  the  downfall  from 
above  being  thereby  effectually  prevented,  we  were  able  to 
continue  our  labors.  A  second  accident,  which  seemed  at 
first  much  more  serious,  then  occurred,  threw  us  into  a  fever 
of  anxiety,  and  delayed  the  accomplishment  of  our  project- 


698  BEACHING  THE  BAMPABT. 

When  our  tunnel  had  attained  a  length  of  about  thirty-three 
feet,  we  could  not  get  our  light  to  burn.  We  thought  this 
phenomenon  was  caused  by  want  of  air,  and  this  is  what  we 
did  to  remedy  the  defect.  While  one  of  our  number  was 
kept  constantly  at  work  excavating,  another,  standing  in  the 
shaft  at  the  entrance  of  the  tunnel,  and  making  a  sort  of  fan 
of  his  jacket,  forced  a  strong  current  of  air  into  the  tunnel. 
However,  after  some  few  days,  when  the  length  of  the  pas- 
sage had  been  increased  by  a  little  more  than  a  yard,  there 
was  no  longer  any  need  of  our  improvised  ventilator,  as  the 
light  burned  of  itself.  There  doubtless  occurred  in  this  part 
of  the  earth  some  gas  which  prevented 'our  light  from  burn- 
ing ;  and  this  gas,  having  little  by  little  become  dispersed, 
the  phenomenon  ceased. 

At  length,  after  being  distracted  by  doubts  and  fears,  after 
the  innumerable  difficulties  which  every  day  for  three  months 
we  had  encountered,  —  difficulties  which  we  should  never 
have  overcome  but  by  dint  of  sheer  energy,  and  thanks  to 
that  incredible  patience  with  which  prisoners  only  are  en- 
dowed, —  we  reached  the  wall  of  the  rampart.  A  few  more 
days  of  labor  and  suffering  and  we  shall  be  free.  Free  ! 
The  reader  will  understand  what  courage  and  hope  that 
word  must  have  given  us  to  induce  us  to  undertake  and 
enable  us  to  accomplish  a  work  which,  under  any  other  cir- 
cumstances, would  have  appeared  to  us  as  simple  madness. 
Alas !  it  was  at  the  very  moment  when  we  seemed  to  be 
approaching  the  end  of  our  fatigues  that  the  obstacles  became 
most  difficult  to  surmount.  Some  of  our  number  seemed 
ready  to  abandon  the  task  which  for  more  than  three  months 
we  had  been  prosecuting.  All  our  labor  was  going  to  be 
thrown  away.  Again  it  was  the  energy  of  the  sailor  which 
saved  us,  and  gradually  revived  the  hopes  of  his  weaker 
brethren.  The  wall  of  the  rampart  which  we  had  still  to 
pierce,  and  which  is,  of  course,  intended  to  resist  cannon- 
shot,  seemed  to  us  proof  against  anything.  It  is  constructed 
of  enormous  blocks  of  granite,  jammed  tightly  together  by 
smaller  stones  driven  in  like  wedges,  and  the  whole  is  united 


IMPROVISING  TOOLS.  699 

into  one  solid  mass  by  means  of  Roman  cement ,  which  has 
become  as  hard  as  the  stone  itself.  We  endeavored  with 
the  nails  —  the  only  tools  we  had,  and  which  we  had  put  in 
wooden  handles  —  to  loosen  the  joints  of  the  stones.  With 
another  piece  of  wood  we  had  made  a  mallet,  and  to  get 
the  wood  necessary  for  these  purposes  we  had  broken  up 
the  musket-stand  and  the  barrack-shelves. 

But  the  only  result  of  our  efforts  was  to  blunt  our  imple- 
ments. What  could  we  do  to  supply  our  lack  of  tools  ? 
Our  first  thought  was  to  take  away  a  bar  from  one  of  our 
bedsteads,  which  were  of  iron ;  and  this  we  did.  This  bar 
which  we  took  was  two  feet  in  length  and  about  as  large 
round  as  a  man's  thumb.  After  using  one  of  the  ends  of  this 
bar  against  the  stone,  we  tried  what  use  we  could  make  of  it 
as  a  lever.  But  the  stones  were  too  hard  and  too  heavy,  and 
our  iron  bar  bent  like  a  switch.  What  could  we  do  now  ? 
We  were  not  disposed  to  abandon  at  the  last  moment  a 
project  which  had  cost  us  so  much  toil ;  and  yet  we  had 
many  times  emerged  from  our  tunnel  with  the  skin  rubbed 
off  our  hands,  and  our  faces  as  red  as  fire,  having  hardly  suc- 
ceeded, after  long  days  of  fatiguing  labor,  in  working  out  a 
stone  about  as  big  as  one's  fist.  At  length  the  bright  thought 
occurred  to  one  of  us  of  making  the  very  things  which  had 
been  intended  to  secure  our  confinement  contribute  towards 
our  escape.  We  determined  to  remove  one  of  the  iron  bars 
which  guarded  the  window.  These  bars  were  five  feet  and  a 
half  in  length,  and  an  inch  and  a  half  thick.  But,  in  order 
that  the  warders  might  not  perceive  that  one  of  them  had 
been  taken  away,  we  first  of  all  made  an  imitation  bar  of  a 
piece  of  wood,  cut  from  one  of  the  broad  shelves,  and  which 
we  colored  with  ink  and  blacking.  When  this  was  finished 
and  dry,  we  succeeded  in  unfastening  with  nails  one  of  the 
bars  of  the  window.  We  watched  for  a  moment  when  the 
sentinel  on  the  rampart  opposite  our  window  had  his  back 
towards  us,  and  little  by  little  loosened  the  stones  in  which 
the  bar  was  set.  When  this  was  done,  taking  advantage  of 
one  very  lucky  moment,  we  gave  the  bar  a  wrench,  got  it 


700  A  DISCOURAGING  SITUATION. 

out,  and  instantly  replaced  it  by  the  imitation  bar  of  wood. 
We  then  took  the  precaution  of  stopping  up  with  bread 
crumbs  —  which  we  kneaded  so  as  to  look  like  mortar  —  the 
hole  made  in  loosening  the  bar,  and  afterwards  threw  a  hand- 
ful of  dust  over  the  whole,  that  the  different  shades  of  color 
might  not  betray  our  device.  This  bar  of  iron  became  in  our 
hands  a  formidable  weapon.  Without  it  we  must  inevitably 
have  lost  all  the  fruit  of  our  labors.  When  we  were  in  pos- 
session of  this  formidable  tool,  as  we  had  now  to  attack  stone, 
it  was  impossible  for  us  to  continue  to  work  lying  flat  on  our 
faces,  as  we  had  done  when  it  was  a  simple  question  of  bur- 
rowing in  the  earth.  It  was  absolutely  necessary  that  we 
should  have  complete  control  over  all  our  movements.  We 
were  obliged,  therefore,  before  resuming  our  attack  on  the 
wall,  to  enlarge  this  part  of  our  tunnel,  and  to  excavate  in 
front  of  the  wall  a  little  chamber  high  enough  for  two  men 
to  work  there  on  their  knees,  and  large  enough  for  us  to  use 
the  iron  bar  to  advantage.  Of  this  bar  we  made,  as  occasion 
required,  a  crowbar  or  a  ram.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  did 
we  make  any  real  impression  on  the  wall.  The  scraps  of 
information  which  we  had  been  able  to  gather  from  the 
unguarded  talk  of  the  warders  had  given  us  a  false  idea  with 
respect  to  the  thickness  of  this  rampart.  We  thought  it  was 
only  about  six  or  six  and  a  half  feet  thick,  whereas  in  reality 
it  was  more  than  sixteen  feet.  When,  therefore,  after  in- 
describable labor,  we  had  worked  away  the  stone  bit  by  bit, 
and  made  our  hole  six  feet  and  a  half  in  depth,  we  were  dis- 
concerted to  see  no  sign  that  we  were  approaching  the  end 
of  our  labors.  Far  from  being  discouraged  by  this,  however, 
we  redoubled  our  efforts,  and  our  astonishment  increased  as 
the  hole  became  deeper.  Still  we  worked  on.  The  hole 
became  ten  feet  deep.;  then  twelve  feet ;  then  fourteen  feet ; 
and  it  was  not  until  we  had  dug  sixteen  and  a  half  feet  into 
the  wall,  that  the  man  who  happened  just  then  to  be  at 
work  giving  a  heavy  blow  to  the  stone,  pierced  it,  and  after 
being  dazzled  for  a  moment  by  the  sudden  entry  of  the  light, 
saw  the  sea  stretching  out  in  front  of  him.  He  immediately 


ROUTINE   OF  THE  PRISON.  701 

stopped  up  the  aperture,  and  came  to  impart  the  welcome 
news  to  his  comrades.  We  took  counsel  together,  and  de- 
cided that  our  escape  should  be  attempted  that  very  night. 

And  here  I  must  interrupt  the  course  of  my  narrative  for 
a  moment  in  order  to  give  the  reader  a  few  necessary  ex- 
planations. "  How  was  it,"  he  will  say,  "that  the  officials 
did  not  perceive  the  destruction  of  the  wood-work  which  you 
had  been  obliged  to  break  up  to  make  the  handles  of  your 
tools,  and  the  bar  of  wood  with  which  you  had  replaced  the 
iron  bar  of  the  window?"  To  this  question  I  have  a  very 
simple  answer  to  give.  The  officials  of  the  prison  had  very 
little  to  do  with  us.  The  warders  never  came  into  our  rooms 
except  morning  and  evening,  when  they  came  to  call  the 
muster-roll.  These  visits  were  made  at  fixed  hours,  and  I 
need  hardly  say  that  we  were  always  sure  to  be  present 
when  they  were  made.  We  took  good  care,  too,  to  work 
only  in  the  daytime,  for  in  the  silence  of  night  the  dull  blows 
struck  underground  would  have  been  audible  above.  The 
warders  went  from  room  to  room,  calling  over  the  muster- 
roll,  and  having  seen  that  all  the  prisoners  were  in  their 
places,  immediately  retired  without  troubling  themselves 
about  what  might  be  goirr{  on.  Besides,  no  detenu  wishing 
to  retain  the  good  opinion  j :  his  comrades  ever  spoke  to  the 
warders  ;  and  these  latter,  finding  themselves  thus  isolated, 
sought  no  intercourse  with  the  prisoners.  Again,  detention 
being  an  essentially  political  punishment,  we  were  not  sub- 
jected to  hard  labor,  and  within  the  court,  as  well  as  in  our 
rooms,  were  absolutely  free.  Another  question  which  the 
reader  will  have  asked  is  this :  "  How  did  you  manage  to 
keep  your  secret  unknown  during  these  four  months?" 
Again  his  curiosity  shall  be  satisfied.  There  was  no  secret, 
and  there  could  not  have  been  any.  It  was  impossible  for 
us  to  descend  into  our  cellar  and  tunnel,  or  to  remount  to 
the  surface,  without  being  seen  by  those  of  our  fellow- 
prisoners  who  happened  to  be  in  our  dormitory.  The  dor- 
mitories being  open  all  day  long,  the  prisoners  passed  freely 
from  one  room  to  another,  and  by  degrees  they  had  all  come 


702  DECEIVING  THE  GUARDS. 

to  know  of  our  resolution.  The  majority  dissuaded  us,  and 
endeavored  to  point  out  all  the  difficulties  which  stood  in  our 
way.  Our  project  seemed  to  them  an  absolutely  impossible 
one.  They  thought  that,  our  work  having  lasted  so  long, 
the  officials  had  got  scent  of  it,  and  were  letting  us  go  on, 
because  they  intended  to  have  soldiers  stationed  ready  to 
shoot  us  when  we  attempted  to  make  our  escape.  We 
allowed  our  comrades  to  talk  thus,  and  only  asked  one  thing 
of  them  —  that  they  would  not  betray  our  project.  This 
they  all  promised,  and,  as  the  reader  will  see,  they  kept 
their  word.  I  must,  however,  add  that  we  had  deceived  them 
as  to  the  time  of  our  departure.  "When  they  inquired  as  to 
the  condition  of  our  work,  we  carefully  guarded  ourselves 
from  revealing  the  stage  at  which  we  had  arrived.  Several 
times  I  gave  them  to  understand  that  our  work  would  not  be 
finished  before  the  end  of  January;  and  on  the  very  day 
when  everything  was  finished,  we  had  given  no  sign  of  our 
approaching  departure  until  we  were  about  to  set  out.  We 
had  nothing  more  to  do  but  to  enlarge  the  hole  we  had  made 
in  the  day,  and  to  get  out  through  that  aperture. 

The  rampart  which  we  had  pierced  is  on  the  left  of  the 
citadel,  and  therefore  faces  seaward.  When  the  tide  is  low 
the  sea  retires  and  leaves  the  rocks  dry  for  a  distance  of  sixty 
or  seventy  feet  around.  On  the  night  of  our  escape  the 
evening  muster-roll  was  called  as  usual,  and  we  were  shut 
up  in  our  dormitories.  Almost  immediately  two  of  our  num- 
ber went  down  to  complete  the  enlargement  of  the  hole,  and 
this  labor  occupied  them  two  hours.  On  their  return  we  in- 
formed our  companions  that  the  moment  for  our  escape  had 
arrived.  Their  emotion  was  certainly  greater  than  ours. 
Before  setting  out  we  took  the  precaution  of  placing  in  our 
beds  our  bolsters,  made  to  look  as  much  as  possible  like  a 
man's  body,  and  with  our  night-caps  stuck  at  the  top.  We 
also  spread  our  prison  clothes  on  our  beds,  as  we  were  in  the 
habit  of  doing  every  evening.  Our  object  in  adopting  these 
precautions  was  to  deceive  the  warder  when  he  came  in  the 
morning  to  call  over  the  muster-roll.  The  stratagem  sue- 


OUT  IN   THE   OPEN   AIR.  703 

ceeded,  and  the  officials  did  not  know  of  our  flight  until  six 
o'clock  the  next  evening.  This  was  very  fortunate  for  us, 
as  otherwise  we  should  not  have  been  able  to  get  away  any 
great  distance  from  the  citadel,  and  we  should  infallibly  have 
been  retaken.  It  was  the  14th  of  November,  at  nine  o'clock 
in  the  evening ;  the  tide  was  out,  and  the  rocks  at  the  foot 
of  the  rampart  were  left  bare.  We  had  been  able  to  find  out 
the  times  of  the  tides  in  the  almanac  at  the  canteen.  Our 
precautions  had  been  all  carefully  taken,  and,  thanks  to  the 
depth  of  the  shaft  we  had  sunk  at  the  entrance  of  the  tunnel, 
and  to  the  slope  given  to  the  tunnel  itself,  the  hole  which  we 
had  made  in  the  wall  of  the  rampart  was  only  ten  feet  above 
the  rocks. 

One  after  another  we  crept  through  the  tunnel,  and  then 
getting  through  the  hole  in  the  wall,  we  were  able,  while 
still  clinging  with  our  hands  to  the  wall  of  the  rampart,  to 
reach  with  a  drop  the  rocks  beneath.  Then,  following  all 
the  bends  of  the  wall,  and  keeping  as  near  to  it  as  possible, 
we  passed  around  to  the  land  side  of  the  fortress.  In  like 
manner  we  passed  along  over  the  beach,  keeping  as  near  as 
possible  to  the  little  town,  situated  about  one  thousand  yards 
from  the  fortress  ;  and  thus  at  length,  after  creeping  silently 
between  the  huts  of  the  coast-guardsmen,  we  reached  the  dry 
land  opposite  a  little  village  called  Loe  Malo.  The  tide  was 
now  coming  in.  It  had  been  our  intention  to  divide,  as  soon 
as  we  were  clear  of  the  fortress,  into  two  groups  of  three 
men  each,  only  six  prisoners  having  ventured  to  escape.  We, 
however,  marched  on  together,  and  without  resting  during 
the  remainder  of  the  night,  in  order,  as  quickly  as  possible, 
to  put  as  much  distance  as  we  could  between  us  and  the  for- 
tress. Our  object  was  to  reach  some  little  port  of  Brittany, 
and  then  endeavor  to  take  ship  for  England.  When  we  were 
brought  to  the  citadel  the  authorities  had  caused  us  to  be 
minutely  searched,  and  had  not  left  any  money  in  our  pos- 
session. I  had,  however,  succeeded  in  concealing  a  small 
sum  by  carefully  sewing  it  into  the  lining  of  my  coat.  This 
money  was  of  the  greatest  service  to  us,  as  it  enabled  us  on 
38 


704  FREEDOM  AT  LAST. 

the  following  morning  to  take  the  railway,  and  thus  in  a  few 
hours  to  put  a  considerable  distance  between  us  and  the 
citadel.  . 

After  marching  all  night,  however,  through  a  drenching 
rain,  if  we  had  presented  ourselves  at  the  railway  station  as 
we  then  were,  our  appearance  would  have  excited  suspicion. 
We  had  taken  the  precaution  of  bringing  with 'us  from  the 
prison  shirts,  brushes,  blacking,  and,  in  short,  everything 
necessary  to  our  toilet.  In  a  place  of  concealment  we 
carefully  brushed  up  and  dressed  ourselves  to  the  best  of 
our  ability;  and  when,  at  daylight,  we  presented  ourselves 
at  the  railway  station,  we  were  clean  and  tidy,  and  appeared 
to  have  come  from  some  place  very  near.  I  had  brought  a 
book  away  with  me  from  the  prison,  and  this  I  carried  under 
my  arm  to  give  myself  the  look  of  a  traveller.  On  our 
way  to  the  railway  station  we  saw  three  gendarmes  running 
towards  us,  gun  in  hand.  Without  faltering  we  walked 
coolly  on,  and  the  gendarmes,  as  we  came  up,  politely  stepped 
aside  to  let  us  pass.  We  took  the  train  for  a  small  port  in 
Brittany,  and  in  the  evening  succeeded  in  getting  on  board 
an  English  vessel.  We  were  saved  ! 


XLIX. 

THE  GAMBLING  HELLS  OF  GEEMANY.* 

THE  FOUR  GREAT  SPAS.  — DESCRIPTION  OF  BADEN,  HOMBURG,  WIESBADEN,  AND 
EMS.  —  ROULETTE  AND  ROUGE-ET-NOIR.  —  SPLENDOR  OF  THE  SALOONS.  — 
THE  PERSONS  WHO  FREQUENT  THEM.  —  PROFITS  AND  PECULIARITIES  OF  THE 
DIRECTION. — THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  GAMBLING.  —  WHY  PLAYERS  LOSE.  — 
STRANGE  SUPERSTITION  OF  BETTORS.  —  THE  INVALIDS.  —  DROLL  SCENES  AT 
THE  PUMP-ROOM. —  THE  MAN  WITH  A  SNAKE  IN  HIS  STOMACH.  — THE  ROBUST 
HYPOCHONDRIAC. 

THE  best  known  and  the  most  popular  of  all  the  fashionable 
and  gambling  watering-places  in  Europe  are  Baden-Baden, 
Homburg,  Wiesbaden,  and  Ems. 

The  first,  a  town  of  some  seven  thousand  inhabitants,  is 
delightfully  situated  in  a  valley  of  the  Black  Forest,  on  a 
small  stream  known  as  the  Oehlbach,  eighteen  miles  from 
Carlsruhe,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden.  Homburg  von  der 
Hohe,  having  a  population  of  about  five  thousand,  is  the 
capital  of  the  Landgraviate  of  Hesse-Homburg,  and  may  be 
considered  a  suburb  of  Frankfort  on  the  Maine,  as  it  is  only 
nine  miles  from  that  city.  Wiesbaden,  fourteen  miles  west 
of  Frankfort,  contains  nearly  twenty-five  thousand  people,  and 
is  the  capital  of  the  Duchy  of  Nassau.  This  pleasant  city 
is  on  the  Salzbach,  an  affluent  of  the  Rhine,  and  at  the  foot 
of  the  delightful  Taunus  Mountains,  its  situation  and  climate 
being  almost  identical  with  those  of  Homburg.  Ems,  often 
called  Bad-Ems,  is  a  hamlet  on  the  Lahn,  fifteen  miles  north 
of  Wiesbaden.  It  is  also  in  Nassau ;  is  shut  in  by  hills,  has 

*  The  gambling  spas  of  Germany,  but  not  those  of  other  countries,  have 
been  closed  since  Chapters  XLIX.  and  L.  were  written ;  but  the  chapters  have 
been  left  in  their  original  form,  as  the  present  is  a  better  tense  for  description 
than  the  past. 


706  COSMOPOLITANISM  OF  THE  BATHS. 

a  pleasant  terrace  along  the  river,  and  is  surrounded  by 
delightful  scenery. 

Though  all  these  spas,  or  baths,  as  they  are  styled,  are  in 
Germany,  they  are  visited  during  the  season,  extending  from 
May  to  October,  by  invalids  and  pleasure-seekers  from  every 
civilized  country.  July  and  August  are  the  most  fashionable 
months,  and  then  the  springs  are  frequented  by  French, 
Spaniards,  Dutch,  English,  and  Americans,  as  well  as  Ger- 
mans. The  principal  patrons,  independent  of  the  home 
population,  are  from  France,  England,  and  our  own  country, 
albeit  almost  every  nationality  under  the  sun  is  represented 
at  those  centres  of  folly  and  dissipation.  I  have  seen  Turks 
and  Armenians  at  Baden,  Greeks  and  Persians  at  Homburg, 
Egyptians  and  East  Indians  at  Wiesbaden,  and  Mongols  and 
Arabians  at  Ems. 

Baden  (it  is  called  Baden-Baden  to  distinguish  it  from 
other  places  of  the  same  name)  is  the  most  fashionable  of  the 
four  resorts,  and  cannot  be  surpassed  for  the  beauty  of  its 
scenery.  The  picturesque  heights  rising  above  the  valley, 
the  ruins  of  the  old  castle  overlooking  it,  the  magnificent 
views,  the  pleasant  drives,  handsome  villas,  and  charming 
walks  in  the  neighborhood,  with  the  agreeable  and  varied 
society,  render  it  remarkably  inviting.  The  number  of  stran- 
gers annually  flocking  to  Baden  is  from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand, 
and  these,  especially  in  midsummer,  crowd  the  hotels  and 
countless  boarding-houses  to  overflowing. 

Homburg  within  the  past  ten  years  has  also  become  very 
fashionable,  and  counts  its  summer  visitors  by  the  tens  of 
thousands.  It  lacks  the  pictorial  quality  of  Baden,  but  its 
atmosphere  is  reputed  to  be  extremely  salubrious,  and  its 
society  is  delightful,  of  course.  Being  so  near  Frankfort, 
many  persons,  particularly  those  in  delicate  health,  reside 
there  all  the  year  round,  and  many  of  the  Franforters  have 
their  residences  at  the  springs. 

Wiesbaden,  even  more  than  Homburg,  is  the  home  of  the 
denizens  of  the  old  German  capital,  and  by  reason  of  its 
larger  population,  has  greater  attractions  than  the  rival 


QUALITY   OF  THE  VISITORS.  707 

watering-place.  A  large  number  of  retired  bankers  and 
merchants  from  various  parts  of  the  Continent  have  villas 
at  Wiesbaden,  and  every  year  the  number  increases. 

Ems  has  had,  and  still  has,  the  reputation  of  being  patron- 
ized extensively  by  crowned  heads  and  the  nobility;  but  the 
prosperous  and  pleasure-loving  generally  are  hieing  to  the 
banks  of  the  Lahn  more  and  more  every  season,  and  making 
its  society  more  agreeable  and  democratic  at  the  same  time. 
The  annual  attendance  is  much  less  than  at  any  of  the  other 
three  springs,  but  they  who  go  to  Ems  claim  that  the  quality 
of  its  visitors  more  than  compensates  for  any  want  of 
quantity. 

The  four  German  spas  are  on  the  whole  very  much  alike, 
barring  topical  features.  They  each  claim  great  antiquity 
in  regard  to  the  fame  of  their  waters,  holding,  and  upon  good 
grounds,  that  the  old  Romans  found  vast  benefit  in  the  heal- 
ing virtues  of  the  baths.  For  generations  they  were  fre- 
quented only  by  invalids,  but  of  late  years  gayety  and  enjoy- 
ment have  been  the  object  of  the  majority  of  their  patrons. 
The  gambKng,  it  must  be  confessed,  has  been,  and  is  still,  the 
chief  attraction ;  not  so  much  because  all  the  visitors  wish  to 
play  themselves,  but  they  like  to  see  others  play,  and  to  bo 
part  of  the  great  variety  of  people  whom  the  tables  draw  to 
the  different  spas.  Since  the  gambling  has  ceased,  as  it  did 
last  year  (1872),  the  German  watering-places  have  lost  much 
of  their  allurement,  and  the  thousands  who  used  to  go 
there  will  be  represented  by  hundreds  merely.  What  is  con- 
sidered wickedness  has  unquestionably  its  spice  and  charm 
for  the  average  mind,  and  a  certain  departure  from  the  cus- 
tomary and  conventional  creates  a  species  of  magnetism. 

The  games  at  the  baths  are  roulette  and  rouge-et-noir,  fre- 
quently called  trente-et-quarante.  The  smallest  stake  allowed 
at  roulette  is  a  florin  (about  fifty  cents)  and  at  rouge-et-noir 
two  florins.  The  largest  bet  that  can  be  made  at  the  former 
is  four  thousand  florins,  and  the  largest  bet  that  can  be  made 
at  the  latter  game  is  five  thousand  six  hundred  florins.  The 
capital  at  the  roulette  table  is  thirty  thousand  francs  (six 


708  SPLENDOR  OP  THE  SALOONS. 

thousand  dollars),  and  at  rouge-et-noir  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  francs  (thirty  thousand  dollars).  When  this  sum  is 
won  by  any  of  the  bettors,  the  bank  is  declared  broken,  and 
the  table  is  closed  for  the  day,  but  is  re-opened  on  the  day 
following  for  all  to  test  still  further  their  good  or  ill  luck. 
Newspaper  correspondents  aro  constantly  writing  about  the 
breaking  of  the  bank  at  Baden  or  Homburg,  depending,  as 
many  such  writers  do,  upon  their  imagination  for  their  facts. 
The  truth  is,  the  bank  is  very  seldom  broken,  —  sometimes  not 
more  than  once  or  twice  during  the  whole  season,  —  and  when 
it  is,  it  almost  invariably  wins  back  from  the  fortunate  player 
all,  and  much  more  than  he  has  gained. 

The  gambling  saloons  are  in  large  and  splendid  buildings, 
beautifully  frescoed  and  gilded  in  the  interior,  and  luxuriously 
furnished.  They  are  called  the  Conversationshaus,  the  Cur- 
saal  or  Curhaus,  containing,  in  addition  to  the  gambling  tables, 
spacious'  apartments  for  reading,  dining,  dancing,  and  loung- 
ing. The  tables  are  thronged  during  the  height  of  the  season 
by  elegantly  dressed  men  and  women  of  divers  nationalities. 
They  are  presided  over  by  the  banker,  —  so  he  is  fetyled,  - 
who  receives  and  pays  out  the  money,  and  keeps  general 
watch  over  the  game,  and  by  several  croupiers,  who  with  a 
little  rake,  draw  in  or  push  out  the  stakes  as  they  are  won  or 
lost  by  the  bank.  During  July  and  August,  the  gaming  saloons, 
in  which  there  are  generally  six  or  eight  roulette  or  rouge-et- 
noir  tables,  present  a  brilliant  spectacle.  Anybody  may 
enter,  if  he  be  respectably  dressed  and  well-mannered, 
though  he  must  leave  his  cane  or  umbrella  with  the  lackeys 
in  the  vestibule,  remove  his  hat,  and  refrain  from  speaking 
above  a  whisper.  Why  the  Goddess  of  Chance  should  be 
entitled  to  the  homage  of  silence  may  seem  singular ;  but 
when  it  is  remembered  that  all  gamesters,  while  engaged  at 
play,  are  exceedingly  nervous,  and  therefore  morbidly  sensi- 
tive, it  is  plain  enough  why  the  strictest  order  and  quiet 
should  be  carefully  preserved. 

The  spectacle,  I  have  said,  is  brilliant ;  and  indeed  it  is.    The 
saloons  are  adorned  like  palaces  j  immense  mirrors,  in  deep 


CONVERSATIONHAUS   AT   BADEN. 


CONCERT    IN   THE    GARDENS    AT    BADEN. 


ALL   KINDS   OF  WOMEN.  7H 

gilt  frames,  are  upon  the  walls ;  rich  silk  and  lace  curtains 
depend  from  the  windows ;  gorgeous  chandeliers  diffuse  their 
radiance ;  velvet  sofas  invite  to  rest,  and  the  clink  of  gold 
tempts  to  hazard.  About  the  tables  are  gathered  young  and 
lovely  women,  richly  dressed,  from  the  cities  of  the  old  world 
and  the  new,  and  men  in  fashionable  attire,  representing 
various  ranks,  professions,  and  callings.  There  are  dowager 
duchesses  from  England,  pretty  countesses  from  France, 
fleshy  baronesses  from  Germany,  delicate  maidens  from  Amer- 
ica, lorettes  from  Paris,  adventuresses  from  Naples,  danseuses 
from  Petersburg,  and  actresses  from  Vienna.  Spanish  gran- 
dees stand  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  French  communists,  who 
fought  like  tigers  for  the  possession  of  the  French  capital ; 
Calabrian  bandits,  who  have  retired,  independent,  from  the 
trade  of  throat-cutting,  are  in  close  contact  with  honest  Hol- 
land burghers ;  Russian  princes  hand  their  stakes  to  pro- 
fessional blacklegs  recently  arrived  from  London  ;  Swiss 
statesmen  exchange  nods  with  bankrupt  gamesters ;  and  Bel- 
gian chevaliers  of  industry  smile,  as  they  win,  upon  Teutonic 
philanthropists  risking  a  few  napoleons,  simply  for  lack  of 
something  better  to  do. 

The  air  of  the  players  is  entirely  genteel,  and  their  man- 
ners completely  negative  and  subdued.  Whether  they  are 
lucky  or  unlucky,  would  seem  to  make  no  difference  to  them ; 
they  give  no  outward  sign ;  their  faces  are  usually  immova- 
ble, unless  high  breeding,  as  it  is  commonly  understood, 
prompts  them  to  look  cheerful  when  they  lose,  and  melancholy 
when  they  win. 

The  slightest  disturbance  is  very  rare  in  the  saloons.  I 
have  been  in  them,  day  after  day,  without  noticing  the  least 
departure  from  order,  or  the  smallest  violation  of  conventional 
courtesy.  Occasionally,  some  undisciplined  man  manifests 
his  nervousness  and  excitement  outwardly,  when,  if  the  stony 
stare  or  facial  disapproval  of  those  about  him  does  not  chill  him 
back  to  conventional  bearing,  the  lackeys,  always  in  attend* 
ance,  induce  him  to  carry  his  demonstrations  into  the  open  air. 

The  impression  obtained  from  the  saloons  by  a  new  comer 


V12  THE  DIRECTION. 

is,  that  all  the  habituds  are  amiable,  insouciant,  comfortable, 
and  prosperous.  He  would  never  suspect  that,  behind  all 
this  fair  comedy,  lurks  the  sombre  spirit  of  tragedy ;  that  the 
serenest  faces  mask  an  aching  mind,  and  that  the  softest  smiles 
hide,  but  do  not  help,  a  breaking  heart.  Nowhere  under  the 
sun  is  social  masquerading  more  skilful  and  complete  than  in 
the  German  temples  of  chance.  Everything  is  so  smooth,  so 
decorous,  so  delicate,  so  nicely  adjusted,  that  one  who  seeks 
for  inner  contrasts  must  seem  like  a  cynic  and  an  iconoclast. 
To  him  who  can  believe  in  appearances,  Wiesbaden  and  Ems 
are  the  most  satisfactory  places  of  sojourn.  They  express  the 
essence  of  formal  conventionality,  and  the  rounded  relation 
between  unexceptionable  raiment  and  unexceptionable  man- 
ners. They  point  to  the  promised  land  of  adaptation,  and 
predict  the  millennium  of  mode. 

There  have  ever  been,  and  there  ever  will  be,  any  number 
of  persons  foolish  enough  to  think  they  can  break  the  bank, 
if  they  will  only  watch  the  game  closely,  and  profit  by  the 
favor  of  fortune.  It  is  this  delusion  which  sends,  year  after 
year,  so  many  victims  to  the  Conversationshaus  and  Cursaal, 
and  keeps  up  the  faith  of  the  victims,  even  after  they  have 
been  ruined  again  and  again. 

The  gaming  saloons  are  governed  and  regulated  by  a  stock 
company,  under  the  name  of  the  Direction,  which  is  the 
closest  of  close  corporations.  It  is  eminently  impersonal  too, 
nobody  knowing  the  names  of,  or,  indeed  anything  about,  its 
members.  Of  course,  its  stock,  like  that  of  some  of  our  gas 
companies  and  banks  in  New  York,  is  not  to  be  had,  and  is 
-never  quoted.  The  directors  pay  a  license  to  the  petty  gov- 
ernments under  which  the  tables  are  kept,  and  which  are 
largely  sustained  thereby.  The  license  varies  materially.  At 
Baden  it  is  about  seventy-five  thousand  dollars  a  year,  and  the 
Direction,  in  addition  thereto,  pays  all  the  expenses  of  the 
Oonversationshaus,  whatever  is  required  for  the  preservation 
and  improvement  of  the  adjoining  grounds  and  gardens,  and 
makes  many  other  outlays,  which  must  increase  the  total  sum 
to  fully  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars.  At  Homburg 


CAPITAL  OF  THE  BANKS.  713 

the  license  is  some  fifty  thousand  dollars,  and,  moreover,  the 
Direction  of  the  Cursaal  lights  the  little  town,  keeps  it  in  good 
condition,  supports  its  hospital  and  other  charitable  institu- 
tions. At  Ems  and  Wiesbaden,  the  government  tax  —  for 
that  is  what  the  license  really  is  —  is  about  sixty  thousand 
dollars  for  the  former,  and  forty  thousand  dollars  for  the  latter 
place. 

The  capital  of  the  Direction  is  set  down  at  from  two  mil- 
lion to  one  million  five  hundred  thousand  dollars,  though  I 
seriously  question  if  much  more  than  one  tenth  of  the  sum 
has  ever  been  paid  in.  The  tables  usually  clear  from  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  to  five  hundred  thousand  dollars 
annually ;  the  profits  being  larger,  of  course,  at  Baden  than 
at  Ems,  and  varying  with  the  season,  and  the  luck  of  the 
bank.  Not  long  ago,  the  Homburg  bank  was  broken  five 
times  during  the  year,  and  yet  the  Direction,  even  then, 
declared  a  dividend,  it  is  said,  of  nearly  twenty-five  per  cent, 
on  their  capital.  The  income  from  the  stocks  of  the  German 
gambling  companies  is  reputed  to  be  enormous,  and  I  have 
met  men  in  many  foreign  countries  who  were  credited  by 
rumor  with  owning  such  shares.  They  had  no  visible  means 
of  support,  and  still  they  lived  luxuriously,  even  prodigally, 
merely  because  they  had  had  the  good  fortune  to  secure  a 
small  amount  of  stock  in  the  Cursaal  or  Curhaus. 

The  limitations  and  the  percentage  at  roulette  and  rouge- 
etnoir  are  seldom  taken  sufficiently  into  account  by  the 
galerie,  as  the  bettors  are  named.  Those,  in  the  long  run, 
will  beat  anybody  and  everybody,  whatever  run  of  luck  they 
may  have  now  and  then.  The  games  are  based  on  an  ultimate 
certainty,  almost  mathematical,  in  favor  of  the  bank,  and  the 
prevalent  notion  that  the  players  can  have  any  permanent 
advantage  is  simply  absurd.  The  chances  on  the  side  of  the 
bank  are  so  many,  that,  in  a  given  time,  it  must  inevitably 
win,  and  win  largely.  All  the  systems  by  which  the  galerie 
expect  to  triumph  are  utterly  false  and  deceptions.  They 
have  done  more,  by  a  certain  speciousness,  to  lead  men  to 
their  ruin,  than  anything  connected  with  the  passion  for  haz- 


714  THE   ODDS   AGAINST   BETTORS. 

arc!.  They  invariably  fail,  because  of  the  limitations  in  bets, 
and  the  percentage  in  favor  of  the  tables ;  but  the  advocate 
of  the  system  very  seldom  reckons  upon  these  great  draw- 
backs. This  class  of  men  believe  that  will  happen  which  they 
wish  to  have  happen,  and  are  therefore  incapable  of  clear  per- 
ception of  anything  opposed  to  their  theories  and  desires. 

The  one  adverse  fact,  above  any  other,  to  bettors  generally 
is,  that  they  very  seldom,  if  ever,  play  as  recklessly  when  they 
are  winning  as  when  they  are  losing.  The  reason  is  that,  in 
the  latter  circumstances,  they  are  endeavoring  to  win  back 
their  stakes,  and  are  consequently  in  more  or  less  desperate 
inood  ;  while  in  the  former  case  they  are  satisfied  with  what 
comes  to  them,  and  not  tempted  constantly  to  augment  their 
bets  for  the  sake  of  getting  even.  Irrational  and  ridiculous 
as  it  appears,  there  certainly  seems  to  be  such  a  thing  as  a 
run  of  luck,  good  or  ill.  .  We  have  all  experienced  this  many 
times,  albeit  we  may  express  the  phrase  in  other  words.  On 
certain  days  things  go  wrong  with  us,  and  on  certain  other- 
days  they  flow  smoothly  and  prosperously,  though  we  are 
wholly  unconscious,  on  any  of  the  days,  of  doing  aught  except 
our  best  to  accomplish  desired  results.  Sitting  down  to  a 
game  of  whist  in  the  evening,  we  find  we  cannot  get  a  good 
hand,  shuffle  or  change  the  cards  as  we  may.  The  next  even- 
ing, or  the  next  morning,  high  cards  and  trumps  come  to  us  at 
every  deal,  as  if  some  good  genius  had  arranged  the  deal  for 
us.  What  is  this  but  a  run  of  luck?  In  gambling,  as  every 
gambler  knows,  men  are  constantly  having  such  runs.  What- 
ever card  or  color  you  lay  your  stake  on  is  almost  sure  to  win 
to-day,  and  to-morrow  almost  as  sure  to  lose.  When  you  are 
fortunate,  you  make  your  ventures  with  at  least  a  moderate 
degree  of  prudence.  When  you  are  unfortunate,  jrour  only 
thought  is  to  get  back  the  money  you  have  parted  with,  and 
you  keep  doubling  your  stakes  in  the  hope  of  achieving  your 
purpose,  instead  of  quitting  the  table,  as  you  ought,  when  you 
plainly  discover  that  fate  is  against  you ;  or,  in  .other  words, 
that  some  mysterious  and  incomprehensible  influence  thwarts 
your  every  purpose. 


SUPERSTITION   OF   GAMBLERS.  715 

Such  inexplicable  agencies  or  influences  render  gamesters 
superstitious.  Having  seen  the  tribe  in  almost  every  part  of 
the  world,  I  have  always  found  them  more  or  less  tinctured 
with  superstition.  No  amount  of  facts  or  arguments  will  drive 
it  out  of  them,  for  by  long  indulgence  it  has  grown  to  be 
next  to  an  instinct.  They  have  implicit  faith  in  luck  of  every 
kind  —  in  lucky  days,  lucky  circumstances,  lucky  persons, 
lucky  influences.  Sometimes  they  will  not  bet  themselves, 
but  will  ask  others  to  bet  for  them.  Something  occurs  in  the 
morning  which  they  interpret  as  a  warning,  and  for  the  re^ 
mainder  of  the  twenty-four  hours  they  will  not  touch  a  card 
or  lay  a  wager.  At  the  German  baths  this  peculiarity  is 
frequently  observed.  A  man  in  luck  is  pestered  to  bet  for 
others,  and  is  offered  a  percentage  if  «he  will  do  so.  This  or 
that  person  is  regarded  as  unlucky,  and  a  patron  of  the  green 
cloth  will  not  stand  on  the  same  side  of  the  table  with  him. 
A  passing  cloud,  a  chance-dropped  phrase,  a  change  of  posi- 
tion, or  any  one  of  a  thousand  nothings,  will  induce  a  profes- 
sional gamester  to  make,  or  prevent  him  from  making,  risks, 
concerning  which  he  has  ordinarily  no  prejudice.  The  folly 
of  play  is  much  surpassed  by  the  folly  of  players,  who  become 
so  permeated  with  fancies,  theories,  and  fanaticisms,  that  on 
the  subject  they  are  specially  interested  in  they  are  posi- 
tively monomaniacs.  I  have  talked  with  old  habitues  of  Hom- 
burg  and  Wiesbaden  respecting  chances,  coincidences,  and 
systems,  until  I  have  discovered  that  long  attendance  on  and 
close  watching  of  the  treacherous  tables  had  absolutely  turned 
their  brains.  They  thought  they  were  the  shrewdest  and 
most  sagacious  of  mortals,  and  pitied  me  supremely,  because 
I  happened  to  have  a  little  common  sense  in  regard  to  roulette 
and  rouge-et-noir,  and  because  I  would  not  believe  that  mere 
chance  should  be  treated  as  if  it  were  a  positive  science. 

No  one  can  form  any  adequate  conception  of  the  mental 
vagaries,  bordering  upon  lunacy,  of  professional  gamesters, 
until  he  has  spent  several  seasons  at  the  German  spas,  and  be- 
come intimately  acquainted  with  the  men  and  women  compos- 
ing the  galerie.  Their  entire  conduct  is  regulated  by  a  desire 


716  DIFFERENT   MOTIVES   FOR  PLAY. 

to  obtain  luck.  They  strive  to  propitiate  fortune,  as  if  it  were, 
as  the  ancients  believed,  a  personal  agency,  subject  to  unac- 
countable whims  and  caprices.  Many  of  their  acts  of  chanty 
are  done  not  so  much  from  benevolence  as  from  a  notion  that  it 
will  influence  favorably  the  issues  of  the  games  to  which  they 
are  so  wedded.  This  is  true  not  only  of  gamesters  abroad,  but 
of  gamesters  everywhere.  As  a  rule,  they  are  far  from  intel- 
lectual, and  hence  superstition  meets  with  little  resisting 
power  when  it  has  once  begun  to  encroach  upon  their  under- 
standing. 

There  are  not  only  different  classes  of  players,  but  players 
from  different  motives.  The  object  of  the  majority  is  merely 
mercenary :  they  frequent  the  tables  only  to  win  money  ,- 
they  make  hazard  a  business,  foolishly  hoping  to  reduce  it  to 
something  like  a  rule.  Other  habitue's  of  the  springs  bet  for 
excitement,  as  they  drink  wine  and  seek  adventures.  They 
are  not  avaricious.  When  they  win  largely,  they  spend 
freely ;  and  at  the  end  of  every  season,  whatever  their  suc- 
cess, they  are  much  behind  the  game.  The  members  of  the 
third  order  are  sufferers  from  ennui,  and  regard  roulette  and 
rouge-et-noir  simply  as  a  pastime.  They  have  formed  the 
habit  of  playing,  and  cannot  break  it.  Their  stakes  are  small, 
generally ;  but  they  are  devoted  to  the  tables,  sitting  there 
from  eleven  in  the  morning  to  eleven  at  night,  —  the  fixed 
time  for  the  perilous  sport,  —  and  frequently  do  not  win 
twenty  florins  a  week.  A  number  of  persons  play  because 
it  is  the  fashion,  though  they  do  not  continue  it  long,  for  the 
same  reason.  The  game  proves  so  magnetic  that  they  either 
feel  it  a  duty  to  abandon  it  altogether,  or  they  are  drawn  into 
it,  and  are  very  soon  too  weak  to  resist  its  fascinations. 

Very  many,  who  have  begun  in  the  spirit  of  imitation,  have 
grown  to  be  confirmed  gamblers.  One  of  the  most  infatuated 
players  I  have  ever  known  was  a  Spaniard,  who  went  to 
Homburg  to  get  rid  of  the  rheumatism,  and  who,  after  three 
seasons  of  abstinence,  put  down  a  single  napoleon,  simply  be- 
cause he  did  riot  wish  to  seem  odd.  The  risking  of  that  little 
coin  has  since  cost  him  a  small  fortune  ;  and  if  he  were  to  live 


DIVERS  NATIONALITIES  AS   GAMESTERS.  717 

a  thousand  years,  —  as  he  told  me  himself,  —  he  could  not  be 
near  rouge-et-noir  without  taking  part  in  it. 

America,  or  rather  the  United  States,  is  more  puritanic 
than  other  countries.  Gambling  is  regarded  here  quite  differ- 
ently from  what  it  is  in  Europe.  Even  our  transpontine 
cousins,  the  English,  are  much  more  addicted  than  we  to  play. 
They  never  have  social  whist  parties  without  betting  at  least 
enough  to  create  an  interest.  The  Germans,  unless  in  pros- 
perous circumstances,  are  preserved  from  the  habit  of  gam- 
bling by  their  constitutional  economy  and  thrift.  The  Latin  na- 
tions have  a  natural  fondness  for  whatever  turns  upon  chance. 
Of  these  people,  the  Spaniards  enjoy  gambling  most,  and  the 
French  least,  while  the  Italians  are  but  little  behind  the  Span- 
iards in  this  particular.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  all  three,  hearing 
the  spinning  of  the  roulette  wheel,  and  the  clinking  of  coin  at 
rouge  et-noir,  could  not  long  be  kept  from  the  seductive  tables. 
The  Russians  —  those  who  travel,  at  least  —  love  the  green 
cloth,  and  figure  prominently  among  its  devotees.  Most  of 
them  have  money,  and  are  such  ardent  pleasure-seekers,  at 
the  same  time  possessed  of  something  like  an  American, 
vanity  for  spending  and  making  display,  that  they  rarely  fail 
to  participate  in  any  dissipation  which  offers. 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  all  the  frequenters  of  the  spas 
indulge  in  play ;  for  many  of  them  go  there  for  recreation, 
and  merely  look  at  the  games.  Then,  as  I  have  remarked, 
thousands  visit  the  springs  for  the  benefit  of  the  waters. 
That  they  have  medical  virtues  cannot  be  well  questioned, 
after  one  is  told,  as  I  have  been  told,  of  extraordinary  cures  by 
those  who  have  been  sufferers.  Ordinarily,  a  casual  visitor, 
who  rises  late,  sees  very  little  of  the  invalids  ;  but  if  he  has  a 
liking  for  early  morning  air,  and  bends  his  steps  towards  the 
pump-room  (Trinkhatte),  he  will  encounter  men  and  women 
afflicted  with  every  variety  of  disease.  He  will  observe  them 
also  on  their  way  to  and  from  the  baths,  —  young  and  old,  dark 
and  fair,  rich  and  poor,  handsome  and  homely,  cultivated  and 
coarse,  graceful  and  awkward,  —  all  in  quest  of  the  invaluable 
boon,  which  we  never  appreciate  until  it  has  slipped  away. 


718  VIRTUES   OP   THE  WATERS. 

There  is  something  melancholy,  as  well  as  grotesque,  in  the 
moving  panorama  of  the  distempered.  They  walk  with  canes 
and  crutches,  are  carried  in  invalid  chairs  or  wagons,  and 
look  so  wan  and  rueful  that  I  have  often  felt  prompted  to 
apostrophize  health  as  the  sum  of  all  blessings.  There  are 
young  and  fair  women,  fragile  from  their  birth,  for  whom  there 
is  not  an  atom  of  hope,  and  who  yet  believe  they  may  find  some 
miraculous  cure  in  the  baths  for  lack  of  constitution,  and  for 
inherited  disease.  The  bon  vivant,  peevish  and  irritable  from 
the  gout,  limps  along,  and  the  overworked  man  of  brains, 
paralyzed  on  one  side,  is  wheeled  over  the  pavement  by  the 
stupid  lackey,  unconscious  that  he  is  the  possessor  of  nerves 
or  a  stomach.  The  dyspeptic  —  of  course  an  American  — 
glowers  on  everybody  as  he  passes,  but  appears  to  hate  no 
one  as  much  as  himself.  After  having  fancied  himself  cursed 
with  every  disease,  and  after  consulting  physicians  of  the 
highest  grade  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  he  has  come  to 
Ems  to  test  the  virtue  of  the  baths.  They  have  done  him  no 
good,  for  he  will  not  be  prudent  either  in  his  diet  or  his  habits ; 
and  he  will  go  home  with  his  mind  made  up  that  all  medicinal 
springs  are  humbugs.  He  is  unaware  that  the  cause  of  his 
ailment  is  dyspepsia,  and  that  it  has  gotten  into  his  mind.  On 
Monday,  he  thinks  he  has  consumption ;  on  Tuesday,  he  fan- 
cies it  is  liver  complaint;  on  Wednesday,  he  is  sure  his  kid- 
neys are  deranged ;  on  Thursday,  no  one  can  convince  him 
that  he  is  not  suffering  from  enlargement  of  the  heart ;  on 
Friday,  he  declares  he  has  the  marasmus  ;  on  Saturday,  he 
swears  nothing  was  the  matter  with  him  originally,  but  that 
the  infernal  physicians  have  poisoned  him;  and-on  Sunday,  he 
contemplates  suicide  as  a  means  of  relief.  The  poor  man  is 
the  victim  of  bad  cooking,  for  which  our  country  is  famous,  and 
his  excessive  haste  in  eating.  If  he  had  been  born  in  France, 
and  taken  his  meals  at  the  Paris  restaurants,  he  would  be 
to-day  one  of  the  most  contented,  instead  of  the  most  miserable 
of  men.  Talk  as  we  may,  digestion  is  the  foundation  of  human 
happiness,  and  will  keep  us  on  good  terms  with  ourselves 
when  an  unsullied  conscience  and  troops  of  friends  are  of  no 
avail. 


HYPOCHONDRIACS.  719 

Hypochondriacs  are  to  be  met  at  the  celebrated  baths,  of 
course ;  for  wherever  there  are  disordered  bodies  there  are 
disordered  minds.     No  human  creature  is  so  ill  as  he  or  she 
who  imagines  an  illness,  since  the  subtlest  art  of  healing  can- 
not reach  the  shadows  of  emptiness.     I  remember  an  English- 
man at  Horaburg,  one  of  the  most  robust  of  fellows,  who,  after 
quitting  college,  had  begun  reading  medical  works  only  to 
convince  himself  that  he  had  some  deep-seated  disease.     His 
belief  stimulated  his  appetite  for  information.     He  pored  over 
all  the  pathological  treatises  he   could  find,  and  every  week 
fancied  that  he  had  some  new  ailment.     He  travelled  every- 
where, swallowed  entire  drug  stores,  visited  every  watering- 
place  in  civilization.     He  had  been  nearly  twenty  years  in 
pursuit  of  the    health  he   had  never  lost,  when  I  made  his 
acquaintance    at   the  Quatre    Saisons.     Happening  to  touch 
on  the  subject  of  hygiene,  I  set  him  off  upon  countless  theo- 
ries, and  upon  the  bitterest  denunciation  of  physicians.     He 
informed  me  confidentially  that  he  had  a  serpent  in  his  stom- 
ach, and  that  he  felt  it  every  day  gnawing  his  vitals.     He  felt 
sure  that  he  had  swallowed  it  in  an  embryo  state,  years  be- 
fore, in  India,  and  that  he  would  never  be  well  until  the  rep- 
tile was  by  some  means  expelled.     He  was  a  man  of  ruddy 
complexion,  and  of  nearly  two  hundred  pounds  avoirdupois, 
which  induced  me  to  tell  him  that  serpents  must  agree  with 
him,  and  that,  if  he  could  swallow  four  or  five  more,  he  would 
live  a  thousand  years.     He  assured  me  he  could  not  be  mis- 
taken, and  that  he  had  hope  that  the  water  of  a  certain  spring 
would  insure  his  recovery.     After  tasting  of  that  particular 
spring,  I    expressed   my  conviction   that   DO  well-regulated 
snake  would   endure  being  deluged  by   such  an  obnoxious 
liquid  day  after  day,  and  that  his  frequent  draughts,  without 
any  result,  proved  conclusively  that  the  reptile  was  in  his  mind, 
and  not  in  his  stomach.     This  style  of  bantering  seemed  to 
please  him,  and  when  I  made  it  clear  to  him  that  I  was  not  a 
professional  physician,  he  was  willing  to  follow  my  advice.     I 
urged  him  to  give  up  doctors  and  medicines  of  every  sort;  to 
take  a  great  deal  of  exercise,  and  to  cease  thinking  of  himself 


720  STOUT   WOMEN. 

as  a  valetudinarian.  He  promised  to  follow  my  prescription 
for  six  months,  and  the  ensuing  winter  I  met  him  again  in 
Naples,  a  radically  changed  man.  He  had  cleared  his  brain 
of  all  its  cobwebs,  and  thanked  me  heartily  for  the  sagacious 
course  I  had  recommended.  "  I  am  delighted  to  know,"  he 
added,  "  that  you  are  not  a  physician,  for  if  you  were,  you 
couldn't  help  being  a  fool." 

The  stout  women  on  the  shady  side  of  life  who  visit  the 
springs  under  the  impression  that  they  are  ailing  are  extremely 
amusing.  They  must  know  they  are  shams  ;  but  they  imagine 
that  it  is  genteel  and  attractive  to  be  delicate  ;  and  so,  not- 
withstanding their  excellent  appetite  and  liberal  proportions, 
they  insist  they  are  going  into  decline,  when  their  chief  danger 
is  from  apoplexy.  They  will  entertain  you  by  the  hour  with 
their  lack  of  appetite,  their  loss  of  sleep,  and  their  extreme 
fragility.  You  may  credit  their  story  unless  you  happen  to 
see  them  at  dinner,  or  hear  them  sleeping  audibly  on  the  sofa 
soon  after,  or  find  them  performing  social  duties  which  would 
tire  out  Samson. 


GAMING  AND  GAMESTERS  ABROAD. 

FOREIGN  AND  DOMESTIC  SUMMER  RESORTS.  —  THE  ADVANTAGE  OP  THE  FOR- 
MER. —  MYSTERIOUS  CHARACTERS.  —  A  TRIO  OF  CELEBRATED  GAMESTERS.  — 
THEIR  EXTRAORDINARY  HISTORY.  —  TRAGIC  FATE  OF  A  YOUNG  RUSSIAN 
OFFICER.  —  TEMPTATION,  DESPAIR,  AND  SUICIDE  OF  A  BEAUTIFUL  ENGLISH 
GIRL.  —  A  LUCKY  BANKER'S  CLERK.  —  A  HUNGARIAN  HANGING  HIMSELF 
FOR  A  WARNING.  —  ECCENTRICITIES  OF  CROUPIERS.  —  A  CALM-BLOODED 
HOLLANDER.  —  THE  SKELETON  IN  THE  CLOSET.  —  ROSE-STREWN  ROADS  TO 
RUIN. 

FOR  mere  recreation  and  pleasure  the  foreign  watering- 
places  have  great  advantages  over  those  at  home.  Saratoga 
cannot  be  compared  to  Baden  any  more  than  Long  Branch 
to  Biarritz.  The  promenades  and  promenaders  beyond  the 
sea  have  far  more  pleasantness  and  variety;  the  scenery  is 
more  picturesque,  and  the  general  comfort  and  satisfaction, 
immeasurably  greater.  There  is  much  less  of  that  desire  of 
one  to  outdo  the  other,  much  less  feverish  unrest,  much  less 
ambition  and  anxiety  for  display.  Each  person  lives  accord- 
ing to  his  or  her  means ;  has  no  heart-burnings  or  envy  on 
account  of  people  in  more  fortunate  circumstances.  The 
gardens  of  the  spas  are  delightful,  and  when  the  bands  play, 
as  they  do  at  stated  intervals,  and  the  fountains  flash  in  the 
sunbeams  or  the  moonlight,  and  the  gay  throng  passes  to 
and  fro,  and  easy  prattle  is  interspersed  with  merriment  and 
laughter,  all  the  externals  for  enjoyment  are  furnished.  The 
promenades,  like  the  gaming  saloons,  are  as  a  gay  masquerade. 
On  them  and  in  them  are  men  and  women  of  every  grade, 
and  they  all  mingle  together,  though  without  recognition,  as 
a  well-dressed  and  well-bred  democracy.  Balls  and  concerts 
are  given  every  week ;  and  these,  with  dining,  and  wining, 
39 


722  MYSTERIOUS   CHARACTERS. 

and  driving,  and  flirting,  and  the  countless  follies  and  jolli- 
ties of  fashionable  life,  make  the  season  pass  swiftly  in  one 
round  of  delicate  dissipation  and  refined  revelry.  Such  ex- 
tremes and  excesses  as  we  have  are  not  observable  there. 
The  social  tone  is  more  elegant  although  a  fairer  outside  may 
conceal  darker  and  deeper  de^ps.  To  an  observer  and  stu- 
dent of  human  nature,  the  German  spas  are  certainly  more 
attractive  and  retentive  than  our  own  summer  resorts.  They 
do  not  weary  you  after  a  few  days,  or  weeks  at  most,  but 
draw  you  back  to  them  year  after  year  with  a  freshness  of  - 
flavor  and  the  spice  of  a  new  zest. 

This  continuity  of  charm  is  shown  by  the  large  number  of 
regular  habitue's  which  each  of  the  four  springs  has.  I  have 
met  at  Baden  and  Wiesbaden  elderly  couples  who  had  been 
coming  there  since  their  earl}r  marriage,  and  who  regarded 
the  places  and  the  play  as  indispensable  to  their  contentment^ 
You  see  there,  season  after  season,  mysterious  characters  that 
you  never  see  anywhere  else,  —  men  apparentty  wealthy, 
with  fine  manners  and  a  grand  air,  who,  for  aught  you  know 
to  the  contrary,  may  be  pirates  or  highwaymen.  Eccentric 
women  flock  there,  too,  about  whom  there  are  endless  rumors, 
Lut  no  authentic  information.  They  may  be  duchesses  or 
demi-mondists,  actresses  or  adventuresses,  leaders  of  the  ton 
or  ladies  of  the  sidewalk.  So  long  as  they  conduct  them- 
selves properly,  no  one  cares  to  inquire  who  they  are  or 
whence  they  come.  The  atmosphere  of  the  Taunus  and  the 
Black  Forest  is  free,  and  not  a  taint  of  Puritanism  is  in  it. 
They  whose  position  is  fixed  are  so  much  assured  thereof 
that  they  do  not  fear  any  passing  wind  which  may  blow 
between  them  and  their  nobility. 

One  of  the  oldest  known  frequenters  of  Homburg  is  the 
Countess  Kisselef,  the  former  wife  of  the  Russian  minister  to 
Eome.  She  was  never  missed  a  season  for  forty  years,  and 
recently  she  has  been  a  permanent  resident  of  the  little  capi- 
tal. She  must  be  seventy  now  ;  is  so  broken  in  health,  and 
infirm  of  body,  that  she  is  forced  to  hobble  about  with  a  cane 
and  a  crutch.  Age  and  debility  have  not,  however,  lessened 


REMARKABLE  ADVENTURESSES.  725 

her  passion  for  roulette,  the  only  game  she  plays.  Her  pas- 
sion for  it  is  ineradicable,  and  the  story  is,  that  her  husband 
long  ago  separated  from  her  because  she  would  not  give  up 
gambling,  to  which  she  devoted  the  greater  part  of  her  in- 
come. Having  married  her,  it  is  said,  for  her  fortune, — 
originally  several  millions  of  roubles,  —  he  was  angry  that 
she  should  risk  at  the  tables  what  he  wished  to  use  for  him- 
self. Her  losses  are  reported  to  have  been  immense,  — I  have 
heard  them  estimated  at  a  million  and  a  half  of  dollars, — 
and  yet  she  has  quite  enough  left  to  enable  her  to  bet  freely 
in  the  Cursaal.  Her  gray  hair,  aquiline  nose,  sharp  chin, 
and  large  and  crippled  figure  are  familiar  to  everybody.  She 
is  usually  one  of  the  first  persons  seated  at  the  table,  and 
some  minutes  before  eleven  o'clock  you  may  see  her  helped 
into  the  room  by  the  lackeys,  or  some  of  her  own  servants. 
She  occupies  a  particular  chair,  and  she  is  always  in  it,  except 
when  she  goes  to  -dinner  and  to  sleep ;  taking  no  rest  even 
on  Sunday,  when  the  game  is  generally  more  animated  than 
on  any  other  day. 

The  countess  is  very  much  attached  to  Homburg,  where 
she  has  put  up  many  handsome  buildings,  opened  several 
new  streets,  and  in  many  ways  contributed  to  its  improve- 
ment. Exceedingly  homely  as  she  is  now,  —  she  reminds  me 
of  a  feminine  grenadier  wounded  in  different  campaigns,  — 
she  is  reputed  to  have  been  beautiful  once,  and  to  have  been 
a  fascinating  and  dangerous  coquette.  Such  tales  are  told  of 
nearly  all  women  known  in  society  who  are  noticeably  ugly 
and  obese.  .  I  can't  believe  that  the  Countess  Kisselef  could 
ever  have  been  charming.  I  should  sooner  expect  her  to 
break  the  bank  at  Homburg  ten  times  a  day  in  her  present 
old  age,  than  think  it  possible  for  her  to  have  broken  a  mas- 
culine heart  in  all  the  freshness  of  her  youth.  A  woman  of 
her  form  and  feature  might  be  formidable  as  a  foe,  but  never 
perilous  as  a  friend.  The  aged  countess  has  had  her  obituary 
written  several  times,  but  she  was  still  alive,  and  still  watch- 
ing the  ivory  ball,  the  last  season,  and  will  be,  I  am  sure, 
for  many  seasons  to  come.  [The  gambling  tables  were  closed 


726  A  FOBTUNATE  WOMAN. 

last  year  because  the  license  expired  with  1872,  and  the 
countess  can  hardly  survive.  Roulette  has  so  long  been 
her  sustenance  that  she  must  perish  if  deprived  of  it  for 
many  seasons.] 

The  Princess  SuvarrofF,  also  a  Russian,  is  one  of  the  nota- 
bilities of  Baden.  Her  career,  if  report  be  true,  must  have 
been  eventful.  A  native  of  Siberia,  she  went  to  St.  Peters- 
burg while  very  young,  and  her  father  occupying  a  high 
position  in  the  army,  she  was  received  into  the  best  society, 
and,  by  her  beauty,  grace,  and  accomplishments,  soon  became 
the  centre  of  a  large  and  admiring  circle.  She  had  lovers  by 
the  dozen;  and  although  many  men  of  rank  sued  for  her 
hand,  she  refused  every  offer,  declaring  she  preferred  free- 
dom to  the  highest  title  and  the  largest  income.  At  last 
the  Czar,  wishing  to  perpetuate  the  name  of  Suvarroff,  then 
dependent  on  a  single  scion,  —  the  prince  of  that  name,  — . 
urgently  requested  that  she  should  take  the  prince  for  a  hus^ 
band.  The  imperial  request  is  equivalent  to  a  command,  and 
the  charming  flirt,  unwilling  to  forfeit  the  favor  of  the  court, 
consented,  even  with  the  knowledge  that  her  husband  would 
be  her  husband  only  in  name.  She  has  since  had  several 
children ;  and  though  their  paternity  is  not  easily  traceable, 
they  are  called  Suvarroffs,  and  the  object  of  the  Czar  is 
therefore  attained.  The  princess  has  had,  and  still  has,  all 
the  liberty  she  could  desire.  She  goes  where  she  chooses, 
and  does  what  she  likes.  Baden  is  her  favorite  resort,  and 
rouge-et-noiy  her  favorite  pastime.  She  has  been  remarkably 
successful  in  her  ventures,  being  one  of  the  very  few  players 
who  have  won  more  than  they  have  lost.  Her  reputation 
for  luck  has  long  been  established,  and  the  consequence  is, 
she  is  perpetually  asked  to  place  the  money  of  others  upon 
the  green  cloth,  which  she  often  does,  as  she  is  extremely 
good-natured  and  obliging.  Considerably  over  forty  now, 
she  is  still  handsome,  and  her  ease  and  grace  of  manner, 
with  her  richness  of  attire,  indifference  to  conventionality, 
and  brilliancy  of  conversation,  render  her  noticeable  at  all 
times  and  in  all  places. 


A  NOTED  GAMESTER.  727 

Senor  Garcia,  one  of  the  most  renowned  of  Continental 
gamesters,  and  one  of  the  lions  of  the  spas,  died  very  re- 
cently in  Geneva,  bankrupt  in  hope  and  fortune.  He  was 
born  at  Saragossa,  of  a  good  Spanish  family,  and  inherited 
large  wealth  at  his  maturity.  This  he  wasted  in  dissipation, 
materially  assisted  by  his  fondness  for  trente-et-quarante.  He 
afterwards  inherited  some  twenty  thousand  francs  by  the 
death  of  a  relative  in  France,  and,  with  this  as  a  stake,  he 
won  nearly  two  millions  of  dollars.  For  several  years  he 
lived  luxuriously,  driving  the  finest  of  horses,  wearing  the 
rarest  of  diamonds,  giving  the  superbest  of  dinners.  His 
turnouts  were  conspicuous  in  all  the  capitals  of  Europe,  and, 
though  he  spent  money  like  Fortunatus,  there  seemed  to  be 
no  end  to  his  wealth.  No  one  in  this  generation  has  broken 
the  bank  of  Baden  so  often,  and  tailleurs  at  rouge-et-noir 
really  feared  him,  so  unprecedented  had  been  his  successes. 
His  luck  deserted  him  at  last,  and  he  lost  in  the  Conversa- 
tionshaus  the  last  florin  he  had  been  able  to  borrow. 

He  then  went  to  Monaco,  and  became  a  waiter  at  a  fash- 
ionable restaurant ;  but  whenever  he  had  a  few  francs  in  his 
purse,  he  laid  them  on  the  table  which  had  swallowed  up 
his  riches.  His  lofty  air  in  the  restaurant  at  Monaco  first 
directed  my  attention  to  him,  and  caused  the  remark  that  he 
had  the  manners  of  a  prince  in  the  person  of  a  servant.  In- 
formed of  his  antecedents,  I  no  longer  wondered  that  his 
appearance  was  above  his  station.  He  was  a  great  favorite 
of  the  patrons  of  the  establishment  where  he  was  employed, 
and  the  gratuities  bestowed  upon  him  were  large  and  fre- 
quent. He  received  them,  I  remember,  as  if  it  were  a  con- 
descension on  his  part,  and  as  if  the  givers  ought  to  be 
eternally  grateful  to  him  for  his  generous  acceptance.  He 
made  numerous  efforts  to  propitiate  the  goddess  who  had 
deserted  him,  but  she  was  as  obdurate  as  a  woman  whose 
vanity  had  been  wounded.  After  various  shifts,  he  breathed 
his  last  in  miserable  lodgings,  leaving  behind  him  but  twenty 
sous  as  a  mournful  memento  of  his  dangerous  vice  and  his 
once  splendid  fortune.  The  close  of  his  career  conveys  its 


728  AN  ILL-STAKKED  RUSSIAN. 

own  moral.  He  died  as  most  gamesters  die,  whatever  may 
have  been  their  occasional  prosperity  —  baffled  in  his  desires, 
robbed  of  his  gains,  derided  by  destiny. 

Garcia  had  more  philosophy  than  many  gamesters  have. 
They  who  lose  everything,  after  having  been  for  a  cer- 
tain time  successful,  are  often  so  deeply  distressed  by  their 
changed  condition  that  they  commit  suicide. 

Self-destruction  is  something  the  virtuous  Direction  has  a 
holy  horror  of,  for  it  clearly  illustrates  the  natural  result  of 
gambling,  and  has  a  tendency  to  discourage  timid  persons 
from  betting  liberally.  The  Direction  doesn't  care  a  mara- 
vedi,  of  course,  how  many  men  hang  or  women  poison  them- 
selves, after  being  ruined  at  roulette  or  rouge-et-noir,  if  they 
will  only  be  obliging  enough  to  die  privately,  instead  of  in 
the  face  of  the  public.  Every  once  in  a  while,  some  man, 
whose  last  stake  the  croupier  has  raked  in,  steps  into  the 
beautiful  gardens  in  the  rear  of  the  gambling  saloons,  and 
blows  out  his  brains,  because  he  believes  that  an  empty  purse 
is  more  to  be  dreaded  than  an  occupied  coffin. 

Two  or  three  years  ago,  a  young  Russian  officer,  a  member 
of  a  highly  influential  family,  came  to  Wiesbaden  to  spend 
the  summer.  He  had  never  touched  a  card,  —  indeed,  he  did 
not  know  one  from  another,  —  and  was  enjoying  himself  very 
well  with  the  pleasant  acquaintances  he  had  made  there, 
when  an  Italian  lady,  who  had  been  unlucky,  asked  him,  one 
day,  in  the  Cursaal,  to  bet  a  few  napoleons  for  her.  She  had 
faith,  inasmuch  as  he  was  entirely  unfamiliar  with  gambling 
of  any  sort,  that  he  might  turn  the  tide  of  her  fortune.  He 
was  too  gallant  to  refuse,  and,  as  it  happened,  he  won  for  her 
in  less  than  half  an  hour  two  hundred  napoleons,  without 
understanding  a  single  rule  of  the  game.  He  then  asked  her 
if  she  was  satisfied,  and  she  replied  in  the  affirmative.  He 
quitted  the  saloon,  determined  never  to  play  on  his  own 
account.  He  misunderstood  himself.  He  passed  a  feverish 
and  restless  night,  and  in  the  morning  he  was  drawn  irresisti- 
bly to  the  tables.  If  he  could  have  such  good  fortune  for 
another,  why  should  he  not  have  it  for  himself?  He  was 


PAYING  THE  DEBT  OF  NATURE.  729 

haunted  at  once  by  visions  of  wealth,  and  he  no  longer  had 
the  power  to  resist  the  tempter. 

The  }roung  officer  took  his  place  at  the  table,  and  did  not 
rise  from  his  chair  until  eleven  o'clock  that  night  —  the  regu- 
lar hour  of  closing.  He  was  then  ahead  of  the  game  nearly 
one  thousand  dollars,  and  the  demon  of  avarice  was  fully 
aroused  in  his  soul.  Another  feverish  and  restless  night,  and 
again  the  morning  found  him  at  his  post.  For  several  days 
he  played  with  varying  success,  and  at  the  end  of  a  fortnight 
he  had  lost  all  he  had,  and  had  drawn  the  last  franc  from 
his  bankers  in  Paris.  He  then  borrowed  a  considerable  sum 
from  his  friends  at  Baden,  and  that  went  with  the  rest. 
Excitement,  and  the  unusual  quantity  of  wine  he  had  drank, 
had  maddened  him.  His  sole  thought  and  desire  was  to  get 
more  money  for  play. 

In  a  moment  of  weakness  and  frenzy,  he  forged  the  name 
of  a  wealthy  cousin  in  Moscow  upon  a  bank  in  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  asked  an  acquaintance,  to  whom  he  had  brought 
letters  of  introduction,  to  cash  it  for  accommodation.  The 
request  was  granted  as  soon  as  made.  The  Russian  hurried 
to  the  Conversationshaus,  confident  that  he  would  win  enough 
to  take  up  the  draft,  which  he  had  expressed  a  desire  that  his 
friend  would  hold  for  a  day  or  two,  as  he  might  in  the  mean- 
time receive  a  remittance  from  his  father. 

The  fates  were  hostile.  When  the  officer  laid  his  wager 
on  black,  the  red  won  ;  and  when  he  trusted  the  red,  the 
black  triumphed. 

In  three  hours  the  entire  amount  of  the  draft  had  melted 
away.  Ruin  stared  him  in  the  face,  —  not  only  financial 
ruin,  but  ruin  to  his  good  name,  his  honor,  his  self-esteem, 
which  he  had  prized  more  than  life  itself.  Hopeful  as  he  had 
been,  he  had  prepared  himself  for  such  a  desperate  emer- 
gency. He  had  a  small  Deringer  pistol  in  his  pocket,  and 
rising  from  the  table,  and  stepping  back  two  or  three  paces, 
he  put  it  closely  to  his  heart,  and  pulled  the  trigger. 

The  galerie,  intent  on  the  game,  did  not  notice  his  move- 
ment and  the  first  intimation  it  had  of  anything  unusual  was 


730  SUICIDE  F3JOM  EEMOKSE. 

the  report  of  the  weapon  and  the  heavy  fall  of  the  officer 
on  the  floor.  The  ruined  gamester  gasped  twice  or  thrice, 
and  his  life  went  out  with  the  blood  that  crimsoned  his 
bosom. 

The  players  —  some  of  them,  at  least  —  were  startled  for  a 
moment ;  several  of  the  ladies  shrieked,  and  one,  an  Ameri- 
can, swooned.  The  tailleur  and  the  croupiers  looked  on  un- 
moved, and  expressed  some  surprise  that  the  young  man  had 
not  been  polite  enough  to  step  into  the  garden  before  shoot- 
ing himself.  The  tailleur  announced  that  the  game  would 
be  suspended  for  half  an  hour.  In  that  time  the  body  was 
removed,  the  blood  washed  away,  and  the  eternal  Faites  votre 
jeu,  messieurs ;  le  jeu  est  fait ;  rien  ne  va  plus,  was  croaked 
out  once  more ;  the  cards  were  laid,  and  the  coin  pushed 
over,  or  raked  in  by  the  solemnly  silent  croupier. 

Women,  with  the  retiring  modesty  that  belongs  to  their 
sex,  seldom  make  an  exhibition  of  themselves,  even  when 
they  are  the  heroines  of  their  own  tragedy. 

At  Ems,  recently,  a  young  English  lady  of  family  became 
engaged  to  a  gentleman  in  her  own  grade  of  life,  who  could 
not  bear  the  idea  of  women  gambling.  She  had  been  at  the 
baths  for  several  seasons  with  her  father ;  had  frequently 
staked  money  at  the  tables,  and  had  formed  a  strong  attach- 
ment thereto.  Her  father  was  aware  that  she  played  some- 
times for  amusement,  but  never  suspected  how  much  of  a 
fascination  the  game  had  for  her.  Unknown  to  him,  she  had 
pawned  her  jewels  to  obtain  money  to  hazard  at  rouge-et-noir. 

After  her  engagement,  her  lover  told  her  how  much  he 
was  shocked  to  see  any  members  of  her  sex  degrade  them- 
selves by  gaming,  and  added  that,  much  as  he  cherished  her, 
he  would  rather  behold  her  dead  than  receiving  a  fortune 
from  the  hands  of  a  croupier.  Deeply  impressed  by  the 
earnestness  of  his  words,  she  resolved  never  again  to  take 
any  part  in  the  dangerous  excitement.  For  weeks  she  ad- 
hered to  her  resolution  ;  but,  one  evening,  while  strolling 
through  the  Curhaus,  she  so  far  forgot  herself  as  to  venture 
a  napoleon,  and,  winning  that,  to  venture  and  to  lose  twenty 


LOVE  BRINGS  LUCK.  731 

more.  For  three  days  she  continued  to  bet  secretly,  and  at 
the  end  of  the  time  felt  convinced  the  passion  was  too  strong 
to  be  surrendered.  Such  self-knowledge  was  terrible  indeed, 
and  so  deep  was  her  mental  distress  that  she  determined  to 
live  no  longer.  Purchasing  a  vial  of  laudanum,  she  went  to 
her  own  room,  and  writing  a  letter  to  her  affianced  husband, 
in  which  she  made  a  full  confession  of  what  she  had  done, 
and  of  the  unendurable  misery  her  conduct  had  caused  her, 
she  swallowed  the  poison,  and  was  found,  the  next  morning, 
dead  in  her  bed.  Her  affianced  lover  was  overwhelmed  with 
sorrow,  and  protested  that  he  should  never  more  know  an 
hour's  peace. 

This  proved  to  be  only  masculine  hyperbole  ,  for  he  was 
married  two  years  after,  and  appeared,  judging  by  outward 
signs,  one  of  the  most  contented  and  self-satisfied  of  men. 

All  this  perilous  wooing  of  fortune  does  not  always  lead  to 
tragedy.  A  young  man,  residing  in  Frankfort,  who  had  only 
his  salary  as  a  banker's  clerk  to  live  upon,  fell  in  love  with 
a  prosperous  merchant's  daughter,  and  his  attachment  was 
fully  reciprocated.  The  rich  papa,  as  commonly  happens, 
was  unwilling  to  have  a  poor  son-in-law,  and  so  refused  his 
consent  point  blank  to  the  union.  Entreaties  were  vain  ;  his 
daughter's  tears  moved  him  not  a  whit.  He  informed  the 
young  man  that  he  would  give  him  three  years  to  achieve 
pecuniary  independence  in,  and  if  he  did  not  succeed,  he 
must,  at  the  end  of  that  period,  abandon  all  hope  of  the 
girl's  hand.  In  America  fortunes  are  suddenly  made  ;  but 
in  Germany,  where  everything  runs  in  grooves,  there  is 
hardly  a  possibility  of  earning  much  money,  unaided  by  capi- 
tal or  powerful  influence.  For  twenty-four  months  Romeo 
struggled  for  his  prize,  but  struggled  in  vain.  He  had 
succeeded  in  saving  only  about  five  hundred  dollars ;  and, 
knowing  this  would  be  considered  a  contemptible  sum  by 
the  merchant,  he  felt  that  he  would  be  forced  to  give  up  all 
claim  to  the  woman  he  adored. 

Falling  asleep,  one  night,  with  this  subject  upon  his  mind, 
he  dreamed  of  going  to  Homburg  and  increasing  his  little 


732  A  WARNING  THAT  WAS  L06T. 

store  tenfold.  On  awakening,  he  considered  his  dream  pro- 
phetic. He  visited  Homburg,  placed  his  all  upon  "  color " 
again  and  again,  and  each  time  "color"  won.  His  five 
hundred  dollars  he  increased  to  ten  thousand ;  returned  to 
Franfort ;  procured  papa's  consent ;  married  the  girl,  and,  as 
the  story  goes,  has  never  since  been  known  to  risk  a  florin 
on  a  game  of  chance.  So  even  gambling,  great  evil  as  it  is, 
sometimes  does  good,  though  instances  like  this  are  extremely 
rare. 

A  Hungarian  merchant  from  Pesth  came  to  a  melancholy 
end  at  Baden,  a  few  years  ago.  He  had  been  to  London  on 
business,  and  on  his  way  home  thought  he  would  spend  some 
days  at  the  baths,  where  a  number  of  his  friends  were  stay- 
ing. He  had  scarcely  arrived  there  when  he  began  at  rouge- 
et-noir  with  a  few  florins,  not  having  the  least  intention  of 
playing  largely.  Like  hundreds  of  others  before  him,  he  was 
drawn  into  the  dangerous  rapids  before  he  was  well  aware  of 
it.  He  lost  not  only  the  money  he  had  with  him,  but  drew 
on  his  own  firm,  obtained  advances  on  his  letters  of  credit, 
and  at  the  end  of  a  week  was  absolutely  ruined.  He  had  a 
wife  and  six  children  at  home,  and  had  not  the  moral  courage 
to  apprise  them  that  they  were  beggars,  to  make  a  resolution 
never  to  play  more,  and  commence  life  anew.  Wishing, 
however,  that  his  fate  might  be  a  warning  to  others,  he  went 
late  at  night  to  the  promenade  in  front  of  the  Conversations- 
haus,  and  when  the  little  town  was  quiet  and  asleep,  he 
placed  a  large  placard  upon  his  breast  and  hanged  himself 
before  the  main  entrance  to  the  beautiful  building.  The 
placard,  written  in  French,  ran  thus :  — 

"  Here  am  I,  a  Victim  of  Gambling  ! 
Take  Warning  by  me,  and  never  Enter  this  Hell ! 

The  Man  who  Plays  Damns  his  Soul  Forever  ! 

Don't  Deceive  Yourself  !     Bet  Once,  and  You  are  Lost ! 

The  Doors  of  this  Saloon  are  the  Gates  of  Death." 

The  bathers  and  wrater-drinkers,  sallying  forth  early,  were 
shocked  to  see  the  unfortunate  gentleman  suspended  by  the 


FAIR   WITHOUT,    HIDEOUS   WITHIN.  733 

neck,  and  to  read  what  he  had  so  truthfully  written.  The 
Direction,  indignant  at  what  they  considered  a  breach  of 
etiquette,  lost  no  time  in  removing  the  corpse,  which  fur- 
nished such  a  sad  commentary  on  their  perfidious  entertain- 
ment. Before  breakfast  everybody  knew  of  the  tragedy,  and 
it  had  such  an  effect  upon  the  patrons  of  the  bank  that  the 
tables,  for  two  or  three  days,  were  very  thinly  attended. 
The  Direction  felt  sorely  troubled  respecting  the  unpleasant 
circumstance,  as  they  termed  it,  and  industriously  circulated 
the  report  that  there  was  no  truth  in  the  story  of  the  Hunga- 
rian suicide  ;  that  he  had  really  left  for  Basle  the  day  pre- 
vious to  his  reported  self-destruction ;  that  the  figure  found 
hanging  was  merely  an  effigy  placed  there  by  some  mis- 
chievous jesters,  against  whom  legal  proceedings  would  be 
begun  forthwith.  Strangely  enough,  this  invention  was  be- 
lieved. The  players  returned  in  full  force,  and  the  warning 
of  the  Hungarian  was  lost,  as  a  thousand  other  warnings  have 
been  lost  before. 

If  tbe  private  history  of  the  four  gaming  places  could  be 
learned,  with  all  the  evils  resulting  from  them,  the  record 
would  be  ghastly  and  hideous  indeed.  It  is  only  now  and 
then  that  an  intimation  of  the  great  injury  they  do  comes  to 
the  surface  ;  and  if  any  considerable  part  of  it  were  known, 
the  springs  would  be  avoided  like  lazar-houses.  A  stoical 
pride  is  generally  practised  by  the  habitue's  who  have  suf- 
fered financially  ;  and  I  have  observed  many  men,  and 
not  a  few  women,  turn  away  from  the  tables  with  a  forced 
smile,  when  I  knew  that  they  were  undergoing  excruciating 
torture. 

Losing  money  which  one  cannot  afford  to  lose  brings  with 
it  a  train  of  social,  mental,  and  moral  ills  that  cannot  be  fully 
estimated.  Could  a  thousandth  part  of  the  woes  wrought 
by  the  demon  of  chance  be  depicted  on  those  frescoed  and 
gilded  walls,  they  would  equal  the  torments  ascribed  by 
gloomy  priests  to  the  doomed  and  damned  in  the  fiery  pit. 

The  outside  of  the  temples  of  fortune  is  dazzlingly  attrac- 
tive ;  but,  passing  beyond  the  portals,  and  lifting  the  purple 


734  A  CALM-BLOODED  BANKER. 

veil,  such  anguish  and  agony  are  apparent  as  may  well  appall 
the  stoutest  heart. 

Some  men  are  so  methodical  and  cool-blooded  that  they 
are  proof  against  the  seductions  of  roulette  and  rouge-et-noir. 
They  can  make  up  their  mind  beforehand  as  to  how  much 
they  will  lose,  and  never  risk  another  florin.  These,  how- 
ever, are  exceptions  to  human  nature,  and  no  ordinary  mortal 
can  hope  to  imitate  them  with  any  prospect  of  success. 

A  sturdy  Dutch  banker  from  Amsterdam  is  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  one  of  the  spas  every  season,  and  always  bets  within 
a  certain  limit.  Four  thousand  florins  is  the  sum  he  feels 
able  to  lose  annually,  and  this  being  gone,  nothing  prompts 
him  to  risk  any  more.  Sometimes  he  loses  this  in  a  few  days, 
sometimes  not  for  weeks,  sometimes  not  at  all.  Whatever 
he  may  gain  does  not  count,  as  he  feels  privileged  to  do  as  he 
chooses  with  his  winnings ,  but  having  parted  at  the  tables 
with  four  thousand  florins  less  than  he  had  on  his  arrival,  he 
is  bidden  in  vain  to  make  his  game.  He  told  me  once  that 
he  fancied  he  was  a  good  deal  ahead  of  the  tables,  but  having 
made  an  exact  calculation,  he  found  that  in  ten  years  all  he 
had  won  was  fifteen  florins. 

The  croupiers  are  a  singular  class.  Nearly  all  of  them  have, 
some  time  or  other,  belonged  to  the  galerie,  and,  as  may  be 
imagined  from  their  position,  have  wrecked  themselves  on 
the  uncertain  sea  of  hazard. 

The  last  season  I  was  at  Homburg,  six  of  the  croupiers 
there  had  histories.  One  of  them  was  the  son  of  a  coffee 
planter  of  Brazil.  He  had  fallen  into  some  serious  trouble 
in  Rio  Janeiro,  and  had  gone  to  Lisbon,  where  he  led  such 
a  prodigal  life,  and  drew  on  his  father  so  frequently,  that 
the  old  gentleman  refused  to  honor  his  drafts  further.  The 
young  scapegrace  then  went  to  Italy,  served  in  the  Papal 
army,  afterwards  became  a  sailor,  travelled  all  through  the 
Orient,  earned  considerable  money  by  trading,  went  back  to 
the  Continent,  visited  Baden,  arrayed  himself  against  the 
tables,  was  rendered  penniless,  and  in  his  desperate  strait 
was  appointed  croupier. 


ANTECEDENTS   OF  CKOUPIEES.  735 

A  second  of  this  fraternity  had  been  a  Malay  pirate,  it  was 
whispered,  and  also  a  monk  in  Palermo  ;  then  a  valet  de 
place,  and  finally  a  brother  of  the  rake. 

The  third  informed  me  he  had  been  a  Greek  priest,  but, 
having  been  suspected  of  conspiring  against  the  Emperor  of 
Russia,  he  was  sent  to  Siberia,  whence  he  escaped  and  en- 
tered upon  his  present  calling. 

A  fourth,  a  Hebrew,  once  kept  a  pawnbroking  shop  in 
Chatham  Street,  and  was  sentenced  to  Sing  Sing  on  a  charge 
of  forgery,  served  two  years,  inherited  some  money  left  him 
by  an  uncle  in  Prague,  became  a  victim  to  play,  and  at  last 
had  the  satisfaction  of  getting  on  the  right  side  of  the  table. 

The  fifth  croupier,  a  Frenchman,  had  emigrated  to  Cali- 
fornia in  1849,  and,  as  a  member  of  the  sporting  fraternity, 
narrowly  escaped  hanging  by  a  mob,  some  years  after.  Float- 
ing from  point  to  point,  he  stranded  at  Baden,  and  will  doubt- 
less die  there. 

The  sixth  began  his  career  as  a  reporter  on  a  Berlin  jour- 
nal ;  served  in  the  Prussian  army ;  studied  law,  medicine, 
and  theology,  but  could  never  practise  anything  save  gam- 
bling. "  I  always  lose,"  he  said  to  me  ;  "  and  having  no 
more  money  to  risk,  I  have  the  satisfaction  now  of  seeing 
other  persons  make  as  great  fools  of  themselves  as  I  have 
made  myself." 

Hundreds  of  chapters  might  be  written  on  the  gambling 
hells  of  Germany,  for  the  subject  is  inexhaustible.  But  each 
and  all  of  them,  if  truthful,  would  show  that  the  spas,  like 
the  Dead  Sea  apples,  are  attractive  to  the  sight,  but  ashes 
and  bitterness  within.  The  players  are  handsome  maskers. 
They  laugh,  and  dance,  and  seem  happy ;  but  when  the 
masks  and  dominos  are  removed,  the  bodies  are  leprous, 
their  touch  contagion,  their  soft  caress  a  lingering  and  loath- 
some death. 


LI. 

SUBTERRANEAN  DWELLINGS. 

EARLIEST  HABITATIONS.  —  UNDERGROUND  HOUSES.  —  A  DWELLING  ON  THE 
AMERICAN  PLAINS.  —  HOW  AN  EARTH  HOUSE  IS  MADE.  —  RESULT  OF  A 
NIGHT  IN  IT.  —  ARCTIC  DWELLINGS.  —  A  MANSION  IN  KAMCHATKA.  —  ITS 
ADVANTAGES  AND  DISADVANTAGES.  — A  CHIMNEY  AND  DOORWAY  IN  COM- 
MON.—  THE  AUTHOR'S  EXPERIENCE. — ALIVE  DOG  IN  A  STEW-KETTLE. — 

THE  STORY  OF  GAMOOT.  —  HOW  HE  ENTERTAINED  HIS  FRIENDS.  —  FISH-OIL 
PUNCH  AND  A  CANDLE  BREAKFAST.  —  HOW  HE  LEARNED  ENGLISH.  — NEW 
MODE  OF  BOXING  THE  COMPASS.  —  GAMOOT'S  MELANCHOLY  FATE. 

THE  climate  of  the  Garden  of  Eden  was  of  such  a  tem- 
perature, and  the  customs  of  Adam  and  Eve,  before  their 
famous  fruit-gathering  excursion,  were  of  such  a  primitive 
character,  that  no  dwellings  were  needed.  It  is  not  known 
that  the  weather  ever  compelled  Adam  and  Eve  to  seek  shel- 
ter, and  they  had  no  prying  neighbors  to  disturb  them  ;  but, 
after  the  abandonment  of  the  garden,  it  became  necessary  for 
them  and  their  followers  to  have  places  of  shelter.  The  first 
habitations  were,  probably,  holes  in  the  ground.  The  histo- 
rians generally  agree  that  the  primitive  habitations  of  the 
savage  partake  more  or  less  of  a  subterranean  character.  At 
the  present  day  there  are  many  tribes  of  people  that  live 
wholly  or  partially  under  ground.  Dwellings  thus  made  are 
easy  of  construction,  especially  in  regions  where  timber  is 
not  abundant,  and  the  facilities  for  working  in  stone  do  not 
abound. 

In  the  far  west,  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  the 
Rocky  Mountains,  there  are  many  underground,  or  partly 
underground,  dwellings,  inhabited,  not  by  savages,  but  by 
white  men.  Dwellings  of  this  sort  are  not  particularly  dry, 
but  they  are  generally  cool,  and,  if  one  does  not  mind  a  little 


A  MANSION  IN  KAMCHATKA.  739 

dampness,  they  are  quite  comfortable.  My  first  experience 
with  one  of  these  habitations  was  not  entirely  agreeable.  I 
had  been  travelling  for  several  days,  and  sleeping  at  night 
under  the  shelter  of  a  wagon.  My  bed  was  airy,  and  the 
only  protection  the  wagon  gave  me  was  to  keep  away  the 
dew,  and  prevent  wandering  mules  and  oxen  from  running 
over  me.  My  health  was  excellent,  and  I  was  beginning  to 
consider  a  house  a  superfluity. 

We  found  a  party  of  men  living  in  one  of  these  houses, 
where  there  was  no  wood  for  a  long  distance,  or  but  very, 
little  of  it,  and  they  had  dug  out  a  place  under  ground, 
covered  it  with  a  roof  consisting  of  poles,  bushes,  and  turf, 
and  were  making  themselves  comfortable.  They  urged  me 
to  share  their  hospitality,  and  I  did  so,  abandoning  my  wagon 
for  the  shelter  of  their  roof.  In  the  morning  I  awoke  with 
one  of  the  worst  colds  I  ever  had  in  my  life,  and  for  several 
days  I  had  a  very  disagreeable  and  intimate  acquaintance 
with  a  sore  throat. 

In  the  northern  part  of  America  and  Asia  the  dwellings  of 
the  aboriginals  are  constructed  partly  under  ground.  A  hole 
is  dug  in  the  earth  four  or  five  feet  deep,  and  a  rude  roof  of 
poles  and  earth  is  placed  over  it.  The  Greenlanders  and  the 
Esquimaux  generally  enter  their  dwellings  by  a  long  passage- 
way, so  low  that  one  must  creep  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and 
it  is  so  narrow  that  a  stranger  cannot  easily  turn  round  in  it. 
In  Kamchatka  the  natives  have  a  similar  dwelling.  Some 
tribes  enter  their  houses  at  the  side  by  a  passage-way,  some- 
what like  the  entrance  to  an  Esquimaux  dwelling.  Other 
tribes  enter  through  the  centre  of  the  roof,  going  down 
through  a  hole  which  serves  for  a  chimney. 

After  an  experience  of  both  kinds  of  entrances,  I  greatly 
prefer  the  Esquimaux'.  In  North-eastern  Siberia  it  was  my 
fortune  to  be  thrown  among  the  Koraks,  a  people  whose 
dwellings  have  only  one  place  to  serve  as  a  door  and  chim- 
ney. The  fire  is  directly  beneath  this  hole.  It  is  generally 
burning  in  winter  with  considerable  briskness,  and  almost  al- 
ways has  a  pot  of  reindeer  meat  over  it.  When  you  accept 


740  GOING  DOWN  A  CHIMNEY. 

the  hospitality  of  a  Korak,  you  descend  into  this  hole  by 
means  of  a  pole  with  notches  in  its  side,  on  which  you  must 
cling  with  feet  and  hands.  A  blast  of  hot,  blinding  smoke 
rises  in  your  face,  and,  as  you  descend,  it  grows  hotter  and 
hotter.  By  the  time  you  are  within  two  feet  of  the  bottom, 
you  can  scarcely  breathe.  When  you  think  you  are  nearing 
the  bottom,  you  must  jump  from  the  pole,  and  you  are  just 
,  as  likely  to  jump  into  the  fire  as  you  are  to  jump  from  it. 
At  my  first  experience  I  did  not  jump  fairly  into  the  fire,  but 
so  close  to  it  that  my  feet  came  very  near  being  singed. 

Every  Korak  habitation  supports  a  large  number  of  dogs, 
which  are  used  for  draught  purposes.  The  dogs  are  not  admit- 
ted to  the  private  quarters  of  the  family,  but  are  compelled 
to  stay  outside.  They  content  themselves  with  hanging 
round  the  hole  in  the  roof,  and  look  down  in  the  inside, 
sniffing  the  venison  that  is  below.  Occasionally  they  get 
to  fighting  near  the  hole,  and  one  of  them  drops  through. 
Sometimes  he  drops  into  the  fire,  and  sometimes  into  the  pot 
of  meat,  and  makes  a  commotion.  He  yells  a  good  deal  in 
either  case.  If  he  has  fallen  into  the  fire,  he  is  taken  by  the 
neck  and  swung  up  again  through  the  chimney.  If  he  falls 
into  the  stew-pot,  he  is  taken  out,  howling  all  the  while  like 
a  congress  of  chimpanzees,  the  broth  is  squeezed  out  of  his 
shaggy  hide,  so  that  it  shall  not  be  lost,  and  then  he  is  thrown 
up  into  the  open  air.  The  natives  do  not  appear  to  have  any 
pity  for  the  dog,  and  the  fact  that  he  has  been  soused  in  the 
dinner  pot  does  not  in  the  least  affect  their  appetites.  They 
swallow  the  stewed  venison  with  just  the  same  relish  as  they 
would  if  it  contained  no  dog's  hairs  to  thicken  the  mess  and 
get  between  their  teeth. 

In  these  northern  regions  the  weather  is  exceedingly  cold. 
On  the  coast  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  far  inside  the  polar  circle, 
the  sun  frequently  forgets  itself,  and  for  days  and  weeks  in 
summer  behaves  like  a  masculine  chicken,  and  never  sets. 
In  winter  it  also  forgets  itself,  and  not  only  sets,  but  stays  set 
for  a  longer  time  than  the  most  respectable  hen  that  was  ever 
known.  It  would  be  inconvenient  to  publish  a  daily  news- 


INCONVENIENCES   OF  ARCTIC  NIGHTS.  741 

paper  there,  for  the  reason  that  some  of  the  days  are  not 
more  than  fifteen  minutes  long,  while  others  are  three  or  four 
months.  And  the  same  is  the  case  with  the  nights,  which  are 
sometimes  stretched  out  to  an  inconvenient  length1.  They 
would  be  jolly  for  courtships  and  for  evening  parties ;  but  it 
would  not  be  advisable,  in  the  middle  of  one  of  the  best  of 
those  nights,  to  sing  "  We  won't  go  home  till  morning,"  and 
then  fall  to  drinking  hot  punches  and  things  every  ten  min- 
utes, "  till  daylight  doth  appear." 

Those  long  nights  are  a  great  delusion  to  a  man  who  thinks 
it  will  be  capital  sport  to  lie  abed  until  late  in  the  morning. 
If  he  goes  to  bed  with  a  determination  to  make  a  night  of  it, 
he  finds  that  he  does  not  sleep  straight  through,  but  has  to 
get  up  a  good  many  times  before  morning  to  have  his  hair 
dressed,  and  to  get  on  the  outside  of  that  edible  conglomerate 
known  as  hash.  If  he  should  try  to  get  through  the  night 
without  eating  or  drinking,  the  probabilities  are  that  he  would 
furnish  a  job  for  a  hyperborean  undertaker  in  consequence  of 
early  starvation ;  but  it  would  be  equally  inconvenient  to  at- 
tempt to  stay  out  of  bed  all  day,  as  a  great  many  people  insist 
upon  doing  in  this  part  of  the  world.  A  nap  would  be  neces- 
sary after  breakfast  and  after  dinner,  at  all  events,  and  I 
shrewdly  suspect  that  the  most  of  us,  if  we  lived  there,  would 
have  many  breakfasts  and  dinners  between  sunrise  and  sunset. 

It  would  delight  John  B.  Gough  or  Father  Mathew  to 
have  an  old  toper  go  away  up  north  in  summer,  and  take  only 
one  drink  a  day ;  and  if  he  took  it  in  the  shape  of  an  appetizer 
before  breakfast,  it  would  give  him  a  splendid  appetite  by  the 
time  he  sat  down  to  his  toast  and  steak,  provided  the  day 
was  laid  out  for  only  one  allowance  of  breakfast,  dinner,  and 
supper. 

In  describing  life  in  this  region  of  ice,  and  snow,  and  un- 
derground dwellings,  I  propose  to  do  it  by  narrating  the  ad- 
ventures of  a  mythical  native,  whom  I  will  call  Gamoot.  He 
owned  a  brown  stone  front,  about  latitude  seventy-five  der 
grees  north,  longitude  two  hundred  and  fifty  degrees  east, 
where  his  nearest  neighbor  was  a  polar  bear,  and  he  looked 
40 


742  GAMOOT  AT  HOME. 

out  of  his  bay  window  upon  a  cheerful  scene  of  icebergs,  and 
all  that  sort  of  thing.  His  brown  stone  front  was  made  of 
ice,  built  over  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  looked  like  one  of 
the  piles  of  hay  that  the  farmers  make  in  the  field,  before 
they  drive  round  with  the  cart.  The  front  door  was  a  slab 
of  ice,  and,  when  you  had  rung  the  bell  and  sent  up  your 
card,  you  dropped  on  your  hands  and  knees,  and  went  in. 
The  hall  was  twenty  feet  long,  and  about  two  feet  high 
and  wide  ;  it  made  a  couple  of  turns,  'and  one  of  them  was  a 
sharp  angle,  like  the  corner  of  a  dry  goods  box.  You  went 
inside  the  house,  and  had  to  twist  yourself  round  the  corner 
of  the  hall,  like  a  big  steamboat  going  up  the  Red  River. 
You  had  to  work  your  way  along  very  much  as  an  eel  goes 
through  a  water-pipe.  Gamoot  did  not  ventilate  his  hall 
very  well,  and  if  you  were  a  new  comer,  it  was  quite  possible 
for  you  to  imagine  that  you  had  mistaken  the  entrance,  and 
gone  into  the  sewer  instead  of  the  fashionable  doorway. 

It  was  inconvenient  sometimes,  when  you  were  about  mid- 
way of  the  hall,  creeping  along  ever  so  nice,  and  just  dou^ 
bling  the  sharp  corner, — it  was  inconvenient,  I  say,  to  meet  one 
of  Gamoot's  big  dogs  on  his  way  out.  Gamoot's  dogs  were 
an  independent  lot  of  pups,  with  appetites  like  mill-hoppers, 
and  teeth  like  cross-cut  saws.  When  they  made  up  their 
minds  to  go  out,  they  generally  went,  and  if  anybody  was  in 
the  way,  it  was  healthier  for  him  to  go  ashore  than  to  stay 
there.  Gamoot  used  to  apologize  for  his  dogs,  and  say  that 
their  conduct  was  owing  to  their  breeding,  as  they  were  half 
wolf  and  the  rest  ugliness.  I  used  to  wish  that  they  had 
been  of  a  different  breed. 

But  if  you  happened  to  get  into  Gamoot's  house  without 
being  interviewed  by  his  dogs,  you  were  sure  to  be  inter- 
viewed by  the  whole  family  as  soon  as  you  reached  the  par- 
lor. The  grand  salon  was  about  twenty  feet  across,  and  was 
high  enough  to  allow  Gamoot  to  lie  down,  which  he  did  very 
often.  The  only  way  you  could  stand  erect  was  by  sitting 
down  on  the  floor,  and  standing  in  sections.  By  sitting  down 
you  could  hold  your  head  and  body  in  a  perpendicular  posi- 


HYPERBOREAN  ETIQUETTE.  743 

tion,  or  by  lying  on  your  back  you  could  stick  up  your  feet 
and  legs.  The  latter  position  was  considered  ungraceful,  and 
was  not  generally  practised  by  visitors.  The  house  was  ven- 
tilated through  the  hall,  which  was  always  kept  closed.  The 
atmosphere  was  about  as  thick  as  an  invalid's  gruel,  and 
sometimes  it  became  so  tough  and  hard  that  visitors  used  to 
break  off  pieces  of  it  to  carry  away  as  souvenirs.  Gamoot 
had  a  pan  which  he  used  to  fill  with  fish-oil,  and  then  put  a 
wick  in  it.  This  pan  served  as  chandelier,  furnace,  and 
everything  of  the  sort.  Sometimes  the  children  fell  into  it, 
but  it  did  not  burn  them,  though  they  soaked  up  a  frightful 
lot  of  grease. 

Sometimes,  when  Gamoot  had  company  that  he  wanted  to 
get  rid  of,  he  used  to  take  a  bottle  out  of  doors,  and  fill  it 
with  fresh  air.  He  would  then  return,  and  hold  it  to  the 
nose  of  each  visitor.  He  would  then  point  to  the  cheerful 
hall- way  ;  the  two  movements  were  understood  to  mean  that 
there  was  more  of  the  same  sort  outside,  and  that  the  visitors 
had  better  be  sniffing  it.  The  gentle  hint  was  generally  un- 
derstood, and  the  visitor,  after  looking  to  see  that  the  dogs 
were  all  inside,  and  not  likely  to  be  met  in  the  hall,  politely 
bade  Gamoot  adieu,  kissed  Mrs.  Gamoot,  the  children,  and  the 
dogs,  and  departed. 

Gamoot  was  as  hospitable  as  a  Dutch  uncle.  He  used  to 
keep  a  barrel  of  fish-oil  and  a  box  of  candles  on  draught  in 
one  corner  of  his  study  and  smoking-room.  Whenever  you 
called,  he  would  mix  you  a  fish-oil  punch ;  and  O,  such  a 
punch !  It  is  enough  to  make  one's  mouth  oil  to  think  of  it ! 
Then  he  would  hand  you  a  candle,  just  as  your  Boston  enter- 
tainer would  hand  you  a  cracker ;  and  he  not  only  handed 
you  a  candle,  but  he  took  one  himself.  It  was  a  pleasure  to 
see  him,  with  a  tin  glass  of  oil  punch  in  one  hand  and  a  can- 
dle in  the  other,  and  as  fast  as  he  took  a  sip  at  the  candle,  he 
took  a  bite  at  the  punch  ;  and  it  was  not  the  polite  thing  to 
refuse  either  one  or  the  other.  Gamoot  used  to  resent  a  re- 
fusal, and  he  had  a  pleasant  way  of  taking  you  by  the  back 
of  the  neck,  and  squeezing  you  till  your  mouth  opened. 


744  NEW  WAY  OF  BOXING  THE   COMPASS. 

Then  he  would  drive  the  candle  down  your  throat  with  a 
mallet  that  he  kept  for  the  purpose,  and  he  would  pour  the 
punch  after  it  with  a  funnel.  Knowing  his  playful  eccen- 
tricities, it  was  always  better  to  take  your  punch  and  candle 
without  making  a  fuss. 

It  may  be  inferred  that  Gamoot  was  an  uncivilized  savage  ; 
but  he  was  not.  He  had  met  white  men  who  visited  the  polar 
regions  in  pursuit  of  whales.  He  had  learned  from  these 
aristocrats  something  of  the  language  and  customs  of  civiliza- 
tion. He  had  no  knowledge  of  sacred  history  ;  but,  to  judge 
from  the  style  of  his  speech,  he  was  well  versed  in  profane 
history.  He  knew  most  of  the  parts  of  speech  in  the  English 
language  that  are  addressed  to  disobedient  sailors  by  their 
captains  and  first  and  second  mates ;  and  on  one  occasion  a 
shipwrecked  mariner  offered  to  educate  Gamoot  in  English  for 
Ms  board  and  lodging.  Gamoot  accepted,  and  they  went  to 
work. 

"  I  will  teach  the  bloody  Injin  to  box  the  compass,"  said 
the  mariner  to  himself. 

"Come  here,  blame  your  eyes!  "  said  the  mariner  to  Ga- 
moot ;  only  he  used  another  word,  which  I  do  not  exactly  re- 
call, in  place  of  "  blame." 

The  mariner  had  saved  a  compass,  and  as  Gamoot  stood 
over  it,  Jack  placed  his  finger  on  the  "points,"  and  named 
them  over.  But  instead  of  giving  their  names  as  they  are 
known  to  nautical  sailors,  he  applied  an  oath  to  each  of  them ; 
and  he  varied  the  oaths,  so  that  by  the  time  the  compass  was 
boxed,  he  had  uttered  a  lot  of  profanity  that  would  make  an 
Arkansas  stage-driver  break  his  heart  for  joy. 

Gamoot  was  a  good  scholar,  and  learned  his  lesson  well. 
He  used  to  repeat  it  to  visitors,  and  was  as  proud  of  it  as 
a  poodle  dog  is  of  the  ribbons  in  his  ears.  He  always  gave 
great  delight  to  the  strangers,  especially  if  they  happened  to 
be  chaplains  of  whale-ships,  or  missionaries  on  the  hunt  for 
converts.  To  enter  his  house,  take  an  oil  punch  and  an  ap- 
petizing candle,  and  hear  his  melodious  voice  box  the  com- 
pass in  the  way  he  had  been  taught,  was  a  delight  that  few 
persons  ever  enjoyed. 


TKAGIC  FATE  OF  GAMOOT.  745 

But  one  day,  when  the  bark  Susan  Maria  touched  near  Ga- 
moot's  mansion  for  salt,  water,  and  provisions,  the  hospitable 
gentleman  went  to  the  beach  to  welcome  the  crew,  and  look 
out  for  a  chance  to  steal  something.  By  accident  he  picked 
up  an  oar,  and  was  walking  off  with  it,  for  fear  it  might  be 
lost.  One  of  the  sailors  addressed  Gamoot  in  language  much 
like  boxing  the  compass,  and  the  innocent  aboriginal  supposed 
the  briny  navigator  was  repeating  his  lesson.  The  first  mate, 
who  had  charge  of  the  boat,  repeated  the  address,  and  added 
something  which  implied  that  the  dog-star  presided  at  the 
birth  of  Gamoot.  This  phrase  was  also  familiar  to  the  native, 
and  he  paid  no  attention  to  it. 

The  mate  then  proceeded  to  give  Gamoot  a  gentle  hint, 
which  he  did  by  throwing  a  harpoon  through  him.  The  point 
of  the  instrument  entered  between  the  brown-skinned  gen- 
tleman's shoulders,  and  came  out  in  front  of  his  heart,  after 
dividing  that  organ  into  unequal  parts.  The  boat-steerer 
then  gave  an  additional  hint  by  throwing  a  bomb-lance,  wMch 
exploded  in  Gamoot's  head,  and  interfered  seriously  with 
future  repetitions  of  his  lesson  in  navigation. 

Gamoot  subsequently  died  of  his  injuries.  His  romantic 
career  has  passed  into  poesy,  and  the  story  of  his  house,  his 
punches,  his  candles,  his  linguistic  researches,  and  his  unfor- 
tunate harpooning  is  sung  wherever  he  was  known. 


LIL 

BRIGANDAGE  AS   A  FINE  ART. 

HIGHWAY  ROBBERY  IN  MODERN  TIMES.  —  THE  OLD  WORLD  AND  THE  NEW  CON? 
TRASTED. — HABITS  OF  RUSSIAN  ROBBERS. — PIOUS  THIEVES.  — PRAYERS 
FOR  SUCCESS.  —  ROAD  AGENTS.  —  CRUELTIES  OF  ITALIAN  BRIGANDS.  —  TOR- 
TURE AND  RANSOM  OF  PRISONERS.  —  SPANISH  BRIGANDS. — ADVENTURE  ON 
A  SPANISH  ROAD.  —  AN  AMERICAN  PRINCE  AND  AN  ENGLISH  DUCHESS.  —  AN 
EXCITING  RACE.  —  A  DUCHESS  IN  UNDRESS. 

BRIGANDAGE  is  rapidly  becoming  a  thing  of  the  past  In 
most  parts  of  Europe,  thanks  to  the  introduction  of  railways, 
and  the  gradual  abolition  of  the  mail  coach  and  diligence. 
In  France  it  occurs  so  rarely  as  to  cause  general  comment 
whenever  an  instance  is  reported  ;  and  in  Prussia  and  Austria 
one  can  travel,  with  little  danger  of  highway  robbery,  from 
one  end  of  the  country  to  the  other.  Russia,  which  has  few 
railways,  has  more  cases  of  brigandage  than  its  western 
neighbors,  though  the  government  always  deals  very  severely 
with  robbers  when  it  catches  them.  Travellers  in  the  eastern 
and  southern  parts  of  the  Muscovite  empire  frequently  en- 
counter robbers  on  their  route,  and  give  up  their  purses  with 
as  good  grace  as  they  can  muster.  There  is  a  law  in  Russia 
that  forbids  one  to  fire  upon  robbers,  unless  they  outnumber 
him  three  to  one  ;  but  as  a  man  who  is  attacked  can  usually 
make  conscientious  oath  that  he  thought  his  assailants  very 
numerous,  he  is  generally  excused  for  any  violation  of  the 
statute  in  such  cases  made  and  provided. 

The  land  to  which  most  of  the  Russian  convicts  are  ban- 
ished, Siberia,  is,  curiously  enough,  less  dangerous  for  a  trav- 
eller than  the  European  possessions  of  the  czar.  In  a  land 
journey  of  five  thousand  miles,  in  Northern  Asia,  I  was  never 


HOLDING  PRISONERS  FOR  RANSON.  747 

disturbed  by  footpads,  and  suffered  no  apprehension.  Had 
my  tour  been  in  midsummer,  there  would  have  been  less 
security ;  but  as  it  occurred  in  winter,  when  the  thermometer 
frequently  reached  forty  degrees  below  zero,  the  circum- 
stances were  not  favorable  to  lying  in  wait  for  several  hours, 
when  the  prospect  was  good  that  the  highwayman  would 
freeze  to  death  before  he  could  find  some  one  on  whom  to  try 
his  skill. 

Of  all  European  countries,  Italy  is  the  one  at  present  whose 
sculpture,  begging,  painting,  and  highway  robbery  have  at- 
tained the  highest  stage  of  perfection.  In  the  southern  part 
of  the  kingdom  robberies  are  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  the 
mountains  are  full  of  bands,  that  have  a  regular  organization 
for  plundering  travellers.  Sometimes  the  scoundrels  add 
murder  to  robbery,  and  they  have  a  pleasant  way  of  holding 
men  for  ransom.  If  the  ransom  money  does  not  come  as 
promptly  as  they  desire,  they  detach  a  prisoner's  ear,  and 
send  it  as  a  gentle  hint  for  his  friends  to  hurry  up.  If  the 
ransom  is  still  delayed,  the  other  ear  follows,  then  a  finger, 
and  so  on,  until  the  unfortunate  traveller  is  about  as  much 
his  former  self  as  Hamlet  without  Hamlet. 

The  Italian  brigands  are  a  pious  lot  of  thieves,  and  when 
they  set  out  on  a  marauding  expedition,  they  generally  offer 
up  prayers  for  a  successful  result.  Russian  robbers  are  equal- 
ly devout.  There  is  a  story  of  a  Muscovite  highwayman, 
who  one  day  killed  a  traveller,  and,  while  rifling  his  pockets, 
discovered  a  cake  containing  meat.  Though  very  hungry,  he 
could  not  eat  the  cake,  as  the  church  fast  then  prevailing  for- 
bade the  use  of  meat.  The  King  of  Italy  has  made  very  ear- 
nest efforts  to  suppress  brigandage  in  his  dominions ;  but  he 
has  not  succeeded,  partly  on  account  of  the  pope  declining  to 
cooperate  with  him  as  fully  as  he  desires,  and  partly  owing  to 
the  fondness  of  the  inhabitants  for  a  wild  life.  The  Ex-King 
of  Naples,  who  resided  in  Rome  until  quite  recently,  was  well 
known  to  be  in  league  with  the  brigands,  whom  he  hoped  at 
some  time  to  make  the  nucleus  of  an  army  in  case  he  should 
deem  it  prudent  to  endeavor  to  regain  his  throne.  Men  who 


748  EOAD  AGENTS  IN  CALIFOEIA. 

had  been  plundered  on  the  roads  of  Southern  Italy  told  me 
that  they  afterwards  met  their  robbers  on  the  Corso,  or  in  the 
Piazza  di  Spagna,  and  saw  them  enter  and  leave  the  house  of 
Ex-King  Ferdinand. 

The  most  prosperous  parts  of  the  United  States,  in  the 
matter  of  brigandage,  as  elsewhere  stated,  are  the  new  states 
and  territories  west  of  the  Missouri  River.  In  Montana, 
Idaho,  Nevada,  and  California,  highway  robberies  are  fre- 
quent ;  and  it  is  sometimes  the  custom  for  the  stage  compa- 
nies to  supply  passengers  with  rifles  for  their  protection. 
But  the  robbers  generally  take  the  opportunity  to  approach 
when  least  expected,  and  in  many  cases  they  do  not  trouble 
the  passengers,  but  content  themselves  with  the  treasure  in 
charge  of  the  express  messenger.  Generally  the  messenger 
shows  fight,  if  the  driver  does  not,  and  in  some  instances  the 
robbers  have  paid  dearly  for  their  attempt.  They  are  well 
armed,  and  the  passengers  usually  find  it  best  to  submit,  and 
hand  over  their  money  without  grumbling.  The  Californians 
speak  of  these  robbers  as  "road  agents,"  and  I  was  much 
amused  at  the  name  the  first  time  I  heard  it.  I  was  starting 
from  Stockton  for  Mariposa,  and  some  one  suggested,  as  I 
mounted  to  the  outside  of  the  coach,  that  the  road  agents 
might  trouble  us.  I  innocently  asked  if  we  were  obliged  to 
pay  the  tolls  on  the  road,  and  suggested  that  the  duty  belonged 
to  the  company.  There  was  a  general  laugh  at  my  expense, 
as  a  fellow-passenger  explained  to  me  what  a  road  agent  was. 

Spain  can  boast  a  fair  allowance  of  brigands,  though  not  as 
many  as  she  could  twenty  years  ago,  on  account  of  the  con- 
struction of  railways  along  the  principal  routes  of  travel. 
Probably  the  present  troubles  will  leave  the  country  in  a  very 
disordered  condition,  and  for  years  to  come  there  will  be 
many  men  seeking  their  living  by  plundering  others.  The 
Spanish  robbers  are  no  less  cruel  than  their  Italian  brethren, 
and  they  regard  human  life  as  of  very  little  consequence. 
They  do  not  hesitate  to  kill  their  victims  when  they  think 
they  will  endanger  their  safety  by  leaving  them  alive.  Mex- 
ico, Cuba,  and  the  South  American  countries  in  general,  copy 


ADVENTUKE  WITH   SPANISH  BRIGANDS. 

the  customs  of  the  people  who  colonized  them,  and  especially 
in  Mexico  robbery  is  considered  one  of  the  fine  arts.  Many 
wealthy  people  are  not  exempt  from  the  suspicion  of  having 
acquired  their  property  by  foul  means  ;  and  not  unfrequently 
some  of  the  high  officers  of  the  government  are  known  to 
connive  at  the  exploits  of  Mexican  Jack  Sheppards  and 
Claude  Duvals. 

A  few  years  ago  a  gentleman  of  my  acquaintance  had  a 
curious  adventure  in  Spain,  which  I  will  endeavor  to  relate  in 
his  own  words.  "  I  was  travelling  with  my  wife,"  said  he, 
"  and  we  had  a  long  ride  before  us  to  Grenada.  I  found  that 
two  diligences  were  to  start  the  next  day,  one  of  them  quite 
new,  and  the  other  an  old  one.  I  engaged  the  coupe  of  the 
new  diligence,  paid  for  it,  and  was  told  to  be  ready  at  six 
o'clock  the  next  morning.  When  I  went  there,  I  found  that 
an  English  woman  and  her  servant  had  installed  themselves  in 
our  place,  which  they  preferred  to  the  old  carriage,  in  which 
they  had  chartered  the  coupe.  I  protested  ;  but  the  woman 
cut  me  short  with,  '  I  am  the  Duchess  of ,  and  shall  re- 
tain this  carriage.' 

"  '  Ah,'  I  replied,  bowing  low,  'but  I  am  the  Prince  Thomas 
of  America,  and  my  other  titles  are  Boston,  New  York,  Phil- 
adelphia, Chicago,  and  Salt  Lake.  We  are  all  princes  in 
America  ;  and,  madam,  my  wife  is  the  Countess  of  Michigan, 
Illinois,  and  Kentucky.' 

"  But  the  woman  repeated  her  title,  and  refused  to  move. 
She  did  not  care  for  an  American  prince  ;  and  I  was  about  to 
call  the  officials  to  eject  her,  when  my  wife  said,  in  her  hear- 
ing, 4  If  she  is  so  unlady-like  as  to  act  in  this  way,  we  will 
leave  her  to  herself,  and  ride  in  the  old  diligence.' 

"  The  new  vehicle  moved  off,  bearing  the  English  duchess, 
and  we  followed  ten  minutes  later  in  the  old  one.  About 
two  miles  from  the  starting-point,  we  passed  the  new  carriage 
with  a  broken  po^,  and  the  driver  and  conductor  were  en- 
deavoring to  get  another  from  a  neighboring  farm-house.  As 
we  passed  them,  I  shouted  to  our  postilion  that  I  would  give 
him  a  real  for  every  mile  he  kept  ahead  of  the  other  carriage, 


750  ENGAGING  AN  ENTIRE  HOTEL. 

and  a  dollar  for  every  hour  he  arrived  in  advance  of  his  usual 
time. 

"  He  accepted  the  offer,  and  urged  the  horses  to  their  best 
speed.  Every  time  we  changed,  I  distributed  a  few  reals  to 
the  men  about  the  stable  ;  and  I  heard  the  postilion  hint  to 
them  to  make  the  changes  as  fast  as  possible,  but  to  be  in  no 
hurry  in  supplying  the  other  diligence.  We  went  at  a  killing 
pace,  and  every  time  when  we  halted,  the  postilion  said, 
4  You  will  owe  me  a  great  deal  of  money  for  this  ;  you  will 
owe  me  a  great  deal  of  money.' 

"  I  found  on  calculation  that  I  should  owe  him  a  very  lib- 
eral gratuity,  and  assured  him  that  I  would  pay  everything  I 
owed.  As  we  passed  through  a  certain  wood,  I  observed  that 
he  watched  the  road-side  very  closely,  and  soon  after  repeated 
his  remark  about  my  indebtedness  to  him.  I  could  not  un- 
derstand what  he  meant,  but  was  wiser  afterwards. 

"  We  reached  Grenada  more  than  three  hours  ahead  of  time. 
There  was  then  but  one  decent  hotel  in  the  place  ;  and  I 
knew  that  my  duchess  would  be  certain  to  go  there,  as  it  was 
not  only  the  best  hotel,  but  the  point  of  arrival  and  departure 
of  the  diligence.  The  house  was  nearly  full,  and  I  engaged 
all  the  vacant  rooms,  paid  a  part  of  the  money  for  them,  and 
took  a  receipt.  Two  or  three  Spanish  travellers  arrived  in 
the  next  hour,  and  I  gave  up  some  of  my  rooms  to  them, 
but  enjoined  the  landlord  under  no  circumstances  to  admit 
the  duchess,  or  I  would  prosecute  him  for  a  violation  of  the 
contract. 

"  We  dined,  and  took  our  ease  in  our  room,  and,  after  din- 
ner was  over,  we  watched  for  the  other  diligence,  which  was 
somewhat  overdue. 

"  When  it  arrived,  it  was  three  hours  behind  the  regular 
time,  or  six  hours  later  than  ourselves.  The  delay  in  conse- 
quence of  the  pole  giving  way  had  been  more  than  an  hour  ; 
but  this  was  the  least  important  mishap  of  the  journey. 

"  The  diligence  had  been  robbed,  and  the  brigands  had 
done  their  work  most  thoroughly.  They  had  an  understand- 
ing with  the  drivers,  whom  they  never  disturbed,  and  ex- 


BOBBING  A  DUCHESS.  753 

pectecl  the  diligence  at  the  wood  where  my  postilion  looked 
around  so  anxiously.  The  rapid  rate  at  which  I  was  travel- 
ling in  the  old  carnage  took  us  past  the  haunts  of  the  robbers 
an  hour  before  we  were  expected,  and  thus  I  unwittingly 
saved  myself  from  being  plundered.  It  turned  out  that  the 
frequent  remark  of  the  postilion,  that  I  should  owe  him  a 
great  deal  of  money,  referred  to  this  little  business  of  robbing 
more  than  to  the  fast  driving.  By  following  my  desires  in 
the  matter  of  speed,  he  had  saved  me  from  an  encounter  with 
the  brigands,  who  would  have  relieved  me  of  all  my  spare 
cash,  and  of  everything  else  of  any  value  to  them. 

"  As  soon  as  I  found  how  the  matter  stood,  I  sent  for  the 
fellow,  who  had  been  all  the  time  loitering  about  the  court- 
yard, and  asked  him  how  much  he  thought  I  owed  him.  He 
replied  with  the  utmost  dignity,  though  he  could  not  sup- 
press a  smile,  that  he  thought  ten  dollars,  in  addition  to  what 
I  had  given  him,  would  be  satisfactory.  I  paid  with  alacrity, 
and  should  have  been  equally  satisfied  had  he  asked  five  or 
ten  times  as  much. 

"  The  Duchess  of had  been  robbed  about  as  much  as 

she  could  be.  The  brigands  were,  no  doubt,  indignant  that 
our  diligence  had  escaped  them,  and  determined  to  make 
complete  work  of  the  one  they  captured.  They  took  her 
trunks  from  the  carriage,  and  rifled  them  of  everything  they 
contained.  They  compelled  my  lady  to  hand  over  all  her 
money  and  jewelry,  and  even  stripped  her  of  her  travelling- 
dress,  leaving  her  to  finish  her  journey  in  her  under-clothing. 
They  offered  her  no  indignities,  and  were  as  polite  as  could 
be  expected  under  the  circumstances.  Not  relishing  the  idea 
of  arriving  at  the  hotel  dressed  as  she  was,  she  had  cut  away 
the  plush  lining  of  the  carriage,  and  hung  it  around  her  waist 
as  a  sort  of  skirt  of  a  decidedly  gaudy  pattern.  She  was  the 
most  woe-begone  picture  I  ever  looked  upon,  and  my  heart 
relented  when  I  saw  into  what  a  plight  she  had  fallen.  I 
had  fully  determined  not  to  allow  her  to  stop  at  the  hotel; 
but  when  she  arrived  in  utter  destitution,  I  told  the  landlord 
to  tell  her  that  all  the  rooms  had  beeii  taken  by  the  American 


754  COURTESY  AND  A2S  APOLOGY. 

prince,  who  was  only  too  happy  to  accommodate  an  English 
duchess.  She  apologized  for  her  rudeness  in  the  morning, 
though  she  could  not  rid  herself  of  her  haughty  demeanor. 

"  My  wife  supplied  her  with  clothing  enough  to  save  her 
from  inconvenience  until  she  could  communicate  with  the  Eng- 
lish consul.  That  gentleman  did  all  in  his  power  to  aid  his 
countrywoman,  and,  although  he  ran  the  risk  of  losing  the 
money,  he  cashed  her  draft  upon  her  bankers  in  Madrid. 
We  left  town  before  she  did  ;  and  I  think  she  never  after  set 
up  her  privilege  of  rank  to  take  possession  of  places  that  did 
not  belong  to  her.  I  have  always  felt  obliged  to  her  for 
driving  me  into  the  old  diligence,  rousing  my  indignation, 
and  leading  me  to  be  prodigal  of  my  money  in  securing  the 
highest  speed,  and  thus  escaping  robbery." 


LVIIL 

MINERAL  RESOURCES  OF  AUSTRALIA  AND  NEW  ZEALAND. 

COLONIAL  EXHIBITS  AT  THE  PHILADELPHIA  CENTENNIAL — WONDERFUL  MIN- 
ERAL WEALTH  OF  THE  ANTIPODES — CURIOUS  FEATURES  OF  THE  GOLD 
FIELDS— HOW  A  PARTY  OF  CALIFORNIANS  WERE  DECEIVED — DISCOVERIES 
OF  GOLD  AND  HOW  THEY  WERE  MADE — TROUBLES  WITH  THE  MINERS — 
AN  INSURRECTION  AND  ITS  RESULT — FIELD  OF  THE  AUSTRALIAN  MINES — 
COAL,  IRON,  AND  OTHER  MINERALS — THE  RESOURCES  OF  NEW  ZEALAND—- 
ITS GOLD  YIELD— GEOLOGICAL  PECULIARITIES— AGRICULTURAL  AND  OTHER 
WEALTH — VICISSITUDES  OF  MINING  LIFE — PLANS  FOB  ENCOURAGING  IMMI- 
GRATION. 

At  the  International  Exhibition  held  at  Philadelphia  in 
1876,  the  Australian  colonies  attracted  much  attention  by 
reason  of  their  exhibits.  All  the  products  of  the  continent 
were  displayed,  and  there  was  an  interesting  array  which 
embraced  a  wide  variety.  Vegetable  products  were  those 
from  grains  and  grasses  up  to  sections  of  trees  and  specimens 
of  limbs  and  bark  ;  and  a  fine  exhibit  of  minerals  was  displayed. 
In  the  center  of  the  space  occupied  by  each  ol  the  colonies, 
there  was  something  of  great  interest  to  the  gold  hunter;  it 
was  a  monumental  record  of  the  gold  taken  out  from  the  time 
of  the  discovery  of  the  precious  metal  in  Australia,  down  to 
the  year  of  the  Exhibition.  In  one  case,  it  was  a  tall  obelisk 
covered  with  gold  leaf;  its  cubic  contents  were  equal  to  that 
of  the  gold  taken  out  of  the  earth  in  the  colony,  that  presented 
it.  Another  of  the  colonies  had  a  similar  monument,  but 
gave  it  the  shape  of  an  oblong  block,  and  a  third  put  it  in  the 
form  of  a  gilded  pillar.  One  of  the  colonies  had  plaster  casts 
of  the  most  famous  nuggets  it  had  produced ;  they  were  gilded 
so  as  to  present  a  wonderfully  deceptive  appearance,  and  as 
they  lay  in  their  cases,  they  attracted  large  crowds,  including 
many  persons,  who  supposed  they  were  gazing  upon  the  genuine 
lumps  of  the  precious  metal. 


756  RESOURCES   OF  AUSTRALIA. 

Down  to  the  date  of  the  discovery  of  gold,  Australia  was 
almost  a  terra  incognita,  and  the  chief  knowledge  which  the 
outer  world  possessed  of  it  was  as  a  place  of  exile  for  English 
convicts.  It  was  known  to  have  excellent  qualities  as  a  graz- 
ing country,  and  attracted  emigration  among  those  who  wished 
to  follow  farming  and  sheep  and  cattle  raising.  It  had  long 
been  known  to  possess  iron  and  o*her  minerals,  but  none  of 
them  were  supposed  to  be  of  great  value.  Indeed,  a  geologi- 
cal survey  of  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales,  less  than  fifty 
years  ago,  was  fruitless  in  its  results,  and  the  engineers  who 
were  engaged  upon  it  reported  that  the  country  must  rely  for 
its  wealth  upon  its  agricultural  facilities  alone. 

It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  a  classification  of  the  districts 
in  which  gold  has  been  found,  as  new  deposits  are  opened  up 
every  year,  and  no  man  can  determine  with  precision  the  limit 
of  the  auriferous  territory.  The  deposits  are  unlike  those  of 
most  other  countries,  so  much  so,  that  old  miners  of  California 
who  go  to  Australia,  find  that  their  previously  acquired  knowl- 
edge is  of  comparatively  little  use.  Quartz  and  pipe-clay  are 
generally  associated  with  gold  in  the  Australian  diggings :  the 
quartz  is  found  in  all  sizes  and  shapes,  from  minute  pebbles 
worn  and  smooth  by  many  centuries  of  attrition,  up  to  huge 
masses  weighing  many  tons,  and  cropping  out  from  the  surface 
in  fantastic  forms. 

Gold  is  also  found  intermixed  with  sandstone,  iron-stone, 
and  white  and  blue  clay.  In  fact,  it  is  found  in  many  condi- 
tions, unknown  in  California  and  elsewhere,  and  this  state  of 
things  has  given  rise  to  some  curious  incidents. 

During  the  first  years  of  the  golden  age  in  Australia,  many 
miners  went  thither  from  California.  They  looked  at  the 
ground  with  practical  and  critical  eyes,  and  some  of  them 
declared  that  the  whole  story  of  rich  deposits  in  places  where 
they  were  said  to  exist,  must  be  wholly  false,  as  gold  u  could 
not "  be  found  there,  according  to  their  knowledge  of  mining 
matters.  A  party  of  them  went  one  day  on  a  prospecting  tour 
up  a  small  valley,  and  returned  in  disgust.  No  gold  was  or 
could  be  there. 


A  JOKE   AND   WHAT   CAME  OF  IT.  757 

While  they  were  at  supper  in  their  tent,  three  or  four  freshly 
arrived  gold  hunters  came  up  and  innocently  inquired  their 
way  to  a  good  place  to  dig.  As  a  joke,  the  Californians  told 
them  that  they  had  that  day  visited  a  valley  which  was  very 
rich,  and  would  make  a  handsome  return  to  anybody  who 
worked  it. 

Bright  and  early  next  morning,  the  strangers,  who  were 
novices  in  gold  digging,  were  on  their  way  to  the  new  mines. 
They  found  nobody  there,  somewhat  to  their  surprise,  and 
hesitated  for  fear  they  were  in  the  wrong  place.  One  of  the 
Californians  followed  them  stealthily,  and  finally  saw  them 
begin  work.  Then  he  returned  to  his  companions,  and  all 
had  a  good  laugh  over  the  "  sell "  upon  the  new  comers. 

The  latter  worked  diligently,  and  in  almost  complete  igno- 
rance of  mining  rules.  The  first  two  days  they  found  nothing, 
but  on  the  third  day,  they  struck  a  rich  lead  and  were  happy. 

The  Californians  had  forgotten  the  sell  upon  the  strangers, 
when,  a  couple  of  weeks  after  the  perpetration  of  the  joke,  one 
of  the  latter  came  around  and  asked  why  they  were  not  at 
work  in  the  place  which  they  said  was  so  rich.  The  Califor- 
nians laughed,  and  one  of  them  said: 

"  You  hain't  been  working  there  all  this  time,  have  you  ? " 

"  Of  course  we  have,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  now,  give  it  up,"  said  California,  "the  joke's  gone 
far  enough." 

"  Joke,  what  joke  ?  "  the  stranger  asked. 

"  Why,  we  sent  you  up  there  just  for  a  joke,  because  you 
were  greenhorns.  There  ain't  no  gold  there,  nor  never  was." 

"  Well,  if  that's  so,  the  joke  is  on  you,"  was  the  reply,  and 
the  miner  told  of  the  good  luck  of  his  party. 

The  Californians  devoted  a  few  minutes  to  unincumbered 
profanity,  and  then  went  and  staked  out  claims  near  those  of 
the  strangers.  Thus  they  indirectly  made  something  out  of 
their  practical  joke.  Thus  was  discovered  one  of  the  richest 
fields  in  the  Bathurst  district. 

Profitable  diggings  are  scattered  all  over  the  country,  but 
are  chiefly  in  New  South  Wales  and  Victoria.  The  gold  was 


758  VAST   BEDS  OP  COAL. 

at  first  found  in  small  lumps  in  the  surface  earth,  but  this 
was  soon  exhausted.  Then  deep  excavations  were  made,  and 
though  the  deposits  were  not  so  numerous,  the  lumps  were 
found  to  be  larger.  At  Ballarat,  near  Geelong,  where  the 
most  valuable  lumps  were  found,  the  shafts  were  sunk  some- 
times to  a  depth  of  more  than  a  hundred  feet.  Masses  of  pure 
gold  weighing  many  pounds  were  brought  to  light — one  of 
them  weighed  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  thirty  six  pounds, 
and  was  valued  at  more  than  thirty  thousand  dollars. 

Previous  to  the  gold  discovery,  copper  ore  of  great  richness 
was  found  in  South  Australia,  not  far  from  Adelaide.  Other 
deposits  of  copper  have  been  found,  and  there  are  many  fine 
veins  of  tin,  lead,  and  silver.  In  fact,  the  mineral  wealth  of 
Australia  is  by  no  means  fully  known,  and  the  opportunities 
for  making  fortunes  are  very  far  from  exhaustion. 

Coal  exists  in  many  localities,  especially  on  the  eastern 
coast,  where  it  is  found  associated  with  beds  of  sandstone. 
The  seams  are  large  and  of  great  extent ;  the  coal  is  of  good 
quality  and  easily  mined ;  it  has  proved  to  be  a  source  of  great 
wealth  to  those  engaged  in  putting  it  upon  the  market.  By 
facilitating  steam  communication,  it  has  done  much  toward 
the  development  of  the  colonies,  especially  that  of  Victoria. 

The  history  of  the  gold  discovery  in  Australia  is  no  less 
romantic  than  the  account  of  the  finding  of  the  treasure 
deposits  in  California. 

The  first  discoverer  of  gold  in  Australia  is  believed  to  have 
been  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Clarke,  of  Sydney,  who,  in  1841,  found 
gold  in  the  mountainous  regions  to  the  west  of  the  Yale  of 
Clwyd,  in  New  South  "Wales ;  in  1844,  he  exhibited  a  speci- 
men of  gold  in  quartz  to  the  then  Governor,  Sir  George  Gipps, 
and  others.  But  the  subject  was  not  followed  up,  "  as  much 
from  considerations  of  the  penal  character  of  the  colony,  as 
from  general  ignorance  of  the  value  of  such  an  indication." 
Mr.  E.  H.  Hargreaves  returned  to  Sydney  from  California  in 
1850,  for  the  express  purpose,  as  he  states,  of  searching  for 
gold;  and  on  the  12th  of  February,  1851,  he  succeeded  in  find- 
ing gold  at  Summer  Hill  Creek,  in  New  South  Wales,  This 


SEPARATION   OP  VICTORIA  PROM  NEW  SOUTH  WALES.      759 

discovery  afterwards  led  to  gold  being  found,in  other  places  in 
that  colony,  and  to  the  discovery  of  the  gold-fields  of  Victoria. 

Previous  to  this  time,  however,  the  colony  of  Victoria  was 
a  dependency  of  New  South  Wales,  and  a  strong  feeling  had 
gained  ground  that  it  suffered  in  consequence.  Complaints 
were  made  that  the  expenditure  of  Government  moneys  in  the 
district  was  not  equal  to  the  amount  of  revenue  yielded  by  the 
taxes  levied  and  lands  sold  within  its  borders.  The  distance 
from  the  capital  was  also  found  to  operate  injuriously  to  the 
interests  of  the  colonists,  and  a  cry  was  raised  for  separation. 
The  demand  was,  as  a  matter  of  course,  resisted  by  New  South 
Wales,  but  as  the  agitation  was  carried  on  with  increased 
activity,  it  was  at  last  yielded  to  by  the  Home  authorities.  The 
vessel  bearing  the  intelligence  arrived  on  the  llth  of  November 
1850.  The  news  soon  spread,  and  great  was  the  satisfaction 
of  the  colonists.  Rejoicings  were  kept  up  in  Melbourne  for 
five  consecutive  days,  on  three  of  which  not  even  a  newspaper 
was  published,  and  on  the  night  of  one  the  city  was  illumin- 
ated. Before,  however,  the  separation  could  be  legally  accom- 
plished, it  was  necessary  that  an  act  should  be  passed  in  New 
South  Wales,  to  settle  details  in  connection  with  the  establish- 
ment of  a  Legislature  in  the  new  colony,  and  that  sundry 
other  observances  should  be  gone  through.  The  requisite 
forms  were  at  length  given  effect  to:  on  the  1st  of  July  1851, 
a  day  which  has  ever  since  been  scrupulously  observed  as  a 
public  holiday,  it  was  publicly  announced  that  the  Port  Philip 
district  of  New  South  Wales  had  been  made  a  separate  colony, 
to  be  called  Victoria,  after  the  name  of  the  Queen  of  England. 

In  little  more  than  a  month  after  the  establishment  of  Vic- 
toria as  an  independent  colony,  it  became  generally  known 
that  rich  deposits  of  gold  existed  within  its  borders.  Two 
years  and  a  half  previously  a  lump  of  gold  had  been  exhibited 
in  the  shop  of  a  jeweler  at  Melbourne,  named  Brentani,  which 
it  was  said  had  been  found  in  the  locality  of  the  Pyrenees 
Ranges  by  a  shepherd  named  Chapman.  This  created  some 
little  excitement  at  the  time,  but  as  the  man  could  never  point 
out  the  place  where  he  had  found  the  specimen,  and  indeed 
41 


760  HISTORY   OF  THE  GOLD   DISCOVERY. 

soon  deserted  a  small  searching  party  he  had  undertaken  to 
guide  to  the  spot,  it  was  readily  supposed  he  was  an  impostor, 
and  had  obtained  the  gold  by  melting  some  articles  of  jewelry 
he  had  stolen,  and  so  the  belief  in  the  existence  of  a  gold- 
field  gradually  grew  weaker.  The  discovery  of  gold,  however, 
in  New  South  Wales,  by  Hargreaves,  in  February  1851,  caused 
numbers  to  emigrate  to  that  colony.  This  being  considered 
detrimental  to  the  interests  of  Victoria,  a  public  meeting  was 
held  in  Melbourne  on  the  9th  of  June,  at  which  a  "  gold-dis- 
covery committee  "  was  appointed,  which  was  authorized  to 
offer  rewards  to  any  that  should  discover  gold  in  remunerative 
quantities  within  the  colony. 

The  following  is  a  short  statement  of  the  order  in  which  the 
Select  Committee  appointed  by  the  Legislative  Council  to  con- 
sider claims  for  rewards  for  gold  discoveries  in  Victoria,  placed 
the  various  claimants  in  their  report  dated  10th  of  March  1854: 

The  Hon.  W.  Campbell  discovered  gold  in  March  1850,  at 
Clunes ;  concealed  the  fact  at  the  time  from  the  apprehension 
that  its  announcement  might  prove  injurious  to  the  squatter 
on  whose  run  the  discovery  was  made,  but  mentioned  it  in  a 
letter  to  a  friend  on  the  10th  of  June,  and  afterwards  on  the  5th 
of  July  1851,  which  friend,  at  Mr.  Campbell's  request,  reported 
the  matter  to  the  gold-discovery  committee  on  the  8th  of  July. 
Mr.  L.  J.  Michel,  and  six  others,  discovered  gold  in  the  Yarra 
Ranges,  at  Anderson's  Creek,  which  they  communicated  to 
the  gold-discovery  committee  on  the  5th  of  July.  Mr.  James 
Esmond,  a  California  digger,  and  three  others,  obtained  gold 
in  the  quartz  rocks  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  made  the  discovery 
public  on  the  5th  of  July.  Dr.  George  Bruhn,  a  German  phy- 
sician, found  indications  of  gold  in  quartz  "two  miles  from 
Parker's  station,"  in  April  1851,  and  forwarded  specimens  to 
the  gold  committee  on  the  30th  of  June.  Mr.  Thomas  Hiscock 
found  gold  at  Buninyong  on  the  8th  of  August,  and  communi- 
cated the  fact  to  the  editor  of  the  G-eelong  Advertiser  on  the 
10th  of  the  same  month.  This  discovery  led  to  that  of  the 
Ballarat  gold-fields.  Mr.  C.  T.  Peters,  a  hut-keeper  at  Barker's 
Creek,  and  three  others,  found  gold  at  Specimen  Gully  on  the 


TROUBLES   ABOUT   MINING  LICENSES.  761 

20th  of  July ;  worked  secretly  to  the  1st  of  September,  then 
published  the  account.  This  led  to  the  discovery  of  the 
numerous  gold-fields  about  Mount  Alexander,  and  afterwards 
to  those  of  Bendigo. 

The  deposits  were  found  to  be  richer  and  to  extend  over  a 
wider  area  than  any  which  had  been  discovered  in  New  South 
Wales.  Their  fame  soon  spread  to  the  adjacent  colonies,  and 
thousands  hastened  to  the  spot,  desirous  of  participating  in  the 
newly  found  treasures.  When  the  news  reached  home,  crowds 
of  emigrants  from  the  United  Kingdom  hurried  to  these  shores. 
Inhabitants  of  other  European  countries  quickly  joined  in  the 
rush.  Americans  from  the  Atlantic  States  were  not  long  in 
following.  Stalwart  Californians  left  their  own  gold-yielding 
rocks  and  placers,  to  try  their  fortunes  at  the  southern  Eldo- 
rado. Last  of  all,  swarms  of  Chinese  arrived,  eager  to  unite 
in  the  general  scramble  for  wealth. 

The  payment  for  a  license  to  dig  for  gold  was  first  fixed  at 
£1  10s.  per  month,  and  this  was  afterwards  reduced  to  XI 
10s.  per  quarter.  The  license  fee  was  not  seriously  objected 
to  in  the  early  days  of  the  gold-fields,  when  gold  was  found  in 
large  quantities  by  almost  all  who  sought  it,  but  in  the  course 
of  a  year  or  two,  the  number  of  gold  diggers  had  increased  so 
enormously  that  many  were  unsuccessful,  and  the  license  fee 
even  in  its  reduced  state  became  a  heavy  burden.  The  mode 
of  collecting  the  tax  by  means  of  armed  troopers,  who  sur- 
rounded parties  of  miners  at  work,  and  arrested  all  without 
licenses,  was  very  obnoxious,  and  led  to  resistance. 

Towards  the  end  of  the  first  year  of  the  gold  discovery,  the 
Government  determined  to  raise  the  license  fee  to  £3  per 
month,  and  actually  issued  a  proclamation,  dated  1st  Decem- 
ber 1851,  stating  that  on  and  after  the  1st  of  January  1852 
such  amount  would  be  charged.  This  was  met  by  strong  pro- 
tests on  the  part  of  the  diggers,  which  resulted  in  the  procla- 
mation being  rescinded  on  the  13th  of  December  1851.  No 
licenses  therefore  were  ever  issued  at  the  increased  rate. 

Public  meetings  were  held  on  some  of  the  gold-fields  to 
protest  against  this  state  of  things,  but  as  little  notice  was 


762  INCREASE  OF  POPULATION. 

taken  of  them  by  the  government,  the  discontent  continued. 
It  finally  culminated  in  an  outbreak  at  Ballarat,  near  the  end 
of  1854,  when  the  diggers  erected  a  stockade  known  as  the 
Eureka,  and  defied  the  authorities.  All  the  troops  that  could 
be  mustered  were  sent  to  Ballarat  and  on  the  2d  of  December, 
the  stockade  was  taken  by  storm.  The  riot  was  quelled  with 
some  bloodshed  on  both  sides,  and  a  government  commission 
was  appointed  to  investigate  the  matter.  None  of  the  pris- 
oners were  ever  convicted,  and  the  result  of  the  affair  was 
that  the  oppressive  tax  upon  the  miners  was  removed. 

The  effect  of  the  gold  discovery  upon  the  population  of  Aus- 
tralia may  be  seen  by  a  few  figures  from  the  returns  of  the 
last  census  in  1871.  On  the  2d  of  April  of  that  year,  the 
number  of  inhabitants  in  Yictoria  was  731,528.  Ten  years 
previously  it  was  540,322.  The  increase  during  this  interval 
was  therefore  191,206,  or  35.39  per  cent.  In  1851,  which  was 
the  year  of  the  discovery  of  gold,  the  population  amounted  to 
77,345.  The  increase  in  the  twenty  years  between  that  period 
and  1871  was  therefore  654,183,  or  at  the  rate  of  846  per  cent. 

Like  all  gold  mining  countries,  Australia  has  attracted  a 
great  many  adventurers  in  search  of  wealth.  Nearly  every 
country  on  the  earth  was  represented  in  the  emigration,  and 
many  of  the  representatives  were  not  calculated  to  reflect 
credit  upon  the  lands  of  their  birth.  Probably  the  accumula- 
tion of  all  kinds  of -races  and  nationalities  in  California  was 
fully  equaled  by  that  in  Australia,  and  particularly  at  Mel- 
bourne. At  one  time  murders  were  so  common  in  that  city 
that  a  correspondent  writing  from  thence,  said  it  was  the 
"  bourne  whence  no  traveler  returns.'' 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that,  both  in  1873  and  1874,  more 
persons  born  in  the  United  States,  in  proportion  to  their  num- 
bers in  the  population,  were  arrested  in  the  colony  of  Yictoria, 
than  those  of  any  other  nationality.  The  chief  causes  of  arrest 
were,  as  in  the  case  of  citizens  of  most  other  countries,  drunk- 
enness and  disorderly  conduct;  still,  there  were  a  not  incon- 
siderable number  of  arrests  for  more  serious  offenses,  and  the 
proportion  committed  for  trial  was  much  greater  than  that  of 


TOTAL  GOLD   YIELD   OF  AUSTRALIA.  763 

persons  born  in  any  other  country.  The  number  of  Americans 
settled  in  Victoria  is  but  small,  and  it  is  not  impossible  that  it 
is  to  a  certain  extent  made  up  of  those  who,  in  consequence  of 
their  misdeeds,  found  it  desirable  to  absent  themselves  from 
the  country  of  their  birth,  and  that  they  conduct  themselves 
no  better  there  than  they  did  at  home.  In  the  year  under 
review,  next  to  Americans,  the  Irish,  in  proportion  to  their 
numbers,  contributed  the  largest  number  to  the  arrested;  and 
next  to  them,  the  French.  In  1873,  more  of  the  last-men- 
tioned fell  into  the  hands  of  the  police  than  those  of  any  other 
country,  except  the  United  States.  In  1874,  Frenchmen  were 
next  to  Americans  in  the  numbers  committed  for  trial.  The 
remark  applied  to  the  latter,  with  reference  to  the  probable 
reason  for  their  leaving  their  own  country,  will  perhaps  also 
be  applicable  to  them.  Although  the  proportion  of  Irish  com- 
mitted for  trial  was  greater  than  that  of  either  English,  Welsh, 
Scotch,  or  Victorians,  it  was  less  than  that  of  persons  of  any 
of  the  other  nationalities. 

The  whole  quantity  of  gold  taken  out  in  Victoria  alone, 
from  the  discovery  down  to  the  year  previous  to  the  exhibition 
at  Philadelphia,  was  nearly  forty-four  and  a  half  million 
ounces,  representing  a  value  of  not  far  from  nine  hundred 
millions  of  dollars.  Truly,  Australia  has  been  of  no  ordinary 
importance  as  a  land  of  gold.  Probably  her  total  mineral 
wealth  of  every  kind  thus  far  taken  from  the  earth  and  turned 
to  practical  use,  would  not  fall  short  of  two  thousand  millions 
of  dollars ! 

As  in  California  and  elsewhere,  the  early  form  of  working 
and  surface  diggings  has  given  place  to  quartz  mining.  Of 
the  yield,  set  forth  in  the  most  recent  statistics,  it  is  estimated 
that  sixty  per  cent,  of  the  gold  came  from  quartz  reefs,  and 
forty  per  cent,  from  alluvial  workings.  In  the  previous  year, 
it  was  estimated  that  fifty-seven  per  cent,  was  obtained  from 
quartz  reefs,  and  forty-three  per  cent,  from  alluvial  workings. 

According  to  estimates  made  by  the  mining  surveyors  and 
registrars,  the  number  of  quartz  reefs  proved  to  be  auriferous 
is  3,398.  The  Secretary  for  Mines  points  out  that  these  can- 
not in  every  case  be  distinct  reefs,  as  parts  of  the  same  reef, 


764  FAMOUS   NUGGETS. 

in  some  localities,  are  held  to  be  distinct  ones,  and  named 
accordingly ;  and,  moreover,  as  the  reefs  are  further  explored, 
it  is  frequently  found  that  what  were  supposed  to  be  separate 
reefs  are  in  reality  not  distinct. 

From  information  obtained  by  the  same  officers  respecting 
the  amount  of  gold  obtained  from  a  considerable  proportion  of 
the  quartz  crushed,  the  average  yield  per  ton  is  estimated  to 
have  been  11  dwts.  10.55  grs.  in  1873,  and  11  dwts.  20.51  grs. 
in  1874. 

Gold-mining  in  Australia,  instead  of  being,  as  formerly, 
practiced  by  the  individual  miner,  is  now  almost  entirely  in 
the  hands  of  companies.  In  a  single  year,  the  dividends  paid 
by  these  companies  exceeded  ten  millions  of  dollars. 

Following  are  some  of  the  most  famous  Australian  nuggets 
whose  fac-similes  were  exhibited  at  Philadelphia : 

The  "  Beauty  "  Nugget  weighed  242  ozs.  It  was  discovered  at  a 
depth  of  nine  feet  from  the  surface,  in  Kangaroo  Gully,  Bendigo, 
in  the  year  1858.  The  gold  was  22. 2|  carats  fine. 

The  " Platypus"  nugget  weighed  377  ozs.  6  dwts.  It  was  found 
in  Eobinson  Crusoe  Gully,  Bendigo,  in  a  pillar  of  earth  of  a  deserted 
claim.  The  claim  was  situated  in  shallow  alluvium,  and  the  nugget 
was  discovered  in  March,  1861.  The  gold  was  22.1J  carats  fine. 

The  "  Viscount  Canterbury "  nugget  was  found  in  John's  Pad- 
dock, Berlin  Diggings,  at  a  depth  of  fifteen  feet  from  the  surface, 
on  the  31st  of  May,  1870.  It  weighed  1,105  ozs.  The  gold  was 
23.3  carats  fine. 

The  "  Schlemn  "  nugget  was  found  at  Dunolly  on  the  1 1th  of  July, 
1872,  at  a  depth,  of  three  feet  beneath  the  surface.  It  weighed 
538  ozs.,  and  is  estimated  to  contain  60  ozs.  of  quartz. 

Nugget  [not  named]  found  in  Broomfield's  Gully,  Creswick,  on 
the  8th  of  August,  1872.  It  weighed  24  ozs.  3  dwts.,  and  was  got 
at  a  depth  of  one  hundred  feet  below  the  surface. 

The  "  Kum  Tow  "  nugget  weighed  718  ozs.  5  dwts.  It  was  found 
on  the  17th  of  April,  1871,  in  Catto's  Paddock,  Berlin  Diggings,  at 
a  depth  of  twelve  feet  six  inches  below  the  surface.  It  was  found 
by  a  party  of  Chinamen.  The  gold  was  23.3  carats  fine. 

The  "  Viscountess  Canterbury"  nugget  was  found  on  the  3d  of 
October,  1870,  at  Berlin.  It  was  discovered  at  six  feet  six  inches 


DIAMONDS  AND   OTHER  GEMS.  765 

beneath  the  surface,  and  weighed  884  ozs.  10  dwts.     The  gold  was 
23.2|  carats  fine. 

Many  other  nuggets  were  shown.  The  last  on  the  list  was 
the  "Welcome,"  found  on  the  llth  of  June  1858,  at  one 
hundred  and  eighty  feet  below  the  surface,  at  Bakery  Hill, 
Ballarat.  It  weighed  2,195  ounces ! 

It  was  long  doubted,  by  able  geologists,  whether  there  were 
any  rock  formations  in  Australia  that  would  yield  diamonds ; 
and  even  after  discoveries  of  them  had  been  made,  doubts 
continued  to  be  expressed  about  the  truthfulness  of  the  reports. 
For  several  years  past  the  original  discoveries  have  received 
confirmation  by  the  undoubted  subsequent  unearthing  of  this 
interesting  gem.  They  occur  along  with  tin-sand  and  titanif- 
erous  ore,  close  by,  if  not  actually  in,  decomposed  granite; 
that  is  to  say  in  rubbish,  of  which  felspar,  mica,  quartz,  and 
iron  form  no  inconsiderable  proportion. 

Lying  below  the  present  granitic  rocks,  and  stretching  for 
several  miles,  sometimes  near  the  surface,  and  seldom  two 
hundred  feet  below  it,  is  a  gravelly  formation,  consisting  of 
the  materials  usually  found  in  what,  in  Brazil,  is  called  "  Cas- 
calho"  and  "  Itacolumite "  of  the  coarser  kind.  This  may 
be  observed  quite  commonly  on  the  spoil  heaps  of  the  gold 
diggers.  No  diamonds  have  hitherto,  however,  been  found  in 
precisely  this  formation ;  but  their  allies,  the  pale  blue  topaz, 
many  shades  of  corundum,  both  crystallized  and  amorphous, 
angular  and  water-worn,  yellow  and  white  pebbles  of  crystalline 
quartz,  frequently  of  large  size,  zircons,  <fec.,  are  quite  common. 

The  largest  diamond  yet  found  did  not  exceed  four  carats 
in  weight,  but  was  a  fine  stone. 

Blue  and  green  sapphires,  spinels,  topazes,  and  other  gems 
are  found  occasionally,  and  there  is  a  general  belief  among 
geologists  that  rich  deposits  of  them  may  yet  be  discovered. 
Some  authorities  estimate  the  diamond-producing  area  of  New 
South  Wales  at  five  hundred  square  miles.  By  the  same 
estimate  the  coal  fields  are  placed  at  24,000  square  miles,  iron 
at  1,400,  gold  at  13,000,  tin  at  6,000,  and  copper  at  3,000. 
Mineral  lands  are  now  leased  at  five  shillings  annual  rental 
per  acre. 


766  RESOURCES  OP  NEW  ZEALAND. 

Erom  an  American  point  of  view,  Australia  and  New  Zea- 
land are  associated,  although  they  are  distinct  colonies,  and 
are  a  long  distance  apart.  New  Zealand,  discovered  and 
named  in  1642,  by  a  Dutch  navigator,  TASMAN,  who  also  dis- 
covered and  named  Tasmania  in  the  same  year,  consists  of 
two  large  and  one  very  small  island,  lying  1,200  miles  south- 
eastward of  Australia,  between  34°  and  48°  south  latitude, 
being  about  antipodal  to  Great  Britain.  Its  length  of  coast 
line  is  8,000  miles,  its  shape  being  long  and  narrow;  its  area 
is  about  that  of  the  State  of  Oregon.  It  is  of  volcanic  origin, 
ribbed  with  mountains,  and  is  better  watered  than  Australia 
in  respect  to  both  lakes  and  rivers.  Its  temperature  is  lower 
than  that  of  corresponding  latitudes  in  Europe,  and  higher 
than  that  of  corresponding  latitudes  in  America,  but  the  cli- 
mate is  more  salubrious  than  in  Great  Britain,  although  very 
changeful  in  temperature  and  moisture. 

In  minerals,  it  is  nearly  as  rich  as  any  of  the  colonies,  the 
gold  yield  having  been  $9,937,125  in  1873,  and  the  total 
exported  to  July  1,  1875, 1151,407,045.  Copper,  silver,  tin, 
iron,  and  coal  have  also  been  found.  Nearly  everything  grown 
in  Great  Britain  flourishes  there,  together  with  the  fern  in  tree 
form  thirty  feet  high,  a  wild  flax,  nearly  equal  to  manila  for 
rope-making,  an  excellent  variety  of  valuable  building  and 
ship-building  woods,  and  an  abundance  of  the  fruits  of  both 
semi-tropical  and  temperate  countries.  The  population  has 
risen  thus  from  26,707  by  the  original  census  of  1851:  1858, 
59,413;  1861,  99,022;  1864,  172,518;  1867,  218,668;  1871, 
256,260;  1874,  299,514;  and  of  1875,  375,876;  all  these 
figures  exclusive  of  aborigines  and  Chinese,  it  thus  appearing^ 
to  be  equaled  only  by  Victoria  and  New  South  Wales,  of  the 
Australian  colonies. 

In  respect  to  emigration,  it  compares  favorably  with  Vic- 
toria, its  excess  of  immigrants  over  emigrants  having  been 
38,106  and  25,270  in  1874  and  1875  respectively,  against 
3,367  and  2,698  for  Victoria  in  those  years.  It  has  550  miles 
of  railroad,  and  7,065  of  telegraph  wire ;  Victoria  has  586  and 
4,981  miles  respectively;  New  South  Wales,  437  and  8,014. 
Its  number  of  sheep  was  11,704,853  in  1874,  having  multiplied 


HIGH   MINERAL  DEPOSITS.  767 

about  two  and  a  half  times  in  ten  years.  The  land  under 
cultivation  two  years  ago  was  1,788,797  acres — an  increase  of 
285,445  during  the  previous  twelve  months.  Small  as  this 
total  is — less  than  three  per  cent,  of  the  whole — the  propor- 
tion of  cultivated  land  in  New  South  Wales  was  less  than  one 
and  one-half  per  cent.,  and  in  all  Australia  less  than  one-fourth 
per  cent,  at  the  same  time.  Taking  as  the  assumed  habitable 
portion  the  strip  250  miles  wide  along  three  sides  of  the  Aus- 
tralian coast,  758,000  square  miles  in  extent,  that  piece,  nearly 
equaling  in  size  the  twenty-six  States  of  this  Union  lying  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  would  contain,  if  the  island  population  were 
distributed  over  it,  about  three  persons  to  the  square  mile, 
against  three  and  one-half  in  New  Zealand,  eighty-three  in 
New  York,  one  hundred  and  fifty-eight  in  Massachusetts,  three 
hundred  and  seventy-two  in  England,  and  four  hundred  and 
ten  in  Belgium.  But  the  reader  should  remember  that  as 
these  colonies  are  all  pastoral,  the  area  tilled  is  a  very  different 
matter  from  the  area  occupied.  The  principal  endowment  of 
Australia  at  present,  b3sides  mineral  resources,  being  the  vast 
areas  of  rich  native  grasses  and  the  peculiar  fitness  of  soil  and 
climate  which  "  make  bad  fleeces  good  and  good  better,"  the 
colonist  has  become  a  herdsman. 

It  does  nof  appear  that  New  Zealand  is  behind  her  larger 
neighbors,  a  thousand  miles  distant,  in  any  material  respect. 
The  colonies  all  invite  immigration,  and  some  of  them  have 
latterly  taken  energetic  measures  to  secure  it.  They  offer 
bounties  to  settlers,  reduced  passage  rates,  and  other  induce- 
ments, and  have  been  quite  successful  both  in  England  and 
America. 

The  mineral  resources  of  New  Zealand  are  quite  as  varied 
as  those  of  Australia.  The  rocks  contain  copper,  iron,  silver, 
gold,  tin,  and  other  metals,  and  there  are  extensive  beds  of 
coal  of  excellent  quality.  The  processes  employed  in  working 
the  mines  are  almost  identically  the  same  as  in  Australia,  so 
that  an  extended  description  is  unnecessary.  The  great 
majority  of  the  miners  in  New  Zealand  came  originally  from 
Australia,  and  their  proportion  of  good  and  bad  luck  has  been 
much  like  that  in  the  latter  country. 


LIT. 

UNDEHGROUND  IN  SAN  FRANCISCO. 

CHINESE  OPIUM  DENS.  —  PISCO.  —  EXPERIMENTS  IN  LIQUORS.  —  SATURDAY 
NIGHT  AMONG  THE  CHINESE.  —  COCOMONGO.  —  MURDERER'S  ALLEY.  — 
CHINESE  MUSIC.  —  THE  THEATRE.  —  BETEL  AND  ITS  USE.  —  THE  BARBARY 
COAST.  —  CHEAP  LODGING-HOUSES.  —  A  DYING  VICTIM.  —  A  DEN  OF  THIEVES. 

—  "  THE     SHRIMP."  —  UNDER    THE     STREET.  —  A    REPULSIVE     SPECTACLE.  — 
OPIUM     SMOKING.  —  ITS      EFFECTS.  —  SAMSHOO.  —  ITS     PREPARATION     AND 
QUALITIES. —  INTRODUCTION   TO   AN    OPIUM    DEN.  —  THE   OCCUPANTS.  —  EX* 
PERIMENT  ON  A  SMOKER.  —  HOW  TO  SMOKE.  — TRYING  THE  DRUG.  —  MESCAL. 

—  GOING   HOME.  —  TRYING  A    SEWER.  — A  COUNTRYMAN'S  DRINK. 

UNDERGROUND  life,  of  a  peculiar  and  picturesque  character, 
can  be  seen  in  San  Francisco,  in  the  parts  of  the  city  where 
the  Chinese  most  do  congregate.  Soon  after  my  arrival  there, 
two  of  my  friends,  whom  I  will  call  the  Doctor  and  the  Col- 
onel, invited  me  to  a  nocturnal  visit  to  the  Celestials.  I 
accepted  with  alacrity,  and,  dressed  in  my  poorest  and  oldest 
clothes,  met  my  friends  at  the  appointed  hour  in  the  Alia 
office.  Macrellish  and  Woodward  gave  us  their  benediction, 
and  we  set  out  on  our  journey. 

"  The  best  thing  we  can  do,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  to  lay  in  a 
stock  of  some  powerful  disinfectant,  or  neutralizer,  before  we 
start;  the  stench  in  some  of  those  underground  China  ken- 
nels is  something  frightful."  I  suggested  carbolic  acid. 
"  Not  strong  enough  ! "  said  the  doctor,  shaking  his  head, 
doubtfully.  The  colonel  forced  two  long  streams  of  smoke 
from  his  cigarito  through  his  nostrils,  stroked  his  long  mus- 
tache thoughtfully,  and  suggested, — 

"  Pisco  ?  " 

«  What  is  Pisco  ?  "  I  demanded. 

"  That  settles  it,  my  friend ;  you  have  a  new  experience 
before  you,  and  we  will  fall  back  on  Pisco  !  "  said  the  colonel. 


DRINKING    "PISCO"    (PERUVIAN    BRANDY)    IN    A    SAN    FRANCISCO    SALOON. 


EXPERIENCE  WITH  PISCO.  759 

"  You  will  be  in  luck  if  you  don't  fall  back  on  the  sidewalk 
after  you  have  drank  it ! "  growled  the  doctor. 

The  colonel  took  my  arm,  and  as  we  went  down  towards 
Montgomery  Street,  proceeded,  in  a  confidential  manner,  to 
enlighten  me  on  the  subject  of  Pisco.  It  is  really  pure,  un- 
adulterated brandy,  distilled  in  Peru,  from  the  grape  known 
as  Italia,  or  La  Rosa  del  Peru,  and  takes  its  name  from  the  port 
of  Pisco  in  which  it  is  shipped.  It  is  perfectly  colorless,  quite 
fragrant,  very  seductive,  terribly  strong,  and  has  a  flavor 
somewhat  resembling  that  of  Scotch  whiskey,  but  much  more 
delicate,  with  a  marked  fruity  taste.  It  comes  in  earthen 
jars,  broad  at  the  top,  and  tapering  down  to  a  point,  holding 
about  five  gallons  each.  We  had  some  hot,  with  a  bit  of 
lemon  and  a  dash  of  nutmeg  in  it,  at  a  marble-paved  and 
splendidly-decorated  saloon,  near  the  corner  of  California  and 
Montgomery  Streets.  The  first  glass  satisfied  me  that  San 
Francisco  was,  and  is,  a  nice  place  to  visit,  and  that  the  doctor 
and  the  colonel  were  good  fellows  to  travel  with.  The  second 
glass  was  sufficient,  and  I  felt  that  I  could  face  small-pox,  all 
the  fevers  known  to  the  faculty,  and  the  Asiatic  Cholera,  com- 
bined, if  need  be. 

The  colonel  rolled  me  a  cigarito,  and  insisted  on  my  smok- 
ing it.  I  3id  my  best,  choked  myself  with  the  fine  tobacco, 
let  the  paper  wrapper  unroll,  burned  my  fingers,  and  failed 
ignominiously.  I  was  glad  to  see  that,  while  he  pitied  me,  he 
did  not  wholly  despise  me.  These  Californians  have  an  ap- 
preciably large  share  of  liberality  in  their  composition,  and 
will  pardon  your  ignorance  on  almost  any  given  specialty  of 
their  state,  provided  you  don't  claim  that  you  have  something 
very  nearly  as  good  "  at  the  East."  That  assumption  they 
cannot,  and  will  not,  tolerate  on  the  part  of  anybody,  and  I 
don't  so  much  blame  them,  after  all. 

It  was  Saturday  evening,  and  the  streets  were  crowded, 
Montgomery  and  Kearney  Streets  swarming,  as  you  may  say, 
with  people,  well  dressed,  sociable,  orderly,  and  satisfied  with 
themselves  and  the  rest  of  mankind.  Suddenly  the  colonel 
remembered  that  the  wine  called  Cocomongo,  from  the  vine- 


770  COCOMOXGO. 

yard  of  that  name,  near  San  Bernardino,  Southern  California, 
was  one  of  the  specialties  of  a  saloon  which  we  were  passing 
at  the  moment,  and  we  went  in  and  had  some. 

It  was  a  warm,  fruity  wine,  of  a  dark-amber  hue,  very  strong, 
and  withal  palatable,  which  I  did  not  find  to  be  the  case  with 
all  the  California  wines  that  I  tasted.  We  went  up  Wash- 
ington Street  to  Murderer's  Alley,  and  turned  down  it,  to- 
wards Jackson  Street.  "  There  is  where  the  French  woman 
was  murdered  in  the  night,  within  ten  feet  of  where  hundreds 
of  people  were  coming  and  going  all  the  time ;  and  her  mur- 
derer, after  robbing  the  place,  coolly  washed  his  hands  and 
face  of  the  blood,  and  walked  away.  He  was  never  discovered. 
Here,  right  where  we  stand,  is  where  the  Chinaman  cut  his 
runaway  mistress  open  with  a  sword.  I  saw  him  hanged  for  it. 
And  there  is  where  the  police  shot  — "  I  thanked  my  kind 
friend  for  this  cheerful  information,  but  suggested  that  it  might 
be  well  to  keep  a  little  of  it  back  for  another  time.  It  was 
not  well  to  exhaust  all  the  pleasant  things  of  life  at  one  sit- 
ting. The  subject  was  obligingly  changed. 

I  am  satisfied  that  the  name  of  the  alley  is  well  deserved 
and  appropriate.  Swarms  of  Chinese  women,  with  almond  eyes, 
baby  faces,  painted  red  and  white  in  the  most  lavish  manner, 
lips  touched  with  vermilion,  hair  black  and  glossy,  with  a 
purplish  tinge,  like  the  wing  of  a  raven,  and  clad  in  blue  satin 
coats  and  pants,  trotted  along  the  alley,  their  curious  wooden- 
soled,  silk  and  bullion-embroidered  shoes  rattling  like  the  hoofs 
of  a  flock  of  sheep  as  they  went.  Others  tapped  upon  the 
window  panes,  to  attract  our  attention  as  we  passed.  Before 
one  house  we  saw  "joss-sticks"  burning,  and  the  white  cloth 
festooned  over  the  door,  and  hanging  down  on  either  side, 
told  that  death  was  there.  We  heard  the  beating  of  gongs, 
the  squeaking  of  one-stringed  Chinese  fiddles,  the  sharp  notes 
of  the  kettle-drum  and  other  discordant  instruments,  mak- 
ing music  inside,  and,  as  we  passed,  a  woman,  clad  in  blue 
and  white,  threw  a  bunch  of  lighted  fire-crackers  upon  the 
doorstep,  where  they  went  off  like  a  running  fire  of  musketry, 
much  t*o  the  edification  of  a  gang  of  little  pig-tailed,  almond 


A  CHINESE  THEATEE.  —  BETEL  NUT.  771 

eyed  boys,  —  "  demi-Johns,"  I  think  the  doctor  called  them, — 
who  were  gathered  around,  chattering  like  so  many  magpies 
all  the  time,  in  their,  to  me,  uncouth  jargon.  The  Chinesd  is 
an  ancient  language,  beyond  a  doubt ;  and  I  don't  see  why  it 
has  not  worn  smoother  by  use  in  the  hundred  centuries  or 
more  since  the  "  Central  Flowery  Empire  "  became  "  known 
and  feared  among  the  nations." 

On  Jackson  Street  we  stopped  a  few  moments  in  front  of 
the  Chinese  Theatre,  listening  to  the  unearthly  din  of  gongs, 
which  from  time  to  time  announced  the  change  of  scene,  in 
a  never-ending  historical  drama,  and  looking  about  for  a 
special  policeman  to  take  us  into  an  opium  den.  While  we 
stood  there,  the  colonel  called  our  attention  to  one  of  the 
specialties  of  the  fruit  stall,  at  the  entrance  of  the  theatre. 
Among  the  dozen  nameless  prepared  delicacies  calculated  to 
tickle  the  Celestial  palate,  and  catch  the  Mongolian  eye,  was 
a  row  of  little  conical  packages,  of  about  one  ounce  weight 
each.  These  were  composed  of  an  outer  wrapper  of  some 
kind  of  a  queer  leaf —  I  could  not  make  out  its  exact  charao 
ter,  but  it  was  apparently  that  of  a  tree  not  native  to  Amer- 
ica —  enclosing  two  or  three  narrow  slices  of  fresh  cocoa-nut, 
a  few  thin  slices  of  some  fruit  or  nut  resembling  in  appearance 
a  fresh  nutmeg,  and  about  a  teaspoonful  of  a  pink-colored 
paste.  A  smafl  bowl,  filled  with  this  pink  paste,  stood  beside 
the  packages,  ready  for  use,  and  some  of  the  nuts  ready  sliced, 
but  not  done  up  in  packages,  lay  near  it.  The  doctor  ex- 
plained that  these  packages  were  chewed  by  the  Chinamen 
as  some  Caucasians  chew  tobacco.  The  chewing  produces 
a  lavish  flow  of  saliva,  and  the  chewer  has  the  appearance 
of  having  his  mouth  full  of  blood,  as  if  from  bronchial 
hemorrhage. 

The  small  nut  was  the  famous  "  betel"  (pronounced  be-feZ), 
and  the  principal  ingredient  of  the  paste  was  quick-lime.  The 
betel  is  now  raised  in  California.  The  colonel  said  he  had 
always  made  it  a  rule  to  drink  the  peculiar  drinks,  and  eat  the 
peculiar  delicacies,  of  every  country  he  visited,  and  he  had 
tried  chewing  the  betel.  It  only  made  his  gums  sore,  loosened 


772  "THE  BAKBARY  COAST." 

bis  teeth  a  little,  and  gave  him  the  heartburn.  He  could  con- 
scientiously recommend  it  as  an  experiment  eminently  worthy 
to  be  made  by  anybody  in  the  interest  of  science,  and  thought 
I  should  try  it  by  all  means.  I  asked  him  if  he  had  ever 
attacked  a  ready-made  sausage  in  a  cheap  restaurant.  He 
was  forced  to  admit  that  his  faith  in  human  nature,  broad  and 
liberal  as  it  is,  had  never  made  him  equal  to  the  attempt.  I 
told  him  that  in  that  case  he  was  only  a  dabbler  in  the  wide 
field  of  science,  and  until  he  had  entered  deeper,  he  was  unfit 
to  give  advice  to  others  on  the  subject. 

I  declined  the  prepared  betel,  lime,  cocoa-nut  and  leaf,  but 
took  a  bit  of  the  sliced  betel  plain,  and  chewed  it.  It  had  a 
slightly  astringent  effect  on  the  mouth,  and  though  without 
any  very  strongly  perceptible  flavor,  soon  produced  a  slight 
choking  sensation  in  the  throat,  and  a  rather  strongly  marked 
palpitation  of  the  heart.  I  don't  think  I  like  betel.  It  is  evi- 
dently an  "  acquired  taste,"  as  the  Englishman  remarked 
about  wild  turkey,  when  a  party  of  western  practical  jokers 
played  off  buzzard  on  him  for  the  noblest  bird  of  the  American 
forest. 

They  said  that  the  officers  had  all  gone  over  upon  the  "  Bar- 
bary  Coast "  —  another  of  San  Francisco  specialties  —  as  there 
had  been  a  shooting  scrape  over  there.  We  went  on  through 
Dupont  Street,  to  that  part  of  Pacific  Street  known  as  the 
Barbary  Coast.  The  locality  is  the  favorite  resort  of  the 
dregs  of  the  population  of  the  Golden  City  —  thieves,  robbers, 
prostitutes,  and  loafers  of  the  very  lowest  class,  and  of  every 
color  and  nationality  represented  on  the  earth,  Africa,  Asia, 
all  Spanish  America,  the  West  Indies,  the  islands  of  the  Pacific, 
all  Europe  and  North  America,  having  each  contributed  its 
quota  to  make  up  the  mass  of  vice,  crime,  and  utter  rottenness 
which  surges  up  and  down  that  horrible  "  coast."  It  well 
deserves  its  name. 

We  met  the  officers  coming  back  with  their  prisoner,  a 
drunken  loafer  from  Australia,  who  was  making  night  hideous 
with  his  yells  as  they  hustled  him  along  towards  the  calaboose, 
followed  by  a  motley  crowd,  whose  aimless  curiosity  led  them 
to  rush  along  pell-mell  in  their  wake. 


A  DANGEROUS  LOCALITY.  773 

One  of  the  specials,  whom  my  companion  familiarly  addressed 
as  "  Shrimp,"  —  probably  on  account  of  his  elephantine  pro- 
portions,—  consented  to  come  back  and  pilot  us  to  our  desti- 
nation as  soon  as  the  party  reached  the  calaboose.  Meantime 
we  went  into  a  Spanish  cigar  shop,  bearing  the  high-sound- 
ing and  poetical  name  "  La  Flor  de  la  Mariposa"  literally  "  The 
Flower  of  the  Butterfly,"  and  bought  some  villanous  cigars, 
the  colonel  and  the  proprietor  becoming  involved  in  an  ani- 
mated dispute  in  Spanish  over  the  revolt  against  the  Juarez 
government  in  Mexico. 

Out  on  the  street  once  more,  the  colonel  wanted  us  to  go 
through  the  dens  on  the  "  coast."  He  would  take  us  to  the 
«  Bull  Run,"  the  "  Cock  of  the  Walk,"  the  "  Roaring  Gimlet," 
"  HelPs  Kitchen,"  and  a  few  similar  resorts,  and  convince  me 
that  we  had  nothing  like  them  in  New  York.  Rather  than 
make  the  visit,  I  conceded  all  he  claimed  as  to  the  superior 
and  in  fact  unapproachable  depravity  of  this  part  of  San  Fran- 
cisco ;  and  we  retraced  our  steps  to  Jackson  Street,  where,  in 
the  heart  of  the  Chinese  quarter  of  the  town,  we  found  our 
officer,  and  set  about  the  work  of  investigation,  for  which  we 
had  started  out  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening. 

"  Better  go  down  and  see  how  some  of  these  people  live,  be- 
fore you  go  to  see  how  they  die,"  said  the  officer,  leading  the 
way  into  a  derrk  passage  running  from  the  streets  into  the 
centre  of  the  block.  We  stumbled  along  the  passage  for  some 
fifty  feet  or  more,  and  came  to  a  rickety,  dirty  stairway,  which 
we  descended,  feeling  our  way  along  step  by  step,  until  we 
stood  in  a  court-yard  surrounded  with  high  brick  buildings 
on  all  sides.  We  could  see  nothing  round  us  for  the  moment ; 
but  the  stench  was  almost  overpowering,  and  the  chattering, 
which  was  going  on  in  all  directions,  convinced  us  that  we 
were  in  a  locality  literally  swarming  with  the  lowest  class  of 
the  Mongolian  population.  The  officer  struck  a  match  against 
the  wall,  and  with  it  lighted  a  piece  of  candle,  which  he  drew 
from  his  pocket.  Immediately  curious  faces  peeped  out  at 
us  from  behind  old  gunny-sacks,  which  took  the  place  of 
windows  and  doors  in  the  low  basement  walls,  and  a  dozen 


774  A   DEN  OF   THIEVES. 

or  two  dirty,  dilapidated,  demoralized  looking  Celestials  came 
out  from  different  corners,  and  stood  with  their  hands  in 
their  pockets,  regarding  us  with  evident  suspicion  as  unau- 
thorized intruders. 

"  This  is  a  regular  den  of  thieves.  Not  a  single  one  of  these 
fellows  works  at  any  honest  trade  for  a  living.  They  are  the 
bummers  and  outcasts  of  Chinadom,"  said  the  officer.  "  Here, 
Sam  Yap,  you  dirty  rascal,  have  you  robbed  anybody's  hen-roost 
yet  to-night?  —  I  suppose  not,  though;  they  don't  generally 
get  out  at  that  kind  of  business  until  along  just  before  morn- 
ing, when  the  streets  are  almost  deserted,  and  they  can  move 
about  without  much  danger  of  being  overhauled  and  searched. 
All  these  fellows  are  on  it,  but  this  one  is  the  worst  in  the 
deck.  I  have  had  him  up  at  least  twenty  times,  and  the  next 
time  I  am  going  to  vag  him.  Yes,  I  am,  you  bloody  old 
chicken  murderer !  "  said  he,  holding  the  candle  up  to  his 
face  that  we  might  all  get  a  good  look  at  him.  It  must  be 
admitted  that  it  was  not  a  prepossessing  face. 

He  then  went  to  one  of  the  openings  in  the  wall,  and  pull- 
ing back  the  screen  of  old  bagging,  showed  us  a  party  of  ten 
or  a  dozen  such  fellows  gathered  around  a  low  table  of  rough 
boards,  playing  dominoes  for  "  copper  cash,"  as  the  brass  coin 
of  China,  the  value  of  which  is  one  tenth  of  a  cent  of  our 
money,  is  commonly  designated.  They  stopped  a  moment, 
and  looked  up  suspiciously  at  us,  and  then  at  a  sign  from  the 
officer,  whom  they  appeared  to  recognize,  went  on  with  the 
game.  They  played  it  rapidly,  with  all  sorts  of  exclamations 
and  facial  contortions  for  accompaniments.  The  dominoes  are 
the  same  as  ours,  but  they  play  the  game  quite  differently.  I 
don't  \now  exactly  how  it  is  done,  but  they  seemed  to  win 
and  lose  rapidly.  In  the  centre  of  the  court  there  was  a  small 
brick  building,  which  seemed  to  be  the  receptacle  of  all  the 
filth  from  the  neighborhood.  It  did  not  seem  to  have  any 
connection  with  the  street  sewer,  or  if  it  had  any,  it  was 
choked  up,  for  the  planking  around  was  literally  floating  in 
the  foul  liquid  from  it,  which  oozed  up  between  the  cracks  at 
every  step  as  we  walked  over  it,  giving  off  a  stench,  which, 


IN  A   CHINESE   HOUSE.  775 

in  any  other  city  of  Christendom  would  breed  a  pestilence  in 
twenty-four  hours. 

Behind  this,  near  the  opposite  wall,  we  stumbled  upon  a 
bundle  of  filthy  rags,  which  turned  partially  over  as  the  foot 
of  our  guide  came  in  contact  with  it.  The  officer  held  down 
his  candle,  and  on  examination  we  found  that  within  the  rags 
there  was  a  human  being,  a  man  in  the  last  stage  of  consump- 
tion, induced,  no  doubt,  by  opium  smoking.  He  could  not  or 
would  not  answer  our  questions,  and  his  glazed  vacant  eyes 
showed  that  death  was  close  at  hand  to  claim  him.  He  was 
lying  on  the  wet,  dirty  boards,  without  even  a  blanket  under 
him,  and  had  undoubtedly  been  placed  there  to  die,  having 
no  friends,  and  belonging  to  neither  of  the  "  Six  Companies  " 
with  which  all  prosperous  or  even  partially  respectable  Chi- 
nese in  California  are  connected.  The  officer  turned  his  head 
over,  and  called  our  attention  to  the  fact  that  his  queue  had 
been  cut  off,  which  showed  that  he  had  been  convicted  of 
theft  at  some  time,  and  was  thenceforward  debarred  from 
respectable  Chinese  society,  doomed  to  associate  only  with 
the  pariahs  of  his  race. 

We  had  seen  enough,  more  than  enough,  in  fact,  of  this 
neighborhood,  and  our  guide  led  us  out  to  the  street  by  the 
way  we  came. 

The  Shrimp  said  that  there  was  another  place  just  above,  on 
the  same  street,  which  he  wanted  us  to  visit  before  we  went 
into  a  first-class  opium  house.  We  went  with  him  to  a  large 
four-story  building,  which  appeared  to  be  divided  into  apart- 
ments of  the  smallest  dimensions,  in  which  the  Chinese  swarmed 
like  bees  in  a  hive.  He  said  that  there  were  over  six  hundred 
persons,  all  of  the  poorer  class,  sleeping  in  this  single  build- 
ing every  night.  In  front  of  the  building  was  a  narrow  open- 
ing in  the  sidewalk,  with  a  stairway  just  sufficiently  wide 
to  allow  one  person  at  a  time  to  descend  into  the  subter- 
ranean regions  below.  Down  this  he  dived  like  a  rat  into 
his  hole,  calling  out  to  us  to  follow  and  look  sharp  for  our 
heads.  The  caution  was  not  unnecessary,  as  I  soon  found  to 
my  cost.  At  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  he  lighted  his  candle 
42 


776  A   HORRIBLE   DEN. 

again,  and  passing  through  a  low  opening  in  the  wall,  showed 
us  the  way  under  the  street. 

Here,  congregated  in  total  darkness,  were  some  twenty  of 
the  poorest  class  of  Chinese  stowed  away  for  the  night. 
Some  were  lying  on  piles  of  old  rags,  evidently  picked  up  by 
the  chiffonniers  in  their  daily  rounds,  and  put  aside  for  this 
purpose,  as  having  no  commercial  value,  and  of  no  use  other- 
wise. Some  were  lying  on  rude  benches  knocked  together 
from  pieces  of  dry  goods  boxes,  and  one,  who  evidently  held 
a  higher  position  than  his  fellows,  probably  a  man  who  had  at 
some  time  drawn  a  twenty  dollar  prize  in  a  lottery,  or  had  a 
run  of  luck  at  the  game  of  "  Tan,"  was  stowed  away  in  a  bunk 
in  a  kind  of  alcove  formed  by  an  arch  in  the  wall,  before  which 
was  hanging  an  old  tattered  chintz  curtain.  He  had  an  old 
blanket  over  him,  and  was  doubtless  looked  upon  with  envy 
and  hatred  as  a  "  bloated  aristocrat "  by  his  less  fortunate 
fellow-citizens.  We  could  hear  the  ceaseless  tramp  of  the 
crowd  on  the  sidewalk,  and  from  time  to  time  the  rattling  of 
the  carriage  wheels  over  the  rough  cobbles  above  our  heads. 

The  atmosphere  was  that  of  a  charnel-house,  thick  with 
noisome  exhalations  from  the  foul  and  rotting  rags,  and  the 
fouler  persons,  of  the  denizens  of  this  worse  than  Black  Hole 
tf  Calcutta.  Water  dripped  from  the  roof  constantly,  and  the 
walls  were  covered  with  mould  and  great  patches  of  thick, 
oozy  slime.  What  a  place  for  a  human  being  to  sleep  in  and 
die  in !  In  the  five  minutes  we  were  there  our  clothes  be- 
came clammy  from  the  foul  moisture.  What  must  be  the  con- 
dition, physical  and  mental,  of  that  poor  wretch  stretched  in 
the  rags  in  yonder  muddy  corner? 

"  And  the  wheels  go  over  my  head, 
And  my  bones  are  shaken  with  pain, 
For  into  a  shallow  grave  they  are  thrust, 
Only  a  yard  beneath  the  street; 
And  the  hoofs  of  the  horses  beat,  beat, 
Beat  into  my  scalp  and  my  brain, 
With  never  an  end  to  the  stream  of  passing  feet. 

"  O,  me !  why  have  they  not  buried  me  deep  enough? 
Is  it  kind  to  have  made  me  a  grave  so  rough, 


AMONG  THE  OPIUM  SMOKERS.  777 

Me,  that  was  never  a  quiet  sleeper? 

May  be  still  I  am  but  half  dead ; 

Then  I  cannot  be  wholly  dumb ; 

I  will  cry  to  the  steps  above  my  head, 

And  somebody,  surely,  some  kind  heart,  will  come, 

To  bury  me,  bury  me, 

Deeper,  ever  so  little  deeper." 

I  wonder  if  there  was  ever  a  Tennyson  of  Celestial  litera- 
ture, and  if  he  ever  read  anything  like  the  above,  and  recalled 
it  to  mind,  as  he  lay  cowering  and  grovelling  through  the  long 
hours  of  the  dreary  night,  in  the  depths  of  this  living  tomb  ! 

Out  on  the  street  once  more,  and  we  lost  our  guide,  who 
was  called  off  by  a  loud  whistling  for  aid,  from  some  other 
officer  over  on  the  Barbary  Coast.  My  companions  fell  in  with  a 
Chinese  merchant  with  whom  they  were  acquainted,  and  we 
went  with  him  to  his  store  on  Dupont  Street.  He  gave  us 
some  scalding  hot  black  tea  in  little  China  cups,  and  offered  to 
help  us  in  any  way  he  could.  0,  yes,  of  course  he  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  location  of  many  "  opium  houses ;  "  the  Chi- 
nese quarter  is  full  of  them  !  Opium  smoking  is  the  great 
curse  of  China,  and  four  fifths  of  the  Chinese  in  San  Francisco 
indulge  in  it  to  a  greater  or  less  extent.  Some  use  it  merely 
as  a  sedative,  and  in  moderate  quantities.  Others  use  it  as 
commonly  as  American  tobacco  chewers  use  the  nicotian 
weed,  consuming  a  dollar  and  a  quarter's  worth  every  day,  and 
being  more  or  less  Hinder  the  influence  of  it  all  the  time.  The 
poorer  class  of  opium  smokers  patronize  the  opium  lodging- 
houses,  where  they  frequently  sleep  all  night,  paying  fifteen 
cents  for  a  few  grains  of  prepared  opium  and  a  raised  couch 
to  lie  on,  while  inhaling  the  smoke  and  sleeping  off  its  effects. 

Perhaps  a  quarter  of  the  whole  number  of  opium  smokers 
use  it  to  the  extent  of  producing  stupefaction  habitually; 
these  are  all  old  smokers.  The  habit  grows  upon  one  steadily, 
and  it  soon  beomes  a  terrible  tyrant.  When  once  the  habit 
has  become  fixed  upon  a  man,  there  is  no  possibility  of  its 
being  thrown  off.  He  daily  requires  more  and  more  of  the 
drug,  while  his  strength  slowly  fails  him ;  his  appetite  for 
ordinary  food  disappears;  he  becomes  lean  and  attenuated; 


778  EFFECT   AND   EXTENT   OF   OPIUM  SMOKING. 

his  brain  becomes  so  affected,  that  it  refuses  to  act  unless 
the  stimulant  is  furnished,  and  sooner  or  later  consumption 
sets  in,  and  the  victim  dies  by  inches,  as  it  were,  sometimes 
suffering  horribly,  while  at  others  he  is  hardly  conscious  of 
suffering  at  all. 

The  importation  of  opium  into  the  Pacific  states  amounts  to 
millions  annually,  and  the  great  bulk  of  it  is  consumed  in 
smoking  by  the  Chinamen.  The  women  never  smoke  it ;  are 
not  allowed  to  visit  the  opium  houses,  in  fact.  The  wealthier 
Chinamen  have  accommodations  for  opium  smoking  in  the 
upper  or  back  rooms  of  the  buildings  which  they  occupy  as 
stores  and  dwellings,  and  do  not  associate  with  the  common 
herd  who  patronize  the  public  opium  dens.  One  Chinese  friend 
thought  it  a  very  bad  thing,  this  opium  smoking,  but  admitted 
that  he  occasionally  took  a  whiff  at  it  himself,  when  he  felt 
unsettled,  and  wanted  to  quiet  his  nerves  for  a  night's  sleep. 

While  we  were  talking,  the  colonel  suggested  that  I  was  a 
stranger,  and  had  never  tasted  "  Samshoo."  Our  merchant 
friend  at  once  took  down  a  curious  looking  black  bottle, —  some- 
thing like  those  that  Curacoa  comes  in,  wound  with  some  kind 
of  straw  string  from  top  to  bottom,  and  having  a  label  in  white 
and  vermilion,  with  Chinese  characters,  —  drew  the  cork,  and 
poured  out  a  quantity  of  a  dark-brown  liquor,  something  like 
arrack  in  appearance,  into  a  little  china  bowl,  which  he  passed 
to  me,  assuring  me  that  it  was  a  very  superior  article,  and 
pressing  me  to  drink  it. 

I  tasted  it,  and  found  it  not  very  strong,  but  with  a  curious 
flavor,  something  between  old  Madeira  wine  and  bottled  ale, 
with  a  marked  unpleasant  smell,  as  of  decaying  vegetable  mat- 
ter. What  is  it  made  from  ?  "  Licey  ! "  was  his  prompt 
response.  The  doctor  explained  that  it  was  distilled  from 
rice  —  mainly  the  cold  rice  and  refuse  from  the  restaurants, 
he  said  —  flavored  and  colored  with  dried  peas,  or  some 
similar  fruit,  and  strengthened  and  enriched  with  a  fine  old 
•nutty  taste  by  the  addition  of  a  piece  of  fat  roasted  pork 
before  bottling.  The  Chinese  consider  this  a  great  luxury, 
and  have  their  private  stocks  of  it,  which  they  regard  with  as 


DRINKING  SAMSHOO.  779 

much  pride  as  is  felt  by  a  fine  old  English  gentleman  for  his 
cellar  of  "old  crusted  port;  vintage  of  1803."  A  little  of  it 
satisfied  me.  I  think  the  taste  for  it  must  be  an  acquired  one. 

Some  months  afterwards  I  drank  some  samshoo,  in  Northern 
China,  that  was  far  worse  than  that  furnished  to  me  in  San 
Francisco.  It  was  served  hot,  in  small  glasses  about  as  large 
as  a  thimble.  It  burned  like  nitric  acid  ;  and  I  half  believed 
that  I  had  swallowed  a  torch-light  procession  with  all  its  lamps 
trimmed  and  blazing.  I  was  dining  with  a  Chinese  official,  and 
the  etiquette  of  the  occasion  required  me  to  swallow  the  vile 
stuff.  By  the  time  I  had  disposed  of  a  gill  or  so,  my  head  felt 
like  the  paddle-box  of  a  steamer,  and  my  throat  was  as  raw  as 
a  freshly  cut  beefsteak.  No  more  samshoo  for  me,  if  you 
please. 

Our  new-found  friend  gave  us  a  card,  on  which  he  wrote 
some  characters  in  Chinese  by  way  of  an  introduction,  and 
pointed  out  the  entrance  to  an  opium  house  on  the  other  side 
of  the  street.  We  went  over  and  found  the  establishment 
located  on  the  second  story  adjoining  a  Chinese  restaurant. 
The  proprietor  of  the  house,  or  "  gentlemanly  clerk,"  looked  at 
our  card,  and  at  once  offered  us  the  hospitalities  of  the  place. 

It  was,  of  course,  a  very  poor  place,  but  he  would  do 
the  best  he  could  for  us.  There  were  half  a  dozen  small 
rooms  on  the  one  floor,  divided  by  rough  partitions.  We 
entered  one  of  them,  and  found  three  raised  platforms  or 
beds,  with  bamboo  framework ;  and  in  place  of  our  usual  mat- 
tress, a  flat  surface  of  braided  cane,  like  one  of  our  cane-seated 
chairs,  on  which  to  sleep.  This  is  the  usual  bed  of  the  Chi- 
naman. He  does  not  fancy  spring  mattresses,  curled  hair, 
or  feathers  to  repose  upon,  and  instead  of  stripping  himself 
and  crawling  under  a  pile  of  woollen  blankets,  as  we  do,  he 
lies  down  in  his  ordinary  clothing,  and  rarely  has  anything 
else  over  him,  unless  it  is  a  single  blanket  when  the  weather 
is  unusually  cool,  or  the  room  is  open  and  subject  to  drafts. 
He  does  not  destroy  his  lustrous  black  hair  by  burying  his 
head  in  a  hot  feather  or  curled  hair  pillow,  as  we  do,  but  has  a 
block  of  wood  or  a  cylindrical  pillow,  of  braided  cane  open  at 


780  OPIUM  SMOKERS  IN  BED. 

both  ends  for  ventilation,  which  he  places  just  under  the  top 
of  his  neck.  This  keeps  him  from  becoming  bald-headed,  and 
is  uncomfortable  enough  to  make  him  an  early  riser  ;  but  like 
all  other  systems,  it  has  its  disadvantages.  In  time  it  throws 
his  neck  out  of  line,  giving  it  a  permanent  forward  bend,  not 
graceful  in  itself,  and  rather  unpleasant  for  an  outside  barba- 
rian to  look  upon.  When  he  travels  he  usually  carries  his 
favorite  pillow  with  him,  and  at  his  death  his  head  rests  upon 
it  in  his  coffin. 

Two  of  the  beds  in  this  room  were  occupied  when  we  came 
in,  the  other  was  vacant.  On  one  a  Chinese  was  stretched  at 
full  length  upon  his  back,  in  utter  unconsciousness  ;  his  eyes 
were  wide  open,  but  apparently  receiving  no  impression 
from  the  objects  before  them,  and  there  was  a  vacant,  mean- 
ingless smile  upon  his  sallow  countenance.  His  opium  pipe 
or  stick  lay  on  the  couch  beside  him,  having  fallen  from  his 
hand,  and  near  his  head  stood  the  small,  nut-oil  lamp,  with  a 
glass  cover  like  an  inverted  tumbler  with  a  hole  in  the  bot- 
tom, the  tiny  taper  burning  low  in  the  socket. 

The  other  Chinese,  who  was  well  dressed,  and  probably  a 
merchant  or  manufacturer  of  the  second  class,  was  just  pre- 
paring to  indulge  in  his  nightly  dissipation.  He  did  not  ap- 
pear to  relish  our  intrusion,  but  said  nothing,  and  went  on 
with  his  smoking.  Each  guest  who  pays  his  fifteen  cents  re- 
ceives from  the  clerk  in  attendance  a  small  oyster  or  clam 
shell,  on  which  there  is  a  little  dab  of  prepared  opium,  in  a 
semi-fluid  condition,  resembling,  in  appearance,  thick  treacle 
or  partially  dissolved  "  stick  licorice,"  such  as  we  used  to 
buy  with  our  odd  pennies  at  the  grocery  store  at  the  corner, 
in  the  happy  days  of  youth,  when  we  had  a  terrible  cold,  and 
obtained  permission  to  remain  at  home  from  school  and  in- 
dulge in  the  luxury  of  medicine  of  our  own  choice.  A  slen- 
der bamboo  stick  about  three  feet  in  length,  hollow  down 
nearly  to  the  largest  end,  where  a  little  tunnel-shaped  brass 
bowl  is  inserted,  which  is  the  usual  opium  pipe,  a  bit  of  wire 
about  a  foot  in  length,  and  a  nut-oil  lamp  such  as  I  have  de- 
scribed, are  also  given  him,  and  his  "  outfit "  is  complete. 


DREAMS  CAUSED   BY  OPIUM.  781 

The  man  who  was  about  to  indulge  in  the  luxury  stretched 
himself  at  full  length  on  the  couch,  turned  on  his  left  side, 
placed  the  end  of  the  wire  in  the  opium,  twirled  it  around  so 
as  to  take  up  a  mass  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary  garden  pea, 
formed  the  mass  with  his  finger  into  a  ball,  held  the  end  of 
the  bamboo  pipe  to  his  mouth,  placed  the  brass  bowl  at  the 
other  end  against  the  flame  of  the  lamp,  slipped  the  ball  of 
opium  off  the  wire  dexterously  into  the  bowl,  and  as  it  burned 
he  inhaled  the  smoke  slowly  into  his  lungs,  allowing  it  to  escape 
in  little  jets  at  long  intervals  from  his  nostrils. 

By  the  time  he  had  taken  the  third  or  fourth  whiff  he  was 
evidently  affected.  His  eyes  began  to  grow  dull,  his  breath- 
ing was  slow  and  heavy,  and  his  grasp  on  the  pipe  relaxed 
little  by  little.  In  two  or  three  minutes  his  muscles  appeared 
to  relax,  his  head  fell  back,  and  he  was  in  a  condition  half  sleep, 
half  stupor.  The  doctor  explained  that  the  effect  of  this  first 
smoke  would  wear  off  in  half  an  hour  or  so,  when  the  man 
would  repeat  the  dose  once  or  twice,  and  finally  become 
jvholly  insensible  for  several  hours.  We  spoke  to  him,  but 
he  did  not  answer,  and  it  was  hard  to  tell  whether  he 
was  really  unconscious  of  our  presence  or  merely  indifferent 
to  it.  It  is  asserted  that  the  opium  smoker  sees  nothing  of 
what  is  going  on  around  him,  but  revels  in  the  most  blissful 
creations  of  the  imagination,  his  soul  sailing  away,  as  it  were, 
from  the  dull  and  common-place  surroundings  of  his  body,  to 
walk  hand  in  hand  with  the  "  black-eyed  girls  in  green " 
through  the  fair  gardens,  among  the  palm  groves,  by  the  banks 
of  the  rivers  of  Paradise.  I  said  as  much  :  the  colonel  char- 
acteristically denounced  this  practical  version  of  the  matter 
as  "  all  blamed  stuff,  rot,  and  humbug.  It  makes  them  drunk, 
just  simply  blind,  stupid  drunk,  and  nothing  else  !  "  He  had 
tried  it  and  knew.  The  doctor  said  one  dose  would  not  pro- 
duce any  serious  effects,  and  against  my  better  judgment  I 
permitted  them  to  persuade  me  into  making  the  experiment. 

The  landlord  started  off  to  bring  my  allowance  of  opium, 
lamp,  pipe,  etc.,  and  the  colonel  improved  the  opportunity  to 
illustrate  his  theory  that  the  opium  smoker  is  not  absolutely 


782  WAKING  THE   WRONG   PASSENGER. 

insensible  to  pain,  like  the  patient  who  inhales  chloroform,  but 
simply  too  drunk  to  resent  the  imposition  which  produces  it. 
Tearing  off  a  little  slip  of  cane  from  the  edge  of  one  of  the 
couches,  he  went  up  to  the  wholly  insensible  customer  on  the 
couch,  and  inserting  it  in  his  nostril  twirled  it  swiftly  around. 
A  sharp  sneeze  and  a  convulsive  winking  of  the  dull  eyes 
followed,  but  no  other  movement  was  made  by  the  sleeper. 
"  There,  you  see  now  that  I  am  right !  If  he  had  taken  chlo- 
roform he  would  not  even  sneeze  ;  his  nerves  would  be  utterly 
incapable  of  receiving  a  sensation." 

Turning  to  the  other  customer,  who  now  lay  like  a  log  on 
his  couch,  he  drew  his  penknife,  opened  it.  then,  changing 
his  mind,  put  it  back,  and  taking  a  pin  from  his  vest,  inserted 
it  quickly  in  the  calf  of  his  victim's  leg.  The  other  leg, 
which  was  hanging  half  over  the  side  of  the  couch,  straight- 
ened out  with  a  quick,  convulsive  movement,  and  the  toe  of 
the  heavy  felt  and  wooden-soled  shoe  on  the  foot  came  in  con- 
tact with  the  colonel's  shin  with  a  vicious  energy,  which  sent 
him  dancing  back  to  the  doorway  with  a  remark  which  did 
not  sound  like  a  blessing,  just  as  the  proprietor  came  in  with 

the  opium  and  its  accessories.  "  Why  the  don't  you 

make  your  customers  take  their  boots  off  when  they  go  to 
bed?"  the  colonel  demanded  savagely  of  the  smiling  and 
obsequious  master  of  the  house,  as  he  rubbed  his  shin  and 
cast  a  glance  of  hatred  at  the  recumbent  form  of  the  lodger 
who  had  proved  such  a  poor  subject  for  experiments.  *'  Me 
no  shabbee  ! "  was  the  non-committal  reply. 

I  lay  down  on  the  bed  and  placed  myself  in  the  orthodox 
position,  the  doctor  resting  himself  at  my  head,  and  the 
colonel  rolling  a  cigarito  and  settling  down  on  the  edge  of 
the  couch  at  my  feet.  The  host  prepared  the  opium,  placed 
it  in  the  pipe,  presented  the  end  of  the  stick  to  my  lips,  and 
told  me,  after  his  own  fashion,  to  pull  away.  I  pulled,  and 
began  choking  and  coughing.  The  first  experiment  was  a 
dead  failure  ;  the  next  was  more  nearly  a  success,  and  I  felt 
my  head  rapidly  assuming  the  dimensions  of  a  sugar-barrel 
while  my  body  and  legs  appeared  to  be  shrinking  proportion- 


EXPERIENCE   OF   A  NOVICE.  783 

atcly,  all  their  bulk  being  drawn  up  towards  and  into  my  head. 
I  felt  as  I  imagine  drowning  people  feel,  and  gasped  convul- 
sively for  breath.  I  could  not  recognize  anything  around  me 
for  a  moment,  and  then  I  saw  the  dark  eyes  and  long  mus- 
tachios  of  the  colonel  coming  out  of  a  cloud  of  smoke  and 
making  directly  for  me  at  lightning  speed,  like  a  hairy  comet 
flying  through  the  air.  The  idea  flashed  through  my  brain 
that  he  was  about  to  burn  a  match  under  my  nose,  or  commit 
some  similar  atrocity  by  way  of  an  experiment  "  in  the  inter- 
est of  science,"  and  as  one  struggling  in  a  horrible  nightmare 
I  sprang  off  the  bed,  staggering  around  without  being  able  to 
feel  my  feet  under  me,  and  groping  blindly  about  for  some- 
thing to  seize  in  order  to  steady  myself. 

There  was  a  low,  dull  humming  in  my  ears,  a  giddiness  in 
my  head,  and  a  general  sense  of  faintness  and  nausea  pervad- 
ing my  entire  system.  "  For  God's  sake,  take  me  out  of 
this  ! "  I  cried,  at  last  j  and  some  time  after  I  realized  that  I 
was  being  walked  up  and  down  the  sidewalk,  the  doctor  and 
the  colonel  supporting  me  on  either  side.  My  head  was  get- 
ting clearer,  but  I  felt  deadly  ill.  The  faint,  sickening  odor  of 
the  opium  fumes  clung  around  me  and  oppressed  me,  and  I 
said  as  much  at  last,  as  I  leaned  heavily  against  a  lamp-post. 

The  colonel  with  his  usual  enthusiasm  exclaimed,  "  0,  yes, 
I  see  it ;  you  want  a  good  strong  stimulant  of  some  kind  to 
help  you  get  rid  of  it.  Now,  I  know  a  Mexican  over  on  the 
corner  of  Vallejo  Street,  who  has  got  some  double  refined 
Mescal,  which  will  dissolve  a  gun-flint  in  half  an  hour ;  one 
good  drink  of  that  will  set  you  all  right." 

"  Not  if  1  know  myself  aright ! "  I  remarked,  emphatically. 
"  You  are  the  most  hospitable  people  I  have  ever  fallen  in 
with.  Your  good  intentions  are  unbounded,  and  your  kind- 
ness I  never  can  forget,  but  I  don't  want  any  Mescal  to-night. 
I  have  made  a  sufficient  number  of  new  acquaintances  for 
one  evening.  Pisco,  Cocomongo,  Betel,  Samshoo,  and  Opium, 
are  all  very  fine  in  their  way,  but  the  new  things  are  crowd- 
ing each  other  a  little  too  fast.  We  will  omit  the  Mescal  on 
this  occasion ;  I  want  to  go  home  ! " 


784  LIVING  IN  A  SEWER. 

They  called  a  hack,  and  we  rode  back  to  the  Occidental  in 
silence.  This  was  my  first  experience  in  a  San  Francisco 
opium  den. 

It  will  also  be  my  last ! 

Next  morning  the  colonel  called  on  me  and  said  he  had  for- 
gotten something  —  an  opium  den  worse  than  the  one  we  had 
seen. 

"  How's  that  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Why,"  said  the  colonel,  "  it  is  an  opium  den  of  a  very  ro- 
mantic character.  Some  years  ago  the  line  of  Jackson 
Street  was  changed  by  the  city  authorities,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  build  new  sewers.  The  old  sewer  was  given 
up,  and  in  the  new  arrangements  it  was  under  some  of  the 
buildings  occupied  by  the  Chinese.  They  took  possession  of 
it,  and  hollowed  out  galleries  on  either  side.  The  enterpris- 
ing proprietors  converted  it  into  an  opium  palace,  at  the  pop- 
ular admission  fee  of  two  cents.  The  accommodations  and 
odors  are  a  hundred-fold  worse  than  those  of  the  place  where 
we  were  last  night.  For  two  cents  you  can  get  smells 
enough  to  last  you  a  lifetime.  Do  you  want  to  go  ?  " 

I  concluded  that  I  wanted  nothing  more  in  the  opium  line, 
£,nd  declined  to  go.  I  may  have  been  too  fastidious,  but  I 
had  not  then  travelled  as  much  as  I  have  in  later  years,  and 
novices,  you  know,  are  inclined  to  be  particular. 

A  sewer,  whether  abandoned  or  not,  has  few  charms.  At 
St.  Louis  there  are,  or  were  when  I  was  last  there,  some  of 
the  smaller  sewers  that  are  so  broken  at  their  mouths,  near 
the  river's  edge,  as  to  present  the  appearance  of  natural 
springs  where  the  water  oozes  up  through  the  sand.  One 
day  a  gentleman  was  standing  near  one  of  these  sewer 
mouths,  when  two  countrymen  came  strolling  along  the  bank, 
one  of  them  thirty  feet  ahead  of  the  other.  As  the  foremost 
of  the  twain  spied  the  water  slowly  pouring  from  the  earth, 
he  shouted  to  his  friend, — 

"  Hullo,  Jim  ;  here's  another  spring  ! " 

"  Well,  Gaul  darn  it,"  answered  the  other,  "  if  tain't  no 
better  water  than  the  last  we  found  I  don't  want  none  of  it." 


*A^ 

/  "RE  > 

(Ul  -*TY 

X:       -^- 


LV. 

GOLD  AND  ITS  USES. 

ANTIQUITY  OP  GOLD.  —  ITS  WORSHIP.  —  ANCIENT  GOLD  MINES.  —  KINO  SOLO- 
MON. —  GOLD  IN  AMERICA.  —  STORY  OP  A  HUNTER.  —  THE  SHEPHERD  AND 
THE  CHILD.  —  HOW  PIZARRO  EUCHRED  THE  PERUVIAN  KING.  —  SUTTER*S 
FORT  AND  SAW-MILL.  —  MARSHALL'S  DISCOVERY  IN  THE  MILL-RACE.  —  RO- 
MANCE AND  REALITY.  —  SPREADING  THE  NEWS NAVIGATION  UNDER 

DISADVANTAGES.  —  THE  GOLD  EXCITEMENT.  —  THE  PAN  AND  ROCKER.  — 
THE  AUTHOR  AS  A  GOLD  MINER.  —  HOW  HE  WORKED  THE  ROCKER.  — HARRY 
AND  HIS  TIN  DIPPER.  —  DISAPPOINTMENT  AND  DINNER. — VICISSITUDES  OP 
GOLD  MINING. 

THE  most  valuable  metal  generally  known  is  gold,  and  it  is 
likewise  one  of  the  most  ancient.  It  is  found  in  various  parts 
of  the  globe,  and  is  sufficiently  scarce,  and  sufficiently  hard  to 
obtain,  to  make  it  precious.  No  doubt  there  is  enough  of  it 
in  the  composition  of  this  globe,  if  it  could  be  easily  obtained, 
to  make  it  a  very  common  metal.  An  Irishman  once  said, 
speaking  of  the  gold  mines  of  California,  that  there  was  suffi- 
cient of  the  precious  metal  there,  but  it  was  terribly  mixed 
up  with  dirt.  If  it  were  not  for  this  mixing  with  dirt,  and 
the  difficulty  of  separating  it,  all  of  us  might  have  gold  enough 
and  to  spare,  though  it  is  quite  possible  that  it  might  be  of 
no  more  value  than  tin  or  brass. 

The  peculiarity  of  gold  is,  that  it  is  never  obtained  entirely 
pure.  Silver  is  always  alloyed  with  it,  but  in  no  definite  pro- 
portions. One  of  the  purest  specimens  ever  obtained  gave, 
when  analyzed,  ninety-eight  hundredths  of  gold,  while  the  re- 
maining two  hundredths  were  about  equally  divided  between 
silver  and  copper.  Sometimes  gold  is  found  alloyed  with  silver 
in  about  equal  proportions. 

Gold  is  frequently  referred  to  in  the  Scriptures,  both  in  the 


786  GOLD   IN  ANCIENT  TIMES. 

Old  Testament  and  in  the  New ;  in  one  of  the  earliest  books 
of  the  Old  Testament  many  applications  of  gold  are  described 
similar  to  those  of  the  present  day.  It  was  beaten  into  plates, 
drawn  into  wires,  and  even  woven  with  threads  of  linen  for 
priestly  robes.  It  was  fashioned  into  breastplates,  wrought 
into  chains,  and  used  as  a  setting  for  precious  stones. 

Sometimes  it  was  made  into  gods  and  idols,  and  in  some 
parts  of  the  world  it  is  worshipped  as  an  idol  up  to  the 
present  day.  A  great  many  men  and  women  in  this  nine- 
teenth century  worship  gold  more  earnestly  and  more  devoted- 
ly than  they  worship  anything  else. 

The  ancients,  when  they  wrought  their  gold  into  idols, 
evidently  had  a  keen  perception  of  human  nature. 

An  idol  of  iron  or  of  wood  may  be  of  little  account;  but 
let  one  be  made  of  gold,  especially  of  solid  gold,  and  with  dia- 
monds for  eyes,  and  the  whole  world  will  fall  down  and  wor- 
ship it. 

Where  the  ancients  obtained  their  gold  is  not  positively 
known,  but  it  is  supposed  that  it  was  brought  from  Africa  or 
the  East  Indies,  for  the  reason  that  the  fleet  of  Solomon,  in  addi- 
tion to  gold,  brought  back  ivory,  spices,  precious  stones,  ebony, 
peacocks,  apes,  and  sandal  wood.  The  cargoes  of  King  Solo- 
mon were  evidently  of  a  widely  assorted  character,  and  doubt- 
less found  a  good  market.  Gold  mines  were  evidently  worked 
in  the  desert  of  Gobi  in  the  early  days,  and  along  the  Ural 
Mountains  there  are  now  found  the  traces  of  ancient  mining 
operations  supposed  to  date  back  to  the  time  of  King  Solomon. 

In  the  time  of  the  Romans  gold  was  not  so  abundant,  and 
in  the  middle  ages  the  production  was  very  small.  At  the 
date  of  the  discovery  of  America,  it  was  estimated  that  the 
whole  amount  of  gold  and  silver  in  the  old  world  was  about 
one  hundred  and  seventy  millions  of  dollars,  and  that  the 
supply  obtained  each  year  did  riot  exceed  the  loss  by  wear 
and  other  forms  of  destruction. 

To  enumerate  all  the  gold  mines  of  the  world  would  require 
much  more  space  than  I  have  at  my  disposal.  Nearly  all 
parts  of  Europe  contain  deposits  of  the  precious  metal,  though 


THE   RICHEST   GOLD   MINES.  787 

in  many  places  where  the  ground  is  known  to  be  auriferous 
the  deposits  are  too  poor  to  pay  the  expenses  of  working. 
The  richest  gold  mines  of  Europe  are  in  Russia,  particularly 
along  the  Ural  Mountains.  The  eastern  slope  of  the  Ural 
Mountains  is  more  productive  than  the  western,  and  the  richest 
portion  of  Northern  Asia,  so  far  as  gold  is  concerned,  is  in 
Eastern  Siberia.  Gold  mining  in  that  region,  although  not 
productive,  is  comparatively  in  its  infancy,  and  great  re- 
sults may  be  looked  for  before  many  years.  Until  quite  re- 
cently all  mines  in  Russia  were  owned  by  the  government,  and 
were  operated  by  officers  in  the  interest  of  the  crown.  The 
result  was,  that  there  was  very  little  enterprise  displayed  in 
mining  operations.  The  officer  in  charge  of  a  mining  district 
would  be  unwilling  to  take  any  active  steps,  or  run  great  risks 
in  the  explorations  in  the  interest  of  the  gold  mines,  as  he 
would  know  that  if  he  failed  to  return  a  profit  to  the  govern- 
ment he  would  very  likely  lose  his  place.  Consequently 
nearly  all  the  mining  operations  were  conducted  on  a  sure 
basis. 

Some  years  ago  the  Russian  government  changed  its  policy, 
and  began  throwing  open  its  mining  works  to  private  enter- 
prise, exacting  from  the  miners  a  liberal  percentage  of  the 
gross  amount  of  gold  and  silver  which  they  had  obtained. 
The  result  was,  that  under  the  stimulus  of  the  enterprise,  — 
in  which  private  organizations  will  always  excel  the  govern- 
ment, —  the  mining  interest  in  Russia  increased  rapidly,  and 
the  government  now  obtains  from  its  percentage  a  much 
larger  annual  revenue  than  it  had  obtained  before  from  tho 
gold. 

The  discoveries  of  gold  in  America  date  from  a  very  early 
period.  There  were  large  quantities  of  gold  and  silver  in  the 
hands  of  the  Peruvians  and  the  Aztecs  at  the  time  of  the 
famous  expedition  of  Pizarro  and  Cortes.  A  story  is  told  of 
one  of  the  captured  kings  of  Peru,  who,  in  order  to  secure 
his  ransom,  agreed  to  bring  together  in  two  months  gold  and 
silver  enough  to  fill  his  room.  This  would  have  been  a  suffi- 
ciently great  undertaking  had  he  been  confined  in  an  ordinary 


788  DISCOVERY   OP  GOLD   IN  AMERICA. 

prison  cell;  but  his  captor,  with  an  eye  to  business,  had 
put  him  in  a  large  apartment,  suited  to  his  royal  state.  The 
room  is  said  to  have  been  twenty-two  feet  long,  seventeen 
feet  wide,  and  nine  feet  high.  Such  was  the  richness  of  Peru 
in  the  precious  metals,  that  the  old  king  had  no  doubt  of  his 
ability  to  meet  his  contract ;  and  he  did  fill  the  room  in  the 
time.  When  his  work  was  finished,  and  the  metal  was  melted, 
it  was  found  that  he  had  collected  over  fifteen  millions  of  dol- 
lars —  a  very  handsome  sum  to  pay  for  his  liberty,  which  he  did 
not  get  after  all. 

From  the  time  of  the  discovery  in  America  until  1520, 
there  was  more  gold  than  silver  exported  to  Europe ;  but 
about  that  time  Mexico  was  conquered,  and  large  quantities 
of  silver  were  obtained.  In  the  first  three  hundred  years 
succeeding  the  discovery  of  America,  the  receipts  of  Ameri- 
can gold  were  estimated  at  three  and  a  half  times  the  pro- 
duction of  the  old  world,  and  those  of  silver  at  twelve 
times  the  amount  of  this  metal  produced  outside  of  America. 
Gold  was  dug  in  America  many  hundreds  of  years  ago.  In 
some  portions  of  Georgia  the  ruins  of  ancient  huts  and  uten- 
sils were  uncovered  a  few  years  ago  in  working  some  of  the 
mines,  and  they  are  supposed  to  have  belonged  to  a  race  of 
men  now  extinct,  though  it  is  contended  by  some  persons 
that  these  gold  works  belonged  to  the  period  of  Ferdinand  de 
Soto.  In  the  early  part  of  this  century  gold  mines  were  suc- 
cessfully worked  in  the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  and  other  states ; 
but  latterly  the  yield  from  these  mines  has  greatly  declined, 
and  the  returns  of  gold  are  quite  small. 

The  discoveries  of  gold  in  California  in  1848,  and  in  Austra- 
lia three  years  later,  are  events  in  the  history  of  the  human 
race  of  more  importance  than  the  discoveries  of  Mexico  and 
Peru  in  the  days  of  Cortes  and  Pizarro.  These  discoveries 
have  given  a  new  impetus  to  the  migratory  population  of  the 
whole  world,  built  up  large  cities  and  regions  where  before 
there  was  only  a  wilderness,  carried  civilization  and  com- 
merce where  they  were  never  known  before,  brought  together 
strange  people  of  all  nations,  mingling  them  in  harmony  side 


ROMANTIC   STORIES.  789 

by  side,  and  have  done  more,  perhaps,  in  the  cause  of  universal 
peace  and  good  will  among  all  nations  than  any  other  discov- 
eries of  the  present  day. 

In  California,  more  than  in  any  other  part  of  America,  peo- 
ple of  all  nations  are  assembled.  In  the  streets  of  San  Fran- 
cisco one  may  see  the  synagogue,  the  church,  and  the  pagoda. 
Christian  and  pagan,  Jew  and  gentile,  are  mingled  in  the 
crowds  that  pass  along  the  streets,  and  they  are  found  laboring 
3ide  by  side  to  obtain  the  chief  end  of  a  large  part  of  human 
existence  —  the  possession  of  wealth. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California,  like  many  discoveries 
of  gold  and  silver  elsewhere,  was  not  the  work  of  science.  It 
very  often  happens  that  those  find  who  do  not  seek.  A  shep- 
herd, a  poor  laborer,  and  even  children  are  chosen  by  Nature 
to  reveal  to  the  world  the  treasures  which  she  holds  beneath 
the  surface.  It  was  not  Columbus,  nor  Cortes,  nor  Pizarro 
who  discovered  the  silver  of  South  America,  but  an  Indian 
hunter.  The  most  famous  silver  mines  of  Peru  were  found 
in  the  same  way.  One  day  a  shepherd,  leading  his  flock 
to  feed  on  the  slopes  of  the  Andes,  lighted  some  bushes  to 
prepare  his  frugal  meal.  A  pebble  heated  by  the  flame  at- 
tracted his  attention  through  its  brightness,  which  reflected 
the  rays  of  the  sun.  He  found  the  stone  massive  and  heavy, 
and  finally  carried  it  to  the  mint  at  Lima,  where  it  was  tested, 
and  proved  to  be  silver.  The  poor  shepherd  through  his  dis- 
covery became  a  millionaire. 

A  hunter,  climbing  the  rocks  in  search  of  game,  pulled  up  a 
bush,  and  found  pieces  of  silver  imbedded  in  the  earth  which 
the  roots  retained.  A  child,  playing  one  day  in  the  valley 
near  the  cottage  of  a  poor  peasant  in  Russia,  picked  up  a 
shining  pebble,  and  brought  it  home.  The  pebble  was  found 
to  be  very  heavy,  and  on  examination  proved  to  be  of  gold. 
Investigations  followed  this  discovery,  and  an  extensive  gold 
field  was  opened. 

The  discovery  of  gold  in  California  was  accidental.  Cap- 
tain Sutter,  who  had  seen  many  vicissitudes  and  adventures 
in  Europe  and  the  wilds  of  America,  arrived  in  California  in 


790  SHINING  PARTICLES  IN  A  MILL-RACE. 

1839  ;  and  two  years  later  he  obtained  a  grant  of  land,  and 
built  a  fort,  which  soon  became  the  refuge  for  people  coming 
into  the  country.  The  pioneers  of  California  all  bear  testi- 
mony to  the  generosity  of  Captain  Sutter  at  the  time  when 
bis  fort  was  the  capital,  and  he  was  king  of  the  American 
colony  in  the  valley  of  the  Sacramento.  The  legislature  of 
California  a  few  years  ago  recognized  his  claims  to  the  gen- 
erosity of  the  people  of  the  Pacific  coast  by  granting  him  a 
small  pension  for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Captain  Sutter  erected  a  saw-mill  on  the  south  fork  of  the 
American  River,  at  a  place  now  called  Coloma.  On  the  19tb 
day  of  January,  1848,  James  W.  Marshall,  while  engaged  in 
digging  a  race  for  the  saw-mill,  found  some  pieces  of  yellow 
metal,  which  he  and  the  half  dozen  men  working  with  him  at 
the  mill  supposed  to  be  gold.  He  was  confident  of  the  im- 
portance of  the  discovery,  but  he  knew  nothing  of  chemistry 
or  gold  mining,  and  therefore  could  not  prove  the  nature  of 
the  metal,  or  know  how  to  obtain  it  in  paying  quantities. 
Every  day  he  examined  the  mill-race  to  look  for  the  metal  ; 
every  man  at  the  mill  thought  Marshall  was  very  wild,  and  so 
paid  little  attention  to  him.  The  swift  current  of  the  mill- 
race  washed  away  much  of  the  earth,  and  by  this  means  par- 
ticles of  gold  were  left  behind. 

In  a  little  while  Marshall  had  quite  a  collection  of  speci- 
mens, and  his  associates  began  to  think  that  possibly  there 
might  be  a  gold  mine  there  after  all.  About  the  middle  of 
February,  one  of  the  party  employed  at  the  mill  went  to  San 
Francisco,  and  took  these  specimens  with  him.  He  was  in- 
troduced to  a  gold  miner  from  Georgia,  who  was  immediately 
satisfied  of  the  character  of  the  metal,  and  knew  that  the  dig- 
gings must  be  rich.  This  miner,  Humphrey  by  name,  deter- 
mined to  go  at  once  to  the  mill,  and  examine  the  digging. 

He  arrived  there  on  the  7th  of  March,  and  found  work  go- 
ing on  at  the  mill  just  as  if  there  was  no  gold  within  a  thou- 
sand milqs.  The  next  day  he  took  a  pan  and  spade,  and 
washed  some  of  the  dirt  from  the  bottom  of  the  mill-race  ;  and 
in  a  few  hours  he  pronounced  the  mine  the  richest  he  had 


JAS.    W.    MARSHALL,    THE    DISCOVERER    OF    GOLD    IN    CALIFORNIA. 


SUTTKR'S  MILL,  WHERE  THE  FIRST  GOLD  WAS  DISCOVERED  IN  CALIFORNIA. 


THE   RUSH   FOB  THE  MINES.  793 

ever  seen  or  known  in  Georgia.  He  then  made  a  rocker,  and 
went  to  work  washing  for  gold,  and  every  day  he  obtained  ail 
ounce  or  two  cf  metal.  The  men  at  the  mill  made  rockers 
for  themselves,  and  all  were  soon  busy  in  searching  for  gold. 
Everything  else  was  abandoned. 

The  rumor  of  the  discovery  did  not  spread  rapidly.  In  the 
middle  of  March  the  owner  of  a  large  ranche  at  the  head  of 
the  Sacramento  valley  visited  Sutter's  fort,  heard  of  the  min- 
ing at  Coloma,  and  went  to  see  it.  He  said  that  if  similarity 
of  formation  could  be  taken  as  proof,  there  must  be  gold  on 
his  ranche.  So,  after  ascertaining  the  mode  of  washing,  he 
posted  off,  and  in  a  few  weeks  was  at  work  on  the  bars  of 
Clear  Creek,  nearly  two  hundred  miles  from  Coloma.  A  few 
days  later,  another  man  visited  the  mill,  and  the  result /was, 
that  in  less  than  a  month,  he  had  a  party  of  Indians  washing 
gold  on  Feather  River,  twenty-five  miles  from  Coloma.  Thus 
the  gold  mines  were  opened  almost  simultaneously  at  distant 
points. 

The  first  printed  notice  of  the  discovery  of  gold  was  given 
in  a  newspaper  published  in  San  Francisco,  on  the  15th  of 
March.  On  the  29th  of  May,  the  same  paper  announced  that 
its  publication  would  be  suspended,  and  said, — 

"  The  whole  country,  from  San  Francisco  to  Los  Angeles, 
and  from  the  sea-shore  to  the  base  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  re- 
sounds with  the  sordid  cry  of,  Gold  !  gold  !  gold !  —  while  the 
field  is  left  half  planted,  the  house  half  built,  and  everything 
neglected  but  the  manufacture  of  picks,  and  shovels,  and  the 
means  of  transportation  to  the  spot  where  a  man  obtained  one 
hundred  and  twenty  dollars'  worth  of  the  real  stuff  in  one 
day's  washing,  and  the  average  for  all  concerned  was  twenty 
dollars  per  diem." 

The  towns  and  villages  were  deserted.  Farmers  left  their 
fields,  and  the  crews  of  ships  at  anchor  in  San  Francisco  Bay 
deserted  ;  soldiers  left  their  posts  ;  herdsmen  abandoned  their 
charges,  and  everybody  made  the  quickest  possible  speed  to 
the  mines.  Merchants  of  San  Francisco  found  their  clerks 
leaving  their  counters,  and  in  many  instances,  after  struggling 
43 


794  now  A  SHIP  WAS  DESERTED. 

against  fate,  finding  themselves  alone,  without  assistance  and 
unable  to  obtain  any,  they  closed  their  shops,  and  followed 
the  example  of  their  subordinates. 

It  is  related  that  one  day  a  ship  came  into  port,  having 
taken  a  pilot  outside  the  entrance  to  the  bay.  The  pilot,  in 
the  hearing  of  some  of  the  crew,  told  the  captain  of  the  won- 
derful discovery,  and,  as  he  afterwards  acknowledged,  exag- 
gerated the  real  state  of  affairs  very  considerably.  The  ship 
came  to  anchor  about  sunset,  and  was  to  be  moved  to  her 
dock  the  next  morning.  When  the  captain  went  on  deck  to 
wait  the  arrival  of  his  pilot,  he  found  nobody  on  board.  The 
sailors  had  heard  the  story  of  wonderful  fortunes  to  be  ob- 
tained in  the  mines,  and  they  had  stolen  a  boat,  and  gone 
ashore.  The  first  and  second  mates  had  followed  the  example 
of  the  men,  leaving  the  captain  to  his  solitary  ship.  The  pilot 
came  off,  as  agreed.  He  was  a  conservative  old  grandfather, 
who  did  not  believe  in  making  money;  otherwise  there  would 
have  been  no  pilot  at  all.  He  told  the  captain  that  it  was  use- 
less to  try  to  get  the  ship  to  the  dock,  or  do  anything  with 
her ;  and  the  latter,  after  thinking  the  matter  over,  concluded 
it  would  be  best  to  leave  the  craft  at  anchor,  put  her  in  charge 
of  a  keeper,  if  such  a  man  could  possibly  be  found,  and  make 
a  journey  to  the  mines  himself. 

The  first  specimen  of  gold  sent  from  California  to  New 
York  was  forwarded  to  the  editor  of  the  New  York  Herald, 
the  paper  which  was  first  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to  announce 
the  discovery.  The  first  rumors  were  received  with  incredu- 
lity and  ridicule,  but  very  soon  the  specimens  of  the  precious 
metal  coming  in  considerable  quantities,  and  the  enthusiastic 
letters  of  officers  of  the  army  and  men  of  good  repute,  changed 
the  current  of  feeling,  and  an  almost  unparalleled  excitement 
began.  It  spread  through  Europe  and  Asia,  and  the  thirst 
for  gold  was  universal.  In  1847  the  population  of  California 
altogether  was  not  fifteen  thousand  ;  in  1849  the  great  rush 
began,  and  it  was  estimated  that,  during  the  six  months  from 
the  1st  of  July,  1849,  to  the  1st  of  January,  1850,  ninety  thou- 
sand persons  arrived  in  California  from  Mexico,  Chili,  Peru,  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  United  States,  and  Europe.  Of  this  ninety 


EMIGRANT   TRAIN   OF    GOLD   HUNTERS    IN    1849. 


CHINESE    GOLD    MINING   IN    CALIFORNIA. 


WASHING  WITH  THE   ROCKER.  797 

thousand,  such  were  the  hardships  they  had  to  endure,  and 
the  privations  to  which  they  were  subjected,  one  fifth  of  the 
entire  number  perished  by  disease  within  six  months  succeed- 
ing their  arrival. 

Before  1850  the  population  of  California  had  risen  to  one 
hundred  thousand,  and  it  has  been  increasing  ever  since.  Its 
population  ten  years  later  was  estimated  at  about  seven  hun- 
dred thousand. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  most  of  the  rich  placer  diggings 
in  California  were  discovered  within  three  or  four  years  of  the 
discovery  at  Sutter's  mill-race.  Some  rich  deposits  have  been 
found  since  that  time,  but  none  of  them  of  any  great  impor- 
tance. The  placer  fields  of  California  to-day  are  pretty 
nearly  worked  out,  and  the  most  extensive  mining  of  that 
state  is  now  prosecuted  by  machinery. 

The  earlier  diggings  were  in  the  valleys  or  streams  or  in 
gulches,  opening  into  the  valleys.  The  washings  were  first 
conducted  with  a  sheet  iron  pan,  held  in  the  hands  of  the 
miner,  who  could  wash  only  a  few  quarts  of  earth  at  a  time. 
An  improvement  upon  the  pan  was  the  rocker,  a  box  arranged 
so  that  it  could  be  rocked  like  a  cradle,  with  no  board  at  one 
end,  with  a  few  slats  nailed  across  the  bottom  to  catch  the 
gold,  and  having  a  piece  of  sheet  iron  on  the  top  pierced  with 
holes  a  quarter  of  an  inch  in  diameter.  Earth  was  thrown 
upon  this  iron,  and  water  was  poured  on.  The  cradle  was  set 
upon  a  slight  incline,  so  that  the  stones  rolled  off  at  the  end, 
while  the  water,  with  the  earth,  sand,  and  gold,  was  carried 
through.  The  gold  caught  upon  the  riffles,  while  the  lighter 
substances  were  washed  away.  Nuggets,  or  large  pieces  of 
gold  that  would  not  pass  through  the  holes,  were  sometimes 
thrown  out  with  the  stone  and  lost ;  but  the  danger  of  such 
an  occurrence  was  not  very  great,  principally  for  the  reason 
that  nuggets  were  not  alarmingly  abundant. 

Two  men  were  required  to  work  a  rocker.  It  was  placed 
by  the  side  of  a  stream,  and  one  man  grasping  its  handle  with 
one  hand,  flourished  a  dipper  in  the  other.  His  companion 
brought  the  auriferous  earth  to  the  machine,  and  threw  it  upon 
the  iron.  Man  number  one  would  then  throw  a  quantity  of 


798  THE  AUTHOR'S  FIRST  GOLD  MINING. 

water  upon  the  earth,  and  agitate  the  machine  as  rapidly  as 
possible.  The  earth  and  water  would  become  mixed,  and  pass 
through  the  holes,  and  the  stone  would  roll  away  from  the  end 
of  the  cradle.  It  was  necessary  to  keep  the  water  running 
pretty  briskly  on  the  top  of  the  machine,  and  likewise  to 
keep  it  well  supplied  with  earth.  By  the  end  of  the  day's 
working  at  this  business,  the  two  men  would  be  delightfully 
wearied  and  ready  to  engage  in  almost  any  other  honorable 
and  profitable  pursuit,  especially  a  profitable  one. 

My  first  experience  with  a  rocker  was  not  of  an  agreeable 
character.  Accompanied  by  a  friend,  I  went  to  a  locality 
where  it  was  reported  that  a  miner  a  few  days  before  had 
obtained  eight  hundred  dollars  in  a  single  day.  We  were 
willing  to  begin  at  that  rate,  though  we  were  confident  we 
should  make  a  thousand  a  day  before  the  end  of  the  week. 
We  carried  our  tools  to  the  spot,  and  having  placed  our 
rocker,  began  work.  I  worked  the  machine,  and  Harry,  as  I 
will  call  my  friend,  supplied  it  with  earth.  I  placed  the 
machine  by  the  side  of  the  stream  where  I  could  easily  dip 
out  the  water,  and  told  Hany  to  begin. 

For  about  an  hour  the  machine  did  very  lively  work. 
Whenever  I  lagged,  Harry  would  remind  me  of  the  eight 
hundred  dollar  man.  Then  I  would  give  an  extra  flourish  to 
the  tin  dipper,  and  pile  on  an  extra  quart  of  water.  I  kept 
Harry  busy  bringing  earth,  and  he  kept  me  busy  washing  it 
away.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  or  so  we  thought  we  would 
see  how  things  were  getting  on. 

I  raised  the  lid,  examined  the  riffles,  and  not  a  particle 
of  gold  was  to  be  seen.  The  result  was  not  encouraging,  and 
I  told  Harry  we  had  better  move  a  little  way  down  the 
stream,  and  try  it  again.  We  did  so. 

This  time  Harry  took  the  rocker,  and  I  went  into  the 
shovelling  business.  We  made  things  lively  for  another  hour. 
Harry  was  sure  we  were  right  this  time,  as  the  earth  was  of  a 
different  color,  arid  the  water,  as  it  ran  from  the  machine,  was 
so  yellow,  that  it  certainly  must  be  tinged  with  gold.  What 
we  most  feared  was  to  lose  the  big  nuggets  that  might  roll 
out  from  the  rocker,  and  so  we  examined  every  stone  with 


DISAPPOINTMENT  AND  DISGUST.  801 

all  the  care  of  a  geological  student ;  but  somehow  there  was 
not  a  nugget  among  the .  whole  lot,  and  after  a  while  we 
thought  the  nugget  business  was  played  out. 

When  we  had  been  in  this  new  place  an  hour,  we  concluded 
to  adjourn  for  dinner.  Harry  wanted  to  look  into  the  rocker, 
but  I  told  him  our  appetites  might  be  better  if  we  waited 
until  after  dinner  for  the  examination.  Our  dinner  was  a 
very  plain  one,  consisting  of  a  piece  of  bread  that  might 
have  been  sold  for  a  brick,  and  a  slice  of  pork  that  had 
probably  come  down  from  the  Silurian  period. 

We  were  temperate  in  drinking ;  that  is  to  say,  we  drank 
nothing  but  water,  and  it  may  be  proper  to  add,  that  we  had 
nothing  but  water  to  drink.  During  the  meal  we  consoled 
and  congratulated  ourselves  upon  being  in  the  eight  hundred 
dollar  region.  We  had  counted  in  the  morning  upon  making 
at  least  that  sum,  but  now  we  were  willing  to  put  up  with 
four  or  five  hundred.  Our  air  castles  were  reasonably  gor- 
geous, though  somehow  the  pains  in  our  backs  and  legs, 
diminished  their  brilliancy. 

When  our  meal  was  finished,  we  raised  the  lid  and  began 
examining  the  rocker.  This  time  there  was  something  in  the 
riffles,  and  we  exulted.  Close  examination,  however,  showed 
that  there  was  nothing  there  except  black  sand,  a  few  small 
pebbles,  and  three  or  four  particles  of  gold,  each  about  as 
large  as  a  pin's  head.  We  changed  our  base  of  operations, 
and  moved  again  to  a  new  spot. 

I  do  not  think  either  of  us  was  ever  harder  worked  and 
more  weary  than  at  the  end  of  that  day.  We  had  pains  enough 
all  over  our  bodies  to  set  up  a  window  market,  and  if  we  did 
not  sleep  well  that  night,  it  was  not  for  lack  of  weariness. 
We  were  a  trifle  disgusted  to  find  that  in  our  verdancy  we 
had  been  washing  what  the  miners  call  "  strippings,"  that  is, 
the  surface  earth  which  lies  above  the  pay  dirt.  We  might 
as  well  have  washed  the  sweepings  of  Broadway,  and  hope  to 
obtain  gold.  We  learned  something  by  experience,  as  a  great 
many  others  have  done.  "  Working  the  rocker,"  we  concluded, 
was  too  severe  for  lazy  men,  and  we  speedily  gave  it  up. 


LVL 

GOLD    MINING. 

VARIOUS  WAYS  OF  MINING  GOLD.  —  SLUICING  AND  HYDRAULIC  MINING.  —  ACCI- 
DENT TO  A  MINER.  —  A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  —  POWER  OF  WATER  IN  HYDRAU- 
LIC MINING.  —  EFFECT  ON  RIVERS  AND  BAYS.  —A  SCENE  OF  DESOLATION.  — 
QUARTZ  MINING.  —  QUICKSILVER  AND  ITS  AMALGAM.  —  STOCK  OPERATIONS. 
—  THE  MARIPOSA  MINES.  — THE  AUTHOR'S  VISIT.  —  HAYWARD's  MINE. — 
MANIPULATION  OF  MARIPOSA.  —  FUNNY  STORY  OF  A  SEA  CAPTAIN.  —  HOW 
HE  SUPERINTENDED  A  MINE.  —  HIS  MANAGEMENT  OF  A  MILL.  —  ACCIDENTS 
ON  PURPOSE,  AND  HASTY  FLIGHT. 

UNDERGROUND  work  in  gold  mining  does  not  properly  begin 
with  the  surface  washings.  It  is  true  the  earth  is  torn  out, 
and  large  excavations  are  made ;  but  they  are  all  done  by  the 
light  of  day,  and  where  the  open  air  circulates  through  them. 
As  heretofore  stated,  the  primitive  form  of  gold-digging  is 
with  the  pan  and  the  rocker.  After  the  rocker,  there  are 
several  forms  of  sluicing,  or  washing  away  of  the  earth.  The 
ordinary  construction  of  a  sluice  is  a  long  box,  with  a  current 
of  water  running  through  it.  The  earth  is  thrown  into  the 
sluice,  washed  towards  its  lower  end,  and  carried  away  by 
the  water.  The  stones,  of  various  sizes,  are  thrown  out  with 
a  shovel  or  fork ;  the  gold  and  black  sand  fall  by  their  weight, 
and  are  caught  in  the  riffles,  or  cleats,  nailed  across  the  bot- 
tom of  the  sluice.  Earth  which  will  not  pay  for  working  with 
the  pan  or  rocker  can  be  made  profitable  in  this  mode  of 
operation,  for  the  reason  that  one  man  or  two  men  can  wash 
with  the  sluice  many  times  the  quantity  of  earth  that  they 
could  work  with  the  primitive  process. 

Another  form  of  sluice,  known  as  "  Long  Tom,"  is  generally 
elevated  upon  posts,  a  foot  or  two  above  the  ground.  At  its 
upper  end  there  is  a  covering  of  sheet  iron,  very  much  like 
that  which  covers  the  rocker.  Another  system  of  surface 


INVENTION  OP  HYDRAULIC   MIXING.  803 

mining  is  that  which  is  known  as  hydraulic  mining,  and  by 
means  of  it,  earth  that  will  not  pay  for  washing  in  any  other 
way  can  be  worked  to  advantage.  By  this  process  the  miners 
will  tear  down  large  banks  and  hills,  and  wash  them  entirely 
away.  The  process  was  invented  in  1852,  by  Edward  Matti- 
son,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and  introduced  by  him  to  great 
advantage.  The  water  is  conducted  through  iron  tubes, 
terminating  in  a  flexible  hose  with  a  nozzle  like  that  of  a  fire 
engine.  The  "  head  "  of  the  water  must  be  many  feet  higher 
than  the  place  where  it  emerges  from  the  hose,  so  as  to  give 
an  enormous  pressure. 

Equipped  in  this  way  the  miner  washes  away  the  base  of 
the  bank.  In  a  little  while  the  upper  part  falls,  and  as  the 
gravelly  ground  is  composed  of  pebbles,  and  is  naturally 
rather  loosely  consolidated,  large  masses  of  the  hill  come  down 
with  a  violent  crash.  The  greatest  danger  to  life  in  this  kind 
of  mining  is  in  the  falls  of  the  earth. 

I  was  once  at  a  place  near  Grass  Valley,  California,  where 
they  were  at  work  by  means  of  hydraulic  mining.  A  large 
cavity  had  been  cut  away  under  the  base  of  the  hill  with  the 
streams  of  water.  Every  moment  the  hill  was  expected  to 
fall,  but  somehow  it  seemed  to  retain  its  position.  One  of  the 
men  incautiously  ventured  near  it,  and  just  as  he  had  done  so, 
the  earth  fell,  and  the  man  was  partially  buried  beneath  it. 
He  screamed  loudly  with  pain.  His  companions  rushed  for- 
ward to  relieve  him,  when  another  mass  of  earth  fell,  partially 
burying  two  of  those  who  had  come  to  his  rescue.  Other  men 
went  to  their  assistance,  and  in  a  little  while  the  three  were 
extricated. 

The  first  man  had  his  leg  broken,  and  one  foot  badly  crushed. 
The  other  two  were  severely  bruised,  and  the  foot  of  one  of 
them  was  permanently  injured.  It  frequently  happens  that 
in  this  way  men  are  killed  or  injured  partially  through  want 
of  caution,  and  partially  owing  to  the  dangers  inseparably 
connected  with  hydraulic  mining. 

The  force  of  water  thrown  in  this  way,  with  an  enormous 
pressure,  is  almost  wonderful.  The  solid  earth  is  cut  and  torn 


804  DESTRUCTIVE   EFFECTS   OF   THE  SYSTEM. 

away,  and  sometimes  stones  weighing  several  pounds  are 
tossed  into  the  air.  The  particles  of  earth  fly  in  all  directions. 
The  water  rebounds  sometimes,  and  in  a  little  while  the  men 
who  manage  the  hose  are  thoroughly  drenched.  On  a  level 
surface  a  stream  of  water  directed  upon  the  solid  earth  at  an 
angle  of  twelve  or  thirteen  degrees,  will  cut  a  trench  or  fur- 
row with  the  rapidity  of  a  plough.  When  the  earth  falls,  the 
largest  blocks  are  broken  up  with  the  pick  or  with  the  streams 
of  water,  and  the  debris  is  thrown  into  a  large  channel,  or 
flume,  at  the  basis  of  the  hill  where  the  work  is  going  on. 
The  flume  has  riffles  at  its  bottom,  and  many  turnings,  so  that 
the  gold  may  be  saved.  The  stream  of  water  carries  away 
the  earth,  and  leaves  the  gold  behind. 

There  is  no  system  of  mining  more  destructive  than  this. 
Hills  are  cut  away,  and  sometimes,  for  many  acres,  the  rock  is 
laid  bare.  The  whole  scene  is  one  of  desolation.  The  earth 
that  is  washed  down  fills  the  channels  of  rivers,  and  is  some- 
times carried  a  long  distance.  Before  California  was  opened 
for  gold  mining,  the  water  of  her  streams  was  perfectly  clear ; 
but  since  the  beginning  of  mining  the  streams  have  lost  their 
pellucid  character,  and  the  discolored  water  extends  to  the 
Bay  of  San  Francisco,  and  sometimes  out  to  sea.  The  lower 
part  of  the  Sacramento  River  has  been  partially  filled  up,  and 
there  are  parts  of  the  great  bay  which  are  now  much  shallow- 
er than  of  old. 

As  the  surface  diggings  of  California  showed  signs  of  ex- 
haustion, attention  was  given  to  mining  in  quartz  rock.  In 
the  ledges  of  the  mountain-sides  veins  were  discovered  rich 
in  gold,  and  pieces  of  the  rock  taken  from  these  veins  gave 
promise  of  profitable  working. 

The  man  with  pick,  and  pan,  and  rocker  required  but  little 
capital  for  the  prosecution  of  his  enterprise ;  but  mining  in 
the  quartz  rock  requires  money  to  conduct  it.  Shafts  must 
be  sunk,  and  levels  must  be  driven ;  the  ore  must  be  raised  to 
the  surface,  the  rock  must  be  pulverized,  and  the  gold  ex- 
tracted ;  and  the  machinery  to  accomplish  this  is  more  or  less 
elaborate,  and  always  costly.  The  mines  are  worked  in  the 


CATCHING   GOLD  WITH   QUICKSILVER.  gQ7 

same  way  as  other  underground  mines.  The  shafts,  the  levels, 
the  tunnels,  are  the  same ;  but  after  the  ore  is  raised,  there  is 
a  great  expense  attending  its  reduction.  The  rock  must  be 
broken,  and  placed  in  pulverizing  machines,  and  after  it  is 
crushed,  whether  by  rollers  or  stamps,  the  gold  must  be 
separated. 

The  water  which  carries  awa}r  the  gold  is  made  to  flow 
where  it  comes  in  contact  with  quicksilver  placed  along  a 
series  of  riffles.  In  many  instances  blankets  are  spread,  over 
which  the  water  flows ;  and  as  the  gold  comes  in  contact  with 
the  rough  surface  of  these  blankets,  it  is  caught  and  held. 

Some  of  the  gold  miners  in  California  invented  a  table  of 
amalgamated  copper,  on  which  quicksilver  was  spread,  and  the 
ore  coming  in  contact  with  it  was  stopped. 

There  are  other  inventions  for  the  same  purpose.  In  one 
the  pulverized  ore  is  agitated  in  a  bath  of  quicksilver,  and  in 
another  an  inclined  trough  is  divided  into  compartments  filled 
with  quicksilver,  in  which  a  series  of  forks  have  an  oscillating 
movement,  to  bring  the  sands  in  contact  with  the  fluid  metal 
as  they  flow  through  the  troughs.  Sometimes  sheep-skins 
are  used  inside  of  blankets,  so  that  the  golden  fleece  can  be 
considered  an  affair  of  modern  times,  as  well  as  of  the  earliest 
days  of  ship-building. 

In  working  the  placer  mines  by  the  hydraulic  process,  the 
miner  c.an  manage  with  profit  the  dirt  which  contains  only  a 
millionth  part  of  gold. 

In  the  quartz  mining,  the  proportion  of  gold  ought  naturally 
to  be  greater,  since  it  is  necessary  to  execute  all  the  work, 
which  is  partly  done  at  the  placers  by  nature ;  that  is,  to  dig, 
transport,  pulverize,  enrich  the  ore,  and  finally  amalgamate  it. 

In  California  the  quartz  ores  of  least  hardness  cannot  be 
worked  profitably  when  they  yield  less  than  five  dollars'  worth 
of  gold  to  the  ton,  or  about  one  hundred  thousandth  proportion. 
Quicksilver  is  mainly  employed  in  the  auriferous  quartz  ores. 
When  the  gold  of  the  placer  is  very  fine,  and  invisible  to  the 
eye,  or  the  work  is  done  by  means  of  long  channels,  riffles 
filled  with  quicksilver  are  placed  in  the  bed  of  the  stream, 


808  SUGAR  CANDY  OP  A  GOLD  MINE. 

which  detain  all  the  gold  in  its  passage,  no  matter  how  small 
the  particles.  The  scales  of  gold  which  come  in  contact  with 
this  fluid  are  instantly  caught  up,  and  no  process  has  yet  been 
invented  which  can  supersede  that  of  quicksilver. 

The  amalgam  obtained  in  this  way  is  generally  liquid, 
but  it  is  allowed  to  take  up  sufficient  gold  to  give  it  the 
consistency  of  paste.  It  is  passed  through  a  chamois-skin 
folded  into  a  bag,  and  twisted  like  a  piece  of  wet  linen. 
The  quicksilver,  being  separated  from  the  gold,  passes  through 
the  pores  of  the  skin  in  the  form  of  silver  drops,  and  is  caught 
in  a  basin  beneath.  The  gold  must  now  be  separated  from  the 
paste,  and  the  amalgam  left  behind  resembles  a  ball  of  tin. 
Quicksilver  dissolves  gold  just  as  water  dissolves  sugar,  but 
the  quicksilver  can  be  driven  away  in  vapor,  and  the  gold  will 
remain.  The  amalgam  can  be  made  to  give  up  its  gold  in  the 
same  way  that  a  solution  of  sugar  and  water  can  be  made  to 
yield  sugar  candy.  In  this  way  gold  may  be  considered  the 
sugar  candy  of  the  miner. 

The  balls  of  amalgam  are  placed  in  an  iron  retort,  which  is 
heated  in  a  furnace.  At  a  high  temperature  the  quicksilver 
boils,  and  ascends  in  the  form  of  vapor  towards  the  neck  of  the 
apparatus.  The  neck  of  the  retort  opens  into  a  tub  of  water, 
which  condenses  the  vaporized  quicksilver,  and  causes  it  to  fall 
to  the  bottom. 

When  the  operation  is  concluded,  the  quicksilver  is  at  the 
bottom  of  the  tub,  and  the  ball  of  gold  is  in  the  retort.  With 
the  quicksilver  driven  out,  the  gold  has  a  porous  and  spongy  ap- 
pearance. It  is  rernelted  in  crucibles,  and  then  cast  into  bars. 
If  the  operation  is  properly  conducted,  hardly  any  of  the 
quicksilver  will  be  lost.  I  have  known  instances  where 
miners  have  used  a  quantity  of  quicksilver  twenty  or  thirty 
times  over,  with  hardly  any  appreciable  diminution  01  its 
weight. 

A  great  many  quartz  mines  have  been  opened  in  California, 
Colorado,  and  other  portions  of  America.  Some  of  them  have 
returned  much  less  money  to  their  stockholders  than  to  the 
men  who  organized  the  companies.  During  the  height  of  the 


STORY  OF  MARIPOSA.  809 

mining  fever,  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  organize  a  company, 
where  a  man  had  any  reasonable  supposition  that  a  mine  ex- 
isted. All  through  California  quartz  mines  were  opened,  but 
those  which  have  paid  a  profit  to  the  operators  could  almost 
be  counted  on  the  fingers'  ends.  The  most  profitable  centre 
of  quartz  mining  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Grass  Valley,  a  short 
distance  from  the  line  of  the  Central  Pacific  Railway.  Most 
of  the  mines  opened  there  have  been  profitable,  though  there 
are  some  which  never  made  any  money. 

The  richest  and  most  famous  of  the  Californian  quartz 
mines  is  the  one  known  as  Hay  ward's.  Its  early  history  was 
one  of  disaster,  but  for  several  years  it  has  been  paying  a 
steady  and  handsome  profit  to  its  owner.  I  remember,  on  my 
arrival  in  San  Francisco,  a  -resident  of  that  city  told  me  of 
Hayward's  case. 

"  Hay  ward,"  said  he,  "  used  to  have  a  hard  time  of  it,  but 
now  he  takes  things  easy.  He  spends  most  of  his  time  in  San 
Francisco,  and  once  in  every  fortnight  he  goes  up  to  the  mill, 
and  orders  them  to  l  clean  up/  They  clean  up ;  the  gold  is 
retorted,  and  he  brings  it  down  here.  He  has  a  clear  income 
often  or  twelve  thousand  dollars  a  week  from  the  mine,  and 
appears  to  enjoy  himself." 

Probably  the  most  famous  mines  of  California,  and  those 
which  have  swallowed  up  the  most  money,  are  the  Mari- 
posa.  Mariposa  is  a  Spanish  word,  meaning  "  butterfly  ;  "  and 
there  never  was  a  more  gaudy  butterfly,  to  catch  the  eye  of  a 
speculating  public,  than  the  Mariposa  of  California.  General 
Fremont  obtained  a  grant  of  land  on  which  the  mines  are  lo- 
cated, and  he  organized  a  stock  company,  which  was  expected 
to  return  an  enormous  revenue  ;  somehow  the  golden  promise 
did  not  turn  out  brilliantly,  and  those  who  invested  became 
heavy  losers. 

Mariposa  went  down,  and  carried  with  it  a  great  many  con- 
fiding men.  By  and  by  it  came  up  again,  and  a  new  specula- 
tion was  started.  More  money  was  invested,  with  pretty 
nearly  the  same  result  as  before ;  and  so  it  has  gone  on  up  to 
the  present  time  j  and  once  in  a  while  there  is  a  speculation 


810  VISITING   THE  MARIPOSA   MINE. 

in  Mariposa.  Somebody  wins  a  great  deal  of  money,  and 
somebody  loses  a  great  deal. 

My  only  visit  to  the  Mariposa  mines  convinced  me  that 
they  are  good  things  to  make  money  out  of,  provided  they 
could  be  operated  to  a  great  profit.  There  were  five  large 
mines  on  the  Mariposa  grant.  Only  one  of  them  was  at  work, 
and  at  this  one  the  superintendent  politely  refused  to  allow 
us  an  opportunity  for  inspection.  He  said  they  were  taking 
out  a  fair  amount  of  gold,  but  he  thought  their  amalgamating 
process  was  not  perfect ;  and  consequently  the  shareholders 
could  not  expect  a  large  dividend.  It  is  possible  he  would 
have  granted  us  permission  to  descend  into  the  mine  ;  but  as 
two  men  had  been  killed  recently  in  one  of  the  tunnels,  and  a 
man,  not  long  before,  had  fallen  down  the  shaft,  we  concluded 
it  was  altogether  too  good  a  place  for  accidents,  and  one  that 
we  did  not  care  to  inspect. 

The  ways  of  the  quartz  miners  —  that  is  to  say,  of  the  own- 
ers of  the  mines  —  are  something  wonderful.  Thousands  of 
mines  have  been  managed  by  men  no  more  competent  to  su- 
perintend mining  than  to  construct  a  new  solar  system.  Some 
years  ago  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  sea  captain  who  had 
retired  from  the  service,  and  concluded  to  go  into  business. 
He  had  begun  life  as  a  cabin  boy,  having  run  away  to  sea. 
He  next  sailed  before  the  mast,  and  had  gone  through  all  the 
grades,  until  he  was  qualified  to  be  master  of  a  ship.  He  had 
a  brother-in-law  who  was  a  director  in  a  mining  company,  and 
the  directors,  in  their  infinite  wisdom,  concluded  that  this  re- 
tired sea  captain,  whose  sands  of  life  had  not  altogether  run 
out,  would  make  an  excellent  mining  superintendent,  as  he 
was  good  for  nothing  else. 

On  what  reasoning  they  based  their  determination  I  do  not 
know.  He  had  never  seen  a  mine  in  all  his  life,  and  could 
not  tell  the  difference  between  a  piece  of  granite  and  a  frag- 
ment of  gold-bearing  quartz.  I  met  him  one  day,  and  he  told 
me  he  was  to  start  on  the  following  morning  for  the  scene  of 
operations,  where  he  would  take  charge  of  a  mine.  I  lost 
sight  of  him  for  several  months,  but  one  day  met  him  on 


A  SEA  CAPTAIN  AS  A  MINER.  813 

Broadway,  looking  as  if  he  had  just  been  sentenced  to  the 
penitentiary.  I  asked  how  his  mining  speculation  was  get- 
ting along,  and  he  begged  me  not  to  talk  about  it. 

"I  told  them,"  said  he,  "that  I  did  not  know  anything 
about  mining;  but  they  shipped  me  out  there,  and  told  me  to 
manage  the  craft  the  best  way  I  could,  and  they  knew  I 
would  get  along  all  right.  When  I  got  there,  a  shaft  had 
been  made  twenty  or  thirty  feet  down,  and  the  mill  was 
nearly  completed.  I  was  determined  not  to  let  on  to  the  men 
there  that  I  did  not  know  all  about  the  business,  and  when 
the  man  in  charge  of  the  works  came  to  me,  I  told  him  to  go 
ahead,  —  that  he  was  doing  everything  all  right.  I  hurried 
the  mill  up,  and,  as  it  was  approaching  completion,  I  went  to 
the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  looked  at  several  heaps  of  rocks, 
pointed  out  one,  and  told  them  to  crush  that  first.  I  saw  the 
fellows  sticking  their  quids  in  their  larboard  jaws,  and  sup- 
posed that  it  indicated  that  I  knew  what  I  was  about. 

"  We  went  to  work,  and  run  the  mill  for  a  week,  and  the 
foreman  asked  me  if  he  had  not  better  clean  up.  I  told  him  I 
did  not  think  the  mill  looked  very  dirty,  and  guessed  I  would 
not  clean  up  for  a  while.  Fact  is,  I  did  not  know  what  clean- 
ing up  meant.  I  visited  a  neighboring  mine,  got  acquainted 
with  the  superintendent,  who  knew  just  about  as  much  of  the 
business  as  I  did,  and  precious  little  more ;  but  from  him  I 
found  out  what  it  was  to  '  clean  up/ 

"  I  thought  I  would  let  the  mill  run  another  week,  and  so  I 
did.  Then  we  cleaned  up,  and  there  was  not  a  particle  of 
gold  to  be  found.  I  told  the  foreman  he  had  not  arranged 
things  properly ;  that  the  quicksilver  ought  to  be  on  the 
other  side  of  the  riffle,  so  as  to  catch  the  gold  when  it  fell 
over.  I  bought  blankets,  and  sheep-skins,  and  everything 
else,  but  could  not  accomplish  anything. 

"  I  used  to  go  down  in  the  mine  occasionally,  and  somehow, 
every  time  I  went  there,  there  was  always  an  accident  —  not 
a  serious  one,  to  be  sure ;  but  they  would  dump  me  out  of  the 
bucket,  or  run  against  me,  or  turn  a  hose  on  me  by  accident, 
or  do  something.  I  was  getting  into  trouble  every  day,  but 


814  TRICKS   ON  A   GREENHORN. 

it  never  happened  in  such  a  way  that  I  could  accuse  anybody. 
The  country  was  not  fit  for  a  dog  to  live  in,  and  I  soon  got 
tired  of  it. 

"  The  company  got  tired  of  it  too,  and  I  kept  writing  such 
discouraging  letters,  and,  besides,  the  sheriff  came  on  me,  and 
seized  everything;  so  that  they  finally  told  me  to  come  home. 
I  left  the  place  suddenly,  took  the  stage  coach,  and  started 
east. 

"  I  had  a  back  seat  in  the  coach,  and  right  in  front  of  me 
were  two  men  who  were  talking  about  the  mines.  They 
spoke  of  various  things  that  did  not  interest  me  much,  but 
finally  one  of  them  referred  to  the  Ready  Return  Mine,  which 
was  the  one  I  had  been  running. 

"  One  of  these  fellows  laughed,  and  said,  '  I  wish  we  had 
gone  to  see  the  Ready  Return  Mine.  Jim  Jackson  says  it  is 
the  funniest  thing  alive.  There  is  a  sailor  there,  superin- 
tendent of  the  mine,  who  does  not  know  any  more  about 
mining  than  you  do  about  the  Ten  Commandments.  He  came 
out  there,  pretended  to  be  very  wise,  and  set  the  boys  to 
crushing  wall  rock  —  nothing  but  the  meanest  wall  rock  — 
\vith  not  an  ounce  of  gold  in  a  thousand  tons  of  it.  We.ll, 
-ihey  let  him  keep  on,  as  there  was  not  any  gold  there  any 
way;  and  I  reckon  he  has  about  spent  all  the  company's 
money,  and  will  have  to  bust  pretty  soon.  They  have  a  good 
deal  of  fun  with  him,  and  play  all  sorts  of  tricks  on  him.  I 
wish  we  had  gone  there,  and  seen  the  fellow.  When  the 
mine  busts  completely,  they  are  going  to  lower  him  down  the 
shaft,  under  some  pretext,  then  haul  up  the  bucket,  and  let 
him  stay  a  day  or  two,  to  teach  him  something  about  mining/ 

"  When  I  heard  this,"  said  my  aquatic  friend,  "  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  I  had  had  enough  of  that  business ;  and  then  I 
knew  how  those  fellows  had  been  gagging  me.  You  won't 
catch  me  at  a  gold  mine  again." 


GROUND   SLUICING. 


HYDRAULIC    MINING. 


LVIL 

COPPER  AND  COPPER  MINES. 

ANTIQUITY  OP  COPPER.  —  USE  OP  IT  AMONG  THE  ANCIENTS.  —  OLDEST  COINS.  — 
THE  COLOSSUS  OP  RHODES.  —  COPPER  MINES  OF  ENGLAND  AND  OTHER 
COUNTRIES.  —  NATIVE  COPPER. — HOW  IT  IS  WORKED.  —  OVERTHROWING  A 
MASS.  —  A  LUMP  WEIGHING  EIGHT  HUNDRED  TONS.  —  MALACHITE. 

ONE  of  the  first  metals  known  to  man  was  copper.  It  is 
related  in  Scripture  that  Tubal  Cain  was  "  an  instructor  of 
every  artificer  in  brass  and  in  iron."  In  the  book  of  Job  we 
read  that  "  copper  is  molten  out  of  the  stone."  It  is  re- 
corded in  Egyptian  history  that  the  Emperor  Cheops  worked 
a  copper  mine  in  Sinai.  The  ancient  Egyptians  were  familiar 
with  copper,  and  the  Syrians,  Phoenicians,  and  also  the  Greeks 
and  Romans,  used  a  great  deal  of  it  in  the  manufacture  of 
monuments  and  statues  of  bronze.  The  Colossus  of  Rhodes, 
after  lying  in  the  sand  for  nine  hundred  years,  is  said  to  have 
required  nearly  a  thousand  camels  to  convey  its  pieces  away. 
The  ancients  seem  to  have  worked  copper  mines  very  exten- 
sively, and  their  facilities  for  making  large  castings  were 
quite  equal  to  those  of  modern  times. 

Copper  was  known  in  America  to  the  races  that  inhabited 
this  continent  before  the  Indians  had  any  knowledge  of  it, 
as  appears  from  the  various  utensils  of  copper  found  in  the 
ancient  mounds  of  the  Western  country  and  the  extensive 
mining  works  along  the  shores  of  Lake  Superior.  The  Mexi- 
cans and  Peruvians  had  many  tools  of  copper,  and  it  is  a 
curious  fact  that  these  tools  are  almost  identical  in  compo- 
sition with  the  tools  found  at  Thebes  and  other  points  along 
the  Nile.  A  chisel  found  in  a  silver  mine  in  Peru  contained 
ninety-four  per  cent,  copper,  five  per  cent,  tin,  and  one  per 
cent.  iron. 


818  EXTENT   OF   COPPEJR   MINES. 

Copper  was  used  for  money  at  a  very  early  period.  Some 
coins  are  in  existence  supposed  to  be  twenty-five  hundred 
years  old.  They  contain  from  sixty  to  seventy-five  per  cent, 
of  copper,  and  the  residue  is  made  up  of  tin,  lead,  and  zinc. 

The  mines  which  supply  the  copper  of  commerce  are  situ- 
ated in  almost  all  parts  of  the  world.  Many  of  them  are 
worked  by  English  companies,  and  made  tributary  to  the 
great  smelting  establishments  at  Swansea,  in  Wales.  It  is 
easier  to  carry  ores  to  the  localities  where  coal  is  mined,  than 
it  is  to  carry  the  coal  to  the  copper,  mines.  The  great  value 
of  many  copper  ores  admits  of  their  transportation  from  the 
interior  of  countries  to  the  sea-coast,  and  their  shipment  thence 
by  sea  to  the  place  where  they  can  be  reduced  with  the  great- 
est economy. 

In  America  there  are  many  smelting  works  on  various  parts 
of  the  coast,  and  at  some  interior  points,  but  none  of  them 
are  as  extensive  as  the  English  ones. 

Many  copper  mines  are  worked  on  the  Andes,  particularly 
in  Chili  and  Peru.  Central  America  and  Mexico  contain 
many  mines,  some  of  them  of  great  value.  Copper  deposits 
are  scattered  throughout  the  United  States,  all  the  way  from 
New  England  to  California,  though  comparatively  few  of 
them  are  valuable.  There  are  copper  mines  of  great  value 
and  world-wide  celebrity  in  Cornwall,  England.  Other  parts 
of  the  British  Isles  produce  this  metal.  There  are  valuable 
copper  mines  in  Germany,  Sweden,  and  Norway,  and  the 
mines  of  the  Ural  Mountains  of  Russia  are  among  the  richest 
on  the  globe.  In  1830  the  copper  production  of  Great  Britain 
was  more  than  half  the  entire  copper  production  of  the  world. 
Copper  mining  in  other  parts  of  the  world  was  not  exten- 
sively prosecuted ;  but  subsequently  the  industry  increased  so 
rapidly  that  twenty-five  years  later  the  amount  of  copper 
produced  in  Great  Britain,  though  not  less  in  quantity,  was 
only  one  fourth  of  that  of  the  entire  globe. 

Occasionally  circumstances  give  a  great  impetus  to  copper 
mining.  For  instance,  in  1866,  the  war  between  Chili  and 
Spain  cut  off  the  copper  supply  from  the  former  country,  and 


A  COPPER  MINE  OF  THE  LAKE  SUPERIOR  REGION. 


INTERIOR  OF  A  COPPER  MINE. 


A   HOLE  IN   THE   GROUND.  821 

gave  a  great  impetus  to  copper  mining  elsewhere.  In  Cali- 
fornia several  copper  mines  were  opened,  and  were  making 
an  enormous  profit  for  their  owners,  when  suddenly  the  war 
between  Spain  and  Chili  carne  to  an  end,  the  Chilian  mines 
were  opened  again,  and  the  copper  mines  of  California  dimin- 
ished greatly  in  value. 

Copper  is  found  in  various  forms  ;  sometimes  in  sulphurets 
or  oxides,  and  crystallized  in  various  ways.  In  some  parts  of 
the  world  it  is  found  in  a  pure  state. 

Copper  mines  are  very  much  like  other  mines,  and  do  not 
require  a  special  description.  They  may  be  tersely  set  down 
as  holes  in  the  ground  ;  and  one  hole  in  the  ground,  so  far  as 
light  and  darkness  go,  is  very  much  like  another.  I  remem- 
ber that  on  one  occasion,  while  travelling  in  a  distant  part  of 
the  world,  I  endeavored  to  urge  a  friend  to  accompany  me  to 
visit  a  curious  cave.  He  shook  his  head  doubtfully,  and  said, 
"  O,  it's  nothing  but  a  hole  in  the  ground  ;  what's  the  use 
of  going  there  ?  "  A  few  days  later,  I  had  arranged  an  ex- 
cursion into  a  silver  mine,  and  urged  him  to  join  me.  He 
declined,  with  the  remark,  "  What's  the  use  of  going  into 
it?  it's  nothing  but  a  hole  in  the  ground."  Again,  when 
a  mining  excursion  was  in  progress,  he  declined  to  be  of  the 
party  because  the  place  was  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  he 
did  not  wish  to  get  beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth  until  he 
was  dead. 

It  may  be  said  of  a, copper  mine,  as  of  a  coal  mine,  an  iron 
mine,  or  anything  else  of  the  sort,  "it's  nothing  but  a  hole 
in  the  ground ; "  but  if  you  should  ask,  as  my  friend  did, 
"What's  the  use  of  going  there?"  I  think  in  many  in- 
stances the  owners  could  point  to  fine  houses  and  heavy 
bank  accounts,  to  show  jrou,  beyond  a  doubt,  that  there  is 
a  good  deal  of  use  in  visiting  the  mine,  or,  at  all  events, 
in  owning  it. 

Copper  mines,  some  of  them  at  least,  are  very  good  things 

to  own,  while  others  are  very  good  to  let  alone.     Many  a 

speculator  has  come  to  grief  by  dabbling  in  copper  stocks, 

while  many  another  speculator  has  made  a  great  deal  of 

44 


822  HEAVY  DIVIDENDS   IN   COPPER   STOCK. 

money  by  it.  Copper  mining  is  very  much  like  a  lottery; 
there  are  prizes,  and  very  valuable  ones,  and  there  are  also 
a  great  number  of  blanks.  In  Cornwall,  the  Great  Consoli- 
dated Mines,  as  they  are  called,  made  a  profit  in  twenty 
years  of  three  millions  of  dollars,  and  their  product  in  one 
year  was  half  a  million  dollars.  In  the  next  eight  years  the 
dividends  dwindled  down  to  a  very  small  figure,  owing  to 
the  expense  of  working,  and  for  six  years  afterwards  no  divi- 
dend was  declared ;  then,  immediately  after,  rich  deposits 
were  found,  and  enormous  dividends  paid.  An  idea  of  the 
extent  of  these  mines  may  be  formed  when  it  is  known  that 
the  aggregate  length  of  the  underground  workings  is  more 
than  seventy  miles. 

One  company  in  Cornwall  paid  in  five  dollars  on  each 
share,  and  its  stock  consisted  of  one  thousand  shares.  In 
the  first  three  months  of  regular  working  the  amount  cleared 
was  seventy-five  thousand  dollars.  In  the  following  year  it 
cleared  one  hundred  thousand  dollars.  Five  years  later  the 
dividends  amounted  to  seventeen  hundred  dollars  a  share, 
and  each  share  was  worth  two  thousand  dollars.  This  was 
.a  very  fair  profit  on  an  investment  of  five  dollars. 

In  another  mine  the  shares  originally  cost  twenty-five 
dollars  each,  and  a  few  years  later  they  were  worth  five 
thousand  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  dollars  a  share. 

One  copper  mine  in  Australia  was  opened  in  1845.  The 
whole  amount  of  capital  paid  in  was  sixty  thousand  dollars, 
and  the  dividends  up  to  March,  1850,  were  nine  hundred 
thousand  dollars.  None  of  the  dividends  were  less  than  fifty 
per  cent,  on  the  capital,  and  some  were  at  the  rate  of  two 
hundred  per  cent.  Half  a  million  dollars  remained  undivided, 
so  that  in  five  years  the  total  profits  amounted  to  nineteen 
times  the  whole  amount  of  capital  invested. 

The  copper  region  of  Lake  Superior  contains  almost  the 
only  mines  that  produce  this  metal  profitably  worked  in  the 
United  States.  The  existence  of  masses  of  native  copper  had 
been  known  for  a  long  time,  but  nothing  was  done  towards 
mining  in  that  region  until  the  Indian  title  was  extinguished, 


HOW  COPPER   ORES   ARE  FOUND.  823 

in  1842.  Immediately  after  this  the-  country  was  rapidly 
taken  up  by  adventurers  from  the  Eastern  States,  and  mining 
operations  were  begun.  The  state  geologist,  Dr.  Houghton, 
had  examined  the  country,  and  located  the  productive  region 
on  the  range  of  the  Trap  Hills  commencing  on  the  south  coast 
of  Keweenaw  Point.  From  Keweenaw  Point  the  Trap  Hills 
run  in  two  or  three  parallel  ranges,  extending  westward  more 
than  one  hundred  miles.  There  are  other  trap  formations 
presenting  some  mineral  indications,  but  most  of  the  profit- 
able mines  are  in  this  narrow  belt.  A  great  many  mines 
have  been  opened,  but  comparatively  few  of  them  have  been 
found  profitable. 

Copper  ores  are  found  in  various  conditions,  but  there  are 
no  mines  in  the  world  where  there  is  so  much  of  it  in  the 
native  state  as  in  the  Lake  Superior  region.  The  largest 
masses  stand  upon  their  edges  in  the  vein.  Sometimes  they 
are  many  yards  in  length  and  several  feet  in  breadth,  and 
their  thickness  varies  from  an  inch  to  more  than  a  yard. 
Silver  is  associated  with  copper,  sometimes  in  occasional 
lumps  unattached  to  the  copper,  though  generally  the  two 
metals  are  in  contact,  as  if  the  silver  had  been  deposited  with 
the  copper,  without  forming  an  alloy  with  it.  I  believe  no 
alloy  of  the  two  metals  is  ever  found  there,  and  consequently 
they  can  never  have  been  in  a  fused  condition  in  contact. 
The  lumps  of  silver  vary  in  weight  from  a  few  grains  to  sev- 
eral pounds. 

Masses  of  copper  of  great  size  have  been  found.  One  was 
discovered  several  years  ago  containing  at  least  five  hundred 
tons,  and  other  masses  are  said  to  have  contained  more  than 
eight  hundred  tons. 

The  work  of  cutting  out  one  of  these  masses  sometimes 
occupies  several  weeks  or  months.  The  mass  fills  the  entire 
vein,  so  that  the  rock  must  be  removed  on  one  side  ;  the 
mass  is  thus  left  as  a  wall,  its  upper  edge  extending  into  the 
roof  and  its  lower  edge  into  the  floor.  When  the  side  is  laid 
bare,  the  mass  is  attacked  at  one  end  by  introducing  charges 
of  powder,  and  as  fast  as  room  is  obtained,  and  cracks  are 


824  BLASTING  COPPER  MASSES. 

opened  between  the  copper  and  the  rock,  the  size  of  these 
charges  is  increased.  The  usual  form  of  blasting  under  such 
circumstances  is  by  what  is  known  as  the  "  sand  blast." 

Powder  is  poured  loosely  into  the  openings  in  large  quanti- 
ties, and  is  then  covered  with  dry  sand.  It  is  lighted  by 
means  of  a  safety  fuse,  which  gives  the  men  time  to  escape. 
The  first  blast  will  be  in  a  small  cavity,  and  as  the  cavities 
are  enlarged  more  powder  is  introduced,  until  sometimes  sev- 
eral hundred  pounds  are  spread  in  the  crevice  and  fired  at 
once.  In  several  instances  one  thousand  pounds  of  powder 
have  been  burned  at  a  single  blast.  When  the  mass  has 
been  thrown  down  in  this  way,  the  work  of  cutting  it  so  that 
it  can  be  removed  begins. 

Two  miners  strike  in  turn  upon  a  long  steel  chisel  held  by 
a  third,  and  thus  gradually  cut  a  groove  across  the  copper. 
This  work  is  repeated  until  the  mass  is  cut  through,  and 
sometimes  it  requires  an  entire  month  to  make  a  single  cut. 
The  mass  is  reduced  into  pieces  weighing  five  or  six  tons 
each,  which  can  be  hoisted  up  the  shaft,  and  it  will  then  be 
cut  into  little  morsels  weighing  not  more  than  two  or  three 
tons  each,  so  that  it  can  be  easily  handled. 

To  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  of  this  kind  of  work,  it  may 
be  stated  that  some  years  ago  a  mass  of  copper  was  uncov- 
ered on  which  nearly  three  thousand  pounds  of  powder  were 
expended  before  it  was  thrown  over  so  that  it  could  be  cut. 
When  it  was  thrown  over  it  was  forty-five  feet  long,  and  its 
greatest  thickness  was  eight  feet.  Several  months  were  re- 
quired for  cutting  it  up  so  that  it  could  be  removed,  and  it 
was  estimated  from  its  measurement  to  weigh  more  than  five 
hundred  tons.  This  mass  copper  usually  yields  more  than 
ninety  per  cent,  of  pure  metal. 

The  copper  mines  of  Lake  Superior  are  generally  very 
profitable,  where  they  pay  at  all,  but  investments  in  them 
should  be  made  with  great  caution.  Many  copper  companies 
have  been  organized,  and  the  stock  has  been  put  upon  the 
market  and  sold,  when  the  mine  had  no  existence  except  in 
the  brain  of  its  originator. 


DRILLING    IN    A    COPPER    MINF 


MALACHITE  AND  ITS  USES.  827 

A  very  valuable  substance  found  in  copper  mines  is  that 
known  as  malachite.  Specimens  of  it  are  found  in  the  Lake 
Superior  district,  in  Australia,  and  sometimes  in  England. 
The  greatest  quantities  of  it  —  in  fact  the  only  quantities  of 
any  importance  in  the  whole  world  —  are  in  the  Ural  Moun- 
tains, in  Russia.  In  the  mine  of  Tagilsk,  a  pretty  town  of 
twenty-five  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  in  the  Ural  Moun- 
tains, there  is  a  valuable  copper  mine  which  produces  im- 
mense quantities  of  malachite. 

Malachite  is  a  protocarbonate  of  copper,  and  by  analysis 
yields  seventy-one  per  cent,  of  protoxide  of  copper.  It  is 
distinguished  for  its  beautiful  green  color,  variegated  in  many 
ways,  its  fine  texture,  and  its  ability  to  receive  high  polish. 
It  is  used  for  jewelry,  and  is  converted  into  tables,  vases,  and 
many  articles  of  great  beaut}r. 

In  the  mine  of  Tagilsk,  about  thirty  years  ago,  an  enor- 
mous mass  of  malachite  was  discovered,  and  several  years 
were  required  to  remove  it.  If  it  could  have  been  taken  out 
in  its  natural  state,  it  would  have  been  the  greatest  curiosity 
of  the  known  world.  The  whole  weight  of  this  mass  was 
estimated  at  seven  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  pounds. 
Sir  Roderick  Murchison  examined  this  mass  before  it  was 
touched  by  the  wedge  or  hammer,  and  his  description  is  quite 
interesting.  He  says, — 

"  The  copper  ground  that  we  have  been  describing  having 
been  excavated  by  shafts,  an  enormous  mass  of  malachite  was 
detected  at  the  depth  of  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet.  These 
strings  of  green  copper  ore  occurring  at  intervals  were  fol- 
lowed downward,  when,  increasing  with  width  and  value, 
they  were  found  to  terminate  at  the  base  of  the  present  mine 
in  an  immense  irregularly  shaped  mass  of  solid  malachite. 
When  we  examined  this  mass,  much  of  the  surrounding  ma- 
trix had  been  removed,  and  it  presented  an  appearance  of 
having  been  cast  in  a  depression  of  the  stone.  We  are  dis- 
posed to  view  it  as  having  resulted  from  copper  solutions 
emanating  from  all  the  porous,  loose,  surrounding  mass,  and 
which,  trickling  through  it  to  the  lowest  cavity  in  the  sub- 


828  SPLENDOR   OF  MALACHITE   COLUMNS. 

jacent  rock,  have  in  a  series  of  ages  produced  this  wonderful 
subterranean  incrustation." 

In  the  great  Exhibition  of  1851,  and  in  the  Paris  Exposi- 
tion of  1867,  wonderful  specimens  of  this  curious  production 
of  nature  were  exhibited.  There  were  large  doors  of  solid 
malachite,  polished  to  the  smoothness  of  mirrors,  and  the 
material  was  exhibited  cut  in  various  shapes.  It  is  used  for 
the  manufacture  of  vases  of  all  sizes,  and  is  frequently  worn 
as  jewelry.  In  the  Paris  Exposition  one  piece  was  exhibited 
nearly  ten  feet  in  length.  It  was  in  its  rough  state,  with  the 
exception  of  one  side,  where  it  was  highly  polished. 

In  some  of  the  Russian  churches,  particularly  in  the 
Church  of  St.  Isaacs,  at  St.  Petersburg,  there  are  pillars 
twenty,  thirty,  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  apparently  of  solid 
malachite.  I  say  apparently,  for  the  reason  that  the  pillars 
are  really  of  granite,  and  have  been  veneered  with  malachite. 
Some  years  ago,  a  vase  was  sent  as  a  present  by  the  Emperor 
of  Russia  to  His  Holiness  the  Pope,  and  has  since  been  on  ex- 
hibition in  the  Vatican.  The  vase  is  large  enough  to  enable 
His  Holiness  to  use  it,  if  he  so  desired,  as  a  bath-tub,  or  an 
aquarium.  To  the  untaught  spectator  it  is  apparently  of 
pure  malachite,  but  a  close  observer  will  discover  the  lines 
where  its  fragments,  or  more  properly  the  fragments  of  its 
veneering,  are  joined,  for  the  vase  is  of  stone  covered  with 
malachite,  just  as  the  pillars  in  St.  Isaacs  Church  are  covered. 
It  is  very  pretty  and  very  valuable,  and  visitors  often  remain 
long  around  it  to  study  its  beauty. 

The  annual  production  of  copper  is  about  eighty  thousand 
tons.  Of  this,  Great  Britain  and  Chili  produce  about  one 
fourth  each,  Russia  produces  one  eighth,  and  America-  about 
one  tenth.  The  rest  of  the  production  is  shared  by  various 
parts  of  South  America,  by  Cuba,  by  Sweden  and  Norway, 
Australia,  and  various  parts  of  Europe.  Asia  produces  about 
one  twentieth  of  the  full  amount,  but  from  Africa  and  South- 
ern Europe  only  a  small  quantity  is  obtained. 


LYIII. 

THE   CATACOMBS  OF  ROME. 

THEIR  AGE  AND  EXTENT.  — THE  SEVEN  HILLS  HONEYCOMBED.  —  HOW  THE 
CATACOMBS  WERE  MADE.  —  THEIR  USES. — THE  CHRISTIAN  MARTYRS. — 
IMMENSE  BURIAL  VAULTS.  —  MILLIONS  OP  PERSONS  BURIED.  —  RESORTS 
OF  ROBBERS.  — STRANGE  ADVENTURES.  — VISITING  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE 
CAPUCHINS.  — FANCY  OF  AN  IRREVERENT  AMERICAN.  —  DOWN  THE  CATA- 
COMBS. —  STORY  OF  THE  GUIDE.  —  STRANGE  EXPERIENCE  OF  TWO  AMERI- 
CANS. 

MANY  cities  of  the  old  world  can  boast  of  catacombs. 
Those  of  Paris  are  famous  in  their  way  for  the  large  num- 
ber of  skeletons  which  have  been  deposited  in  them.  The 
catacombs  in  and  near  other  cities  have  the  same  peculiarity, 
and  the  walls  are  frescoed  and  festooned  with  bones  which 
are  placed  so  as  to  form  fantastic  shapes,  reflecting  much 
credit  upon  the  persons  who  arranged  them. 

The  catacombs  of  Rome  are  quite  interesting,  partly  from 
their  character  and  partly  from  the  associations  connected 
with  them.  Many  of  them  are  of  great  antiquity,  and  can 
be  traced  back  nearly  to  the  time  when  the  city  was  founded. 
The  rock  on  which  Rome  is  built  was  of  volcanic  origin.  It 
is  a  soft,  yellow  stone,  generally  known  as  tufa,  and  can 
be  quarried  very  easily.  The  workmen  shaped  their  shafts 
pretty  much  as  they  pleased,  the  stone  in  many  places  being 
so  soft  that  it  could  be  cut  with  an  axe.  Some  of  them  are 
more  ancient  even  than  the  city  which  Romulus  and  Remus 
founded,  and  they  are  so  extensive  that  the  original  seven 
hills  on  which  Rome  stands  were  perforated  and  honey- 
combed by  enormous  passages  and  galleries,  in  which  one 
might  easily  be  lost.  As  the  building  of  the  city  progressed, 
the  quarries  were  extended,  some  of  them  several  miles  away 
from  the  banks  of  the  Tiber.  During  the  time  of  the  pros- 


830  DESTKOYING   THE   COLISEUM. 

perity  of  Rome  these  quarries  were  opened  in  every  direction, 
and  were  steadily  worked  until  the  city  began  to  decline,  and 
the  materials  of  the  old  buildings  were  used  for  the  construc- 
tion of  new  ones. 

For  a  good  many  hundred  years  Rome  has  had  very  little 
occasion  to  open  new  quarries,  as  the  old  stone  inside  the  city 
is  quite  sufficient  for  most  of  the  building  purposes  of  the 
present  day.  For  several  centuries  some  of  the  great  works 
constructed  by  the  emperors  were  torn  down  to  furnish 
building  material.  A  great  part  of  the  Coliseum  was  re- 
moved in  this  way.  Thousands  of  tons  of  stone  were  carried 
off,  but  the  work  was  so  vast  that,  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts 
of  man  to  destroy  it,  it  remains  to-day  a  gigantic  monument 
of  the  greatness  and  glory  of  Rome. 

Beneath  the  modern  city  of  Rome  there  are  many  under- 
ground passages  which  are  not  generally  classed  with  the 
catacombs.  The  most  interesting  of  the  catacombs,  those 
which  furnished  homes  and  hiding-places  for  the  early  Chris- 
tians, are  outside  the  walls  of  the  modern  city,  and  are  vis- 
ited annually  by  a  great  many  persons.  It  is  not  clear  for 
what  purpose  these  places  were  used  after  their  abandonment 
as  quarries,  but  it  is  generally  believed  they  were  the  resort 
of  robbers  and  other  persons  who  were  escaping  from  or 
avoiding  justice.  At  the  present  time  a  close  watch  is  kept 
over  them,  to  prevent  their  occupation  by  brigands  or  other 
violators  of  the  law.  Only  a  few  years  ago  a  band  of  robbers 
had  their  headquarters  in  one  of  the  catacombs,  and  carried 
on  their  depredations  for  several  months  before  their  place  of 
concealment  was  discovered. 

During  the  time  of  the  persecution  of  the  Christians,  be- 
ginning with  that  under  Nero,  and  followed  by  those  of 
several  other  emperors,  down  to  the  last  persecution,  a  great 
many  persons  who  could*  not  be  safe  anywhere  else  crowded 
into  the  catacombs.  Some  of  them  lived  there  for  years, 
while  many  others  spent  the  greater  part  of  their  time  there, 
and  only  went  to  the  surface  at  night.  Many  of  the  work- 
men around  the  quarries  were  very  early  converted  to  Chris- 


EXPLORING  THE  CATACOMBS.  831 

tianity,  and  it  is  supposed  that  they  greatly  aided  their  fellow- 
Christians  in  finding  secure  places  of  retreat. 

Very  little  attention  was  paid  to  the  catacombs  until  nearly 
fourteen  hundred  years  after  the  beginning  of  the  Christian 
era.  By  that  time  the  catacombs  had  ceased  to  be  the  abode 
of  Christians,  as  it  was  no  longer  necessary  for  them  to  con- 
ceal themselves.  Outlaws  and  assassins  were  gathered  in 
large  numbers  in  the  catacombs,  and  it  required  very  vig- 
orous efforts  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  to  drive  them  out. 
The  entrances  to  many  of  these  places  were  closed  altogether, 
and  have  remained  closed  ever  since,  so  that  there  are  numer- 
ous under-passages  below  and  around  the  city  of  Rome  which 
have  not  been  visited  for  thousands  of  years,  and  their  local- 
ity even  is  not  known. 

In  1535  the  pope  ordered  some  of  the  catacombs  to  be  ex- 
plored, and  directed  that  they  should  be  cleared  and  lighted. 
A  great  interest  was  awakened  in  subterranean  Rome,  and 
Father  Bosio  devoted  about  thirty  years  of  his  life  to  the  ex- 
ploration of  the  catacombs.  He  opened  the  way  into  some 
of  the  places  which  had  been  blocked  up  and  closed  for  cen- 
turies, and  he  made  drawings  and  descriptions  of  some  of  the 
most  remarkable  sculptures,  paintings,  monuments,  and  other 
things  which  he  found  there.  Several  books  have  been  pub- 
lished concerning  the  catacombs,  and  anything  like  a  full 
description  of  them  would  require  thousands  of  pages. 

During  some  of  the  explorations  many  valuable  articles 
were  carried  away,  until  it  was  found  that  there  was  danger 
of  the  catacombs  being  entirely  despoiled.  Pope  Clement 
VIII.  took  the  catacombs  under  his  especial  protection,  and 
forbade  any  one  to  enter  or  leave  them  without  permission, 
or  take  away  any  article  whatever,  under  penalty  of  excom- 
munication. Since  that  time  the  catacombs  have  been  re- 
garded with  great  veneration  as  being  the  hiding-place  of  the 
early  Christians,  who  adhered  to  their  religious  convictions 
through  years  of  the  severest  persecution. 

Every  visitor  to  Rome  makes,  or  is  expected  to  make,  a 
journey  through  the  catacombs.  Very  soon  after  my  arrival 


832  CHURCH  OF  THE  CAPUCHINS. 

in  the  Eternal  City  I  started  to  make  this  tour.  Our  party 
went  first,  as  a  preparation  for  visiting  the  catacombs,  to  one 
of  the  churches  (the  Church  of  the  Capuchins),  which  is  in 
charge  of  about  twenty-four  monks.  Underneath  the  church 
is  the  place  where  the  monks  after  their  death  are  buried. 
The  earth  in  whiten,  they  are  placed  came  originally  from 
Jerusalem,  and  the  monks  consider  it  a  great  honor  to  be 
planted  there.  This  number  of  monks  —  not  the  same  ones, 
by  any  means  —  have  been  in  charge  of  the  church  for  sev- 
eral centuries.  Whenever  any  of  them  dies,  he  is  buried 
with  a  good  deal  of  ceremony ;  and,  in  order  to  find  a  place 
for  him,  the  bones  of  one  of  his  predecessors  are  dug  up. 
The  space  is  sufficiently  large  for  burying  forty  or  fifty  per- 
sons, so  that  when  one  of  the  number  has  been  placed  under 
ground  he  is  not  likely  to  be  disturbed  for  ten  or  twenty 
years.  His  bones,  when  removed  from  the  earth,  are  placed 
with  those  of  his  predecessors.  They  are  not  piled  up  in 
heaps,  as  one  might  naturally  suppose,  but  are  fastened  to 
the  walls  and  ceilings  of  the  little  rooms  that  cover  the 
cemetery. 

Some  of  the  walls  are  entirely  covered  with  these  bones. 
As  you  look  at  the  walls  a  little  distance  away,  you  would 
think  they  were  frescoed ;  but  a  near  approach  shows  you 
that,  instead  of  being  fresco,  it  is  alto-relievo.  For  example, 
one  walLwill  have  in  its  centre  a  skull,  and  around  it  will  be 
a  select  assortment  of  the  bones  of  the  forearm.  Then  sec- 
tions of  the  back-bone,  fragments  of  fingers,  toes,  and  all  the 
bones  familiar  to  the  student  of  anatomy,  will  be  arranged  in 
artistic  order,  so  that  the  wall  forms  an  interesting  picture. 
Sometimes  the  bones  are  arranged  in  the  shape  of  wheels, 
and  some  of  them  are  formed  into  wheels  and  stars. 

One  of  the  peculiar  things  connected  with  the  visit  to  this 
spot  is,  that  you  are  shown  through  the  place  by  one  of  the 
monks,  who  stands  complacently  by,  calling  your  attention 
to  the  bones  of  his  predecessor,  and  regarding  with  calm  sat- 
isfaction the  prominent  positions  which  they  occupy.  He 
knows  very  well  that  one  of  these  days  he  will  go  into  the 


CATACOMBS    OF   ROME.— THE    TliltEF 


IRREVERENT   COMMENTS.  835 

earth  which  his  lantern  illuminates,  and  a  few  years  later  his 
bones  will  form  a  part  of  the  mural  ornaments.  He  con- 
templates death  with  satisfaction,  as  he  knows  he  will  be 
buried  in  a  conspicuous  resting-place,  where  people  can  call 
upon  and  admire  him.  The  monk  that  guided  us  through 
the  burial-ground  was  enthusiastic  rather  than  otherwise,  and 
seemed  to  look  forward  with  delight  to  the  time  when  he 
should  form  a  part  of  an  alto-relievo. 

An  irreverent  member  of  our  party  proposed  asking  the 
monk  if  he  did  not  think  there  would  be  a  good  deal  of  con- 
fusion at  the  day  of  judgment,  when  Gabriel's  trumpet 
sounds,  and  the  bones  undertake  to  sort  themselves  out  and 
get  together.  He  suggested  that  the  arms,  and  legs,  and 
fingers,  and  toes,  and  back-bone  joints  would  be  a  good  deal 
mixed  up,  and  that  fragments  of  a  dozen  monks  might  be 
collected  together  and  present  themselves  as  one  individual. 
He  said  the  head  of  Brother  Ignatius,  the  body  of  Brother 
Francis,  and  the  arm  of  Brother  Peter  might  be  mixed  up 
with  the  legs  of  Brother  Simon,  and  an  arm,  or  leg,  or  a  rib 
of  somebody  else.  We  reproved  him  soundly  for  his  levity, 
and  told  him  he  had  better  go. 

Some  of  the  catacombs  are  entered  beneath  the  churches, 
while  others  are  entered  in  the  open  ground.  The  first  one 
we  went  to  after  leaving  the  church  was  at  the  right  of  the 
Appian  Way,  a  little  distance  outside  the  city.  There  was  a 
party  inside  when  we  reached  there,  and  the  guide  who  took 
us  in  charge  said  that  the  rules  forbade  two  parties  going 
down  at  the  same  time,  and  that  we  could  not  descend  until 
the  other  returned ;  so  we  loitered  around  for  a  little  time, 
until  our  predecessors'  came  out.  We  found  ourselves  in  the 
middle  of  a  field,  part  of  it  cultivated  and  part  of  it  in  rich, 
luxuriant  grass.  To  all  external  appearances  the  ground  be- 
neath was  perfectly  solid,  and  we  almost  began  to  think  we 
had  come  to  the  wrong  place. 

The  guide  preceded  us  to  a  little  hollow  or  excavation, 
down  which  there  was  a  flight  of  steps.  We  stood  around 
this  until  we  saw  some  heads  emerge  from  the  ground  two 


836  ENTERING  THE  CATACOMBS. 

or  three  hundred  yards  away ;  then  the  guide  descended 
the  steps,  and  we  followed  him.  He  unlocked  a  door  and 
allowed  us  to  enter ;  then  he  locked  the  door  after  us,  and 
we  found  ourselves  standing  in  a  place  where  there  was  very 
little  light,  and  it  wTas  evident  that  we  must  have  candles 
before  proceeding  farther. 

He  produced  the  candles,  and  each  of  us  produced  a  franc. 
Another  carriage-load  had  joined  us,  so  that  our  party  consisted 
of  seven  or  eight  persons.  The  harvest  for  the  guide  was  a 
very  good  one,  and  certainly  allowed  him  no  occasion  to  com- 
plain. When  we  had  lighted  our  candles  he  told  us  to  follow 
him,  and  we  descended  another  flight  of  steps,  and  then 
struck  off  through  a  narrow  gallery  about  six  or  seven  feet 
high  — narrow  in  some  places,  and  in  others  enlarged  to  a 
width  of  ten  or  twenty  feet. 

As  we  went  along,  the  guide  explained  to  us  the  character 
of  the  place,  its  mode  of  construction,  and  the  uses  to  which 
it  had  been  put.  He  explained  that  the  catacombs  were 
originally  quarries ;  that  we  were  then  in  the  second  gallery 
from  the  surface,  and  that  there  were  three  similar  galleries 
below  us.  He  could  take  us  through  all  of  them  if  we 
wished  to  go,  but  the  journey  would  be  rather  monotonous, 
as  the  objects  to  be  seen  in  all  were  very  much  alike.  This 
mode  of  working  in  galleries  one  above  the  other  is  not  pecu- 
liar to  the  Roman  catacombs,  though  it  is  more  noticeable 
there  than  in  any  other  locality.  Imagine  a  hotel,  half  a  mile 
square  and  five  stories  high,  placed  under  ground,  and  you 
can  form  a  very  good  idea  of  the  arrangement  of  this  cata- 
comb. 

All  along  the  galleries  there  are  little  niches,  called  locvli, 
cut  in  the  sides  one  above  the  other,  just  large  enough  to 
contain  a  single  body.  From  nearly  all  these  loculi  the  skele- 
tons have  been  removed,  but  there  is  now  and  then  a  skele- 
ton or  so  visible,  and  adding  interest  to  the  place.  It  is  said 
that  millions  of  bodies  were  buried  in  these  catacombs  during 
the  time  they  were  used  for  cemeteries.  Those  that  have 
not  been  explored  are  still  full  of  skeletons,  and  would  fur- 


FOLLOWING  THE  GUIDE.  837 

nish  relics  enough  to  equip  several  thousand  new  churches. 
Here  and  there  the  guide  pointed  out  small  rooms  or  cham- 
bers in  the  tufa,  where  some  of  the  Christians  lived.  There 
are  inscriptions  of  a  religious  character  scratched  upon  the 
walls  of  many  of  them,  some  being  legible,  while  others  are 
only  partly  so.  Beneath  many  of  the  loculi  there  are  inscrip- 
tions showing  who  are  resting  there,  and  at  the  entrance  to 
one  of  the  chambers,  in  which  a  dozen  skeletons  are  lead- 
ing a  very  quiet  life,  there  is  an  elaborate  door-plate  set  in 
mosaic. 

The  places  where  some  of  those  who  have  since  been 
canonized  dwelt  in  their  lifetime  and  were  buried  after 
death,  w^ere  pointed  out.  Some  of  them  were  quite  inter- 
esting, and  several  were  ornamented  with  considerable  care. 
Sometimes  there  were  mosaics  and  marble  monuments  of 
considerable  size ;  and  at  one  spot  a  life-sized  statue  cut  from 
the  tufa  rock,  and  evincing  considerable  skill  on  the  part  of 
its  designer,  was  shown  to  us. 

We  followed  our  guide  in  single  file.  Some  of  our  party 
were  rather  inattentive  to  his  directions.  Among  them  was 
a  pair  of  lovers,  who  seemed  much  more  interested  in  saying 
sweet  things  to  each  other  than  in  looking  at  the  curiosities 
of  the  place.  Several  times  they  lagged  behind,  and  the  rest 
of  us  were  obliged  to  halt  and  wait  for  them  to  come  up. 
Their  dilatoriness  caused  the  rest  of  the  party  at  times  to 
become  separated,  and  as  they  showed  a  disposition  to  wan- 
der off  in  the  side-galleries  and  corridors,  we  were  apprehen- 
sive of  losing  some  of  them.  Sure  enough,  when  we  reached 
our  journey's  end  one  of  our  number  was  missing. 

Our  guide  left  us  and  went  back,  and  he  was  gone  ten 
or  fifteen  minutes  before  he  found  the  missing  individual. 
When  he  brought  him  forward  and  we  were  united,  the 
latter  said  that  he  thought  we  turned  a  certain  corner  while 
he  was  examining  the  grave  and  bones  of  an  early  Christian. 
He  followed  and  could  hear  our  voices,  but  was  surprised  to 
find  that,  in  following  us,  he  seemed  to  get  no  nearer.  He 
thought  a  minute  or  two,  and  then  concluded  that  he  was 


838  A  PAIR   OF  LOST  LOVEES. 

lost.  He  said  his  hair  began  to  stand  on  end,  and  he  was 
considerably  relieved  when  he  heard  the  voice  of  our  guide 
shouting  to  him,  and  answered.  The  guide  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  finding  him,  as  he  had  turned  into  a  side-gallery  and 
thence  into  another  gallery ;  and  had  he  gone  a  little  farther, 
it  might  have  taken  some  time  to  trace  him  out.  I  am  en- 
tirely convinced  that  the  next  time  he  visits  a  catacomb  he 
will  take  good  care  to  keep  within  hearing  distance,  and 
seeing  distance  too,  of  the  guide. 

The  guide  told  us  that  it  was  not  unusual  for  people  to  be 
lost  there,  and  he  said  that  whenever  they  took  a  large  party 
inside  the  catacombs  they  always  counted  them  carefully  both 
on  entering  and  departing.  "  People,"  he  said,  "  will  stop 
and  look  at  things  while  the  rest  of  the  party  is  moving  on  ; 
and  if  we  have  a  large  number,  they  are  quite  likely  to  get 
lost.  The  galleries  run  in  all  directions,  and  in  some  places 
there  are  holes  from  a  gallery  to  the  one  above  or  below. 
Unless  a  person  is  careful,  and  is  aware  of  their  locality,  he 
may  fall  down  one  of  these  holes,  and  be  severely  injured,  or 
perhaps  killed."  After  he  had  told  us  of  the  danger  of  get- 
ting lost,  he  said,  — 

"  I  once  took  two  Americans  into  one  of  the  catacombs, 
along  with  a  party  of  a  dozen  or  more.  They  had  been 
drinking  somewhat,  and  were  not  very  sober.  We  had  quite 
a  long  journey  through  the  galleries,  as  it  was  late  in  the  clay, 
and  I  knew  that  no  other  party  would  be  allowed  to  enter. 
We  spent  some  time  in  the  place,  and  then  we  went  out,  and 
I  was  so  busy  talking  when  we  came  out  that  I  forgot  to 
count  the  party.  I  locked  the  door  and  went  home,  sup- 
posing all  was  right. 

"  In  two  or  three  hours  the  driver  of  a  carriage  came  to 
wake  me,  and  said  he  had  been  all  that  time  trying  to  find 
ne.  I  asked  what  he  wanted.  He  said  he  took  two  Ameri- 
can gentlemen  to  go  into  the  catacombs,  and  they  had  gone 
there  ;  they  had  not  come  back  to  the  carriage  yet,  and  he 
was  beginning  to  get  alarmed  about  his  pay.  He  did  not 
think  they  would  run  away  and  cheat  him,  but  he  could  not 
tell  what  had  become  of  them. 


DANCING  WITH  A  SKELETON.  839 

"  Just  then  I  happened  to  think  that  I  did  not  count  the 
party  \vhen  they. came  out,  and  quite  likely  the  crowd  might 
have  been  two  men  short ;  so  I  went  and  found  the  custodian 
of  the  place,  and  got  permission  to  go  into  the  catacombs. 
The  rules  forbid  us  to  go  into  the  catacombs  between  sunset 
and  sunrise,  unless  we  have  a  good  reason ;  and  I  thought 
my  excuse  was  good  enough  at  that  time.  I  was  afraid  that 
those  Americans  might  be  shut  up  there  in  the  dark,  as  their 
candles  were  not  very  long,  and  unless  they  burned  them 
singly,  were  not  good  for  more  than  three  hours. 

"  From  the  time  I  shut  up  the  place  until  I  got  there 
again  and  unlocked  the  place,  it  was  nearly  five  hours. 
The  Americans  are  a  strange  people,  as  I  found  when  I 
went  down  there. 

"  I  expected  to  find  these  men,  if  I  found  them  at  all,  half 
dead  with  fright,  and  wandering  about  or  trembling  in  the 
darkness  ;  but  they  were  nothing  of  the  sort.  When  I  got 
down  into  the  place  and  walked  along  one  of  the  galleries, 
I  heard  somebody  singing.  He  would  sing  a  little  while, 
and  then  he  would  whistle.  I  could  hear  a  rattling  of  bones 
and  a  sound  as  if  somebody  was  dancing. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,  as  sure  as  I  am  a  guide,  when  I  came 
in  sight  of  those  men  they  were  in  a  place  where  the  gallery 
widened  out  into  a  sort  of  chamber,  and  there  were  some 
skeletons  which  had  been  tied  together  with  wrires  and 
thongs.  The  chamber  was  about  ten  feet  square,  and  these 
skeletons  were  in  the  niches  in  the  side.  Those  fellows  were 
there.  One  of  them  was  sitting  on  the  edge  of  a  niche,  and 
making  music  by  singing  or  whistling.  He  kept  time  with  a 
couple  of  leg-bones  which  he  had  in  his  hands.  The  other 
was  hugging  a  skeleton  as  if  it  had  been  a  queen  of  the 
ballet.  I  stood  still  five  or  ten  minutes  to  see  what  they 
would  do. 

"  When  the  fellow  that  was  waltzing  got  tired,  he  seated 
his  skeleton  in  the  corner,  bowed  to  it  as  if  it  had  been  a 
young  lady,  patted  it  on  the  cheek,  and  sat  down.  Then  the 
other  one  got  up  and  picked  up  the  same  skeleton  ;  the  one 


840  MAKING  A  NIGHT   OF  IT. 

who  had  just  been  dancing  made  the  music,  and  the  scene 
was  repeated. 

•    "  I  shouted  to  them ;   they  looked  a  little  surprised,  and 
answered  me. 

"  They  said  their  candles  were  nearly  out.  As  soon  as 
they  found  that  they  were  lost  they  concluded  they  must 
stay  there  all  night ;  so  they  stopped  right  where  they  were, 
entered  the  chamber,  and  made  themselves  as  comfortable  as 
possible.  The  accommodations  were  not  very  good,  but  one 
of  them  said,  '  Now  that  we  are  in  for  the  night,  I  guess  we 
will  stay  it  out.' 

"  They  gave  me  some  money,  sent  me  out  for  a  couple  of 
bottles  of  wine  and  something  to  eat,  and  told  me  to  come 
again  in  the  morning.  They  sent  money  enough  to  pay  the 
driver.  I  bought  a  dozen  candles,  took  them  their  over- 
coats from  the  carriage,  so  that  they  could  use  them  in  case 
they  wanted  to  lie  down  on  the  ground,  and  they  had  a 
merry  time  of  it  all  night. 

"  They  promised  not  to  disturb  anything,  and  I  knew  they 
were  gentlemen,  and  would  keep  their  word.  They  did  not 
sleep  any,  but  kept  carousing  all  night.  They  were  ready  to 
come  out  when  I  went  there  in  the  morning ;  and  though 
they  said  they  had  plenty  of  fun,  I  don't  believe  thay  would 
care  to  stay  over  night  in  the  catacombs  again." 

In  some  of  the  catacombs  many  persons  of  distinction  have 
been  buried.  The  place  where  the  Christian  martyrs  were 
concealed  has  been  regarded  with  such  veneration  that  a 
great  many  people  have  considered  it  a  high  honor  to  be 
buried  there.  Sometimes  people  who  had  died  in  France, 
Spain,  and  other  distant  countries,  were  brought  to  Rome 
to  find  a  sepulchre  in  the  catacombs  ;  and  sometimes  their 
funeral  ceremonies  were  conducted  with  great  pomp.  Among 
the  noted  men  buried  in  the  catacombs  were  the  Popes  Leo  I., 
Gregory  the  Great,  Gregory  II.  and  III.,  Leo  IX.;  also  the 
Emperors  Honorius,  Valeiitmian,  and  Otho  II.  In  most  of 
the  places  now  opened  to  visitors  there  are  no  graves  of  per- 
sons of  distinction,  though  there  are  several  of  the  second 
and  third  class. 


VAULTED  CHAPEL  IN  THE  CATACOMBS. 


LOST  IN  THE  CATACOMBS. 


INTO  DAYLIGHT   AGAIN.  843 

The  place  where  we  emerged  from  the  catacombs  was  some 
distance  from  where  we  descended  into  the  earth.  It  was  in 
the  same  field,  and  through  an  excavation  which  promised  as 
little  as  the  one  by  which  we  descended.  The  light  of  the 
Roman  sun  seemed  much  brighter  than  when  we  left  it,  and 
it  was  some  minutes  before  O'JI  eyes  were  accustomed  to  its 
dazzling  rays. 


45 


LIX. 

THE  PARISIAN  RAG-PICKERS. 

THEIR  NUMBER  AND  EQUIPMENT.  — THEIR  KEEN-SIGHTEDNESS  AND  SKILL.  — THE 
PLEASURE  OP  THE  BOTTLE. — SEEKING  COMFORT  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. — 
UNWHOLESOME  MAGAZINES.  — WHERE  AND  HOW  THE  CHIFFONNIERS  LIVE. 
—  DISMAL  AND  NOISOME  ABODES.  —  A  SOUP  LOTTERY. — QUAINT  SCENES 
IN  CHEAP  BOOK-SHOPS.  —  TASTING  ROAST  CAT  AND  STEWED  PUPPY.  — 
ROMANCE  IN  DIRT-HEAPS.  —  A  HIDEOUS  HAG  ONCE  A  FAMOUS  BEAUTY.  — 
PENITENCE  AND  REFORMATION  THROUGH  FIRE. 

EVERYBODY  who  lias  been  in  Paris  —  and  who  has  not  ?  — 
remembers  the  rag-pickers,  or  chiffonniers,  as  they  are 
styled,  who  frequent  the  streets  after  nightfall,  searching  the 
city  through  for  the  means  of  subsistence.  One  sees  them 
so  much,  and  in  every  quarter  of  the  French  capital,  that  he 
imagines  there  must  be  several  thousand  of  them.  The 
entire  number,  however,  does  not  exceed  six  hundred,  one 
half  of  whom  are  women  and  children.  Though  rag-pickers 
in  name,  they  are  something  more  in  fact,  since  they  gather 
up  every  article  of  the  most  trifling  value  —  old  corks,  frag- 
ments of  bone  or  glass,  coal  or  wood,  scraps  of  paper,  ends 
of  cigars,  and  all  sorts  of  rubbish  that  can  be  sold  for  the 
fraction  of  a  sou. 

Everything  is  organized  and  licensed  in  Paris,  the  chiffon- 
niers  not  excepted.  After  once  entering  on  their  calling, 
they  usually  remain  in  it  for  life.  Many  of  them  begin  as 
children  in  their  ninth  or  tenth  year,  and  continue,  while 
their  limbs  will  bear  them  about,  and  their  eyesight  is  good 
enough  to  detect  the  objects  of  their  quest.  They  are  usually 
so  soiled  and  begrimed  that  it  is  hard  to  distinguish  the  young 
from  the  old,  unless  they  be  small  children,  and  even  these 
have  the  look  of  premature  age. 


ROUTES   OF  CHIFFONNIERS.  845 

They  set  out  on  their  rounds  between  nine  and  ten  o'clock 
in  the  evening,  with  a  large  willow  basket  strapped  to  their 
back,  carrying  in  one  hand  a  stick  about  a  yard  long,  termi- 
nating in  a  hook,  and  in  the  other  hand  a  lantern  fastened  to 
a  piece  of  wire,  so  that  they  can  swing  it  over  the  ground, 
and  discover  if  there  be  anything  they  want.  They  pay 
particular  attention  to  the  little  heaps  of  rubbish,  made  by  the 
citizens  before  their  doors,  from  the  miscellaneous  refuse  of 
the  household.  After  these  have  been  raked  by  the  rag- 
pickers, they  are  carried  away  by  the  scavengers'  carts.  The 
pickers-up  of  unconsidered  trifles  never  waste  any  time  or 
space.  They  understand  the  exact  distance  from  one  point  to 
another,  always  moving  in  straight  lines,  and  taking  in  every- 
thing at  a  glance.  Their  vision  is  like  that  of  hawks.  They 
very  rarely  miss  anything,  or  confound  one  object  with 
another.  They  know  bone  from  wood,  and  coal  from  glass, 
though  it  be  half  buried  in  the  mire,  and  transfer  every 
desirable  fragment  to  their  basket  by  means  of  their  hooks 
with  unerring  accuracy,  and  by  a  single  curve  movement 
It  is  astonishing  how  quickly  and  thoroughly  they  can 
hunt  through  one  of  the  little  dirt-piles.  After  quitting  it,  it 
is  as  valueless  as  the  notes  of  a  western  wildcat  bank,  or  a 
second-hand  tombstone. 

They  never  encroach  upon  each  other's  domain,  for  they 
have  their  particular  districts  marked  out,  and  generally 
visit  them  unaccompanied,  darting  about  in  silence,  without 
the  least  indirectness,  dawdling,  or  delay.  They  are  certainly 
among  the  most  industrious  and  indefatigable  of  laborers, 
if  not  the  tidiest  and  most  fastidious.  They  go  forth  in  all 
sorts  of  weather,  night  after  night,  month  after  month,  and 
year  after  year ;  patient,  plodding,  never  discouraged  while 
there  is  the  slightest  chance  of  finding  a  bit  of  leather  or 
scrap  of  paper  in  the  entire  capital.  So  dexterous  are  they 
by  long  practice  in  the  use  of  their  hook,  that  they  very 
seldom  employ  their  fingers. 

The  night-wandering  gypsies  have  the  highest  expectations 
from  the  gutters,  where  they  are  often  delighted  by  securing 


DELIGHTED   WITH   A   BOTTLE. 

a  prize  that  yields  them  a  whole  centime,  —  one  fifth  of  a  cent, 
—  and  when  they  discover  what  will  sell  for  a  sou,  they  deem 
themselves  blessed.  There,  cigar  stumps,  remnants  of  shoes, 
and  broken  bottles,  are  sometimes  found,  and  are  enough  to 
cheer  the  heart  of  the  rag-picker  for  weeks  after  fortune  has 
ceased  to  smile  upon  his  nocturnal  gleaning.  At  long  inter- 
vals a  whole  bottle  dawns  upon  his  vision,  and  he  is  as  much 
rejoiced  as  an  American  would  be  if  he  should  stumble  upon 
a  treasure  of  gold  buried  in  his  cellar. 

The  pleasures  of  the  bottle  have  a  new  interpretation  with 
the  chiffonniers  of  Paris.  The  phrase  has  a  literal,  not  a 
figurative  meaning  with  them,  and  I  have  heard  them  speak 
of  finding  half  a  dozen  bottles  in  one  week,  as  Ponce  de  Leon 
might  have  spoken  of  discovering  the  fountain  of  eternal 
youth. 

I  remember  to  have  bound  one  of  the  guild  to  me  in  eternal 
gratitude  by  presenting  him  with  a  few  empty  wine  bottles, 
as  he  passed  my  lodgings  one  stormy  night.  He  regarded  me 
as  a  gentleman  of  munificent  income;  he  went  away,  I  am 
persuaded,  with  a  semi-conviction  that  I  owned  the  Bank  of 
France. 

One  would  hardly  think  that  the  poor  devils  of  the  hook 
and  basket  would  attempt  to  have  any  comfort  in  this  life. 
But  they  do ;  for  they  are  French,  and  must  have  dissipation 
and  distraction,  however  humble  and  homely  it  be.  After 
midnight,  they  visit  the  cheap  wine-shops,  where  they  can 
purchase  as  much  wine  as  they  want  for  two  or  three  sous. 
They  smoke  their  pipes  there,  and  have  very  pleasant  chats, 
manifesting  a  gayety  in  their  rags  and  dirt  that  only  a  Gaul 
can  feel.  They  even  get  mildly  tipsy  sometimes,  but  usually 
start  off  with  their  baskets  before  daylight,  make  another 
round,  and  then  sell  their  collection  to  the  rag  and  refuse 
merchants  who  are  their  regular  customers.  The  contents 
of  their  baskets,  holding  some  two  bushels,  will  bring  from 
twenty  cents  to  one  dollar  in  our  money,  the  average  rate 
being  from  forty  to  fifty  cents. 

The   merchants    have  large   magazines    in  the    quarters 


HOMES   OF  THE   RAG-PICKERS.  847 

frequented  by  the  chiffonniers,  and  employ  scores  of  men 
and  women  to  assort  and  arrange  their  unwholesome  pur- 
chases.  The  air  of  the  magazines  is  vitiated  and  poisoned 
by  the  exhalations  from  mouldy  leather,  greasy  rags,  filthy 
bones,  and  repulsive  rubbish  generally.  How  those  whose 
duty  it  is  to  attend  to  this  obnoxious  business  escape  conta- 
gion is  by  no  means  clear.  It  may  be  they  are  so  defiled  and 
encrusted  with  dirt  themselves,  that  they  cannot  receive  any 
harm  from  what  they  handle,  though  if  they  were  neat  in 
habit,  or  if  their  pores  were  open,  they  could  not  fail  to  be 
made  sick  unto  death  by  breathing  such  tainted  air.  They  are 
advanced  in  years,  or  infirm  in  body,  having  belonged,  most 
of  them,  to  the  rag-picking  profession  when  they  were 
younger,  and  in  sounder  health.  They  prefer  the  more 
active,  open-air  duties,  but  are  forced  by  circumstances  and 
their  condition  into  this  lower  grade  of  offensive  industry. 
For  twelve  hours  of  labor  a  day,  they  are  paid  about  thirty- 
cents,  and  on  this,  in  some  unaccountable  way,  they  contrive- 
to  keep  their  wretched  bodies  and  souls  together. 

I  ceased  to  wonder  how  the  rag-pickers  lived  when  1 
discovered  where  and  under  what  surroundings  they  lived.. 
Live  indeed?  Theirs  is  a  satire  upon  life.  It  does  not 
deserve  the  name  of  subsistence,  or  even  vegetation,  for  sub- 
sistence and  vegetation  are  at  least  natural  and  salutary.  Few 
strangers  in  Paris  ever  see  such  miserable  quarters  as  are 
the  damp,  dreary,  and  ill-ventilated  cellars  of  the  Quartier 
Mouftard,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  old  Barriere  des  Deux 
Moulins,  in  which  the  chiffonniers  reside.  In  those  narrow 
and  dismal  streets,  reminding  me  of  the  streets  in  the  old 
Spanish  towns,  the  sunshine  is  shut  out,  and  the  fresh  breeze 
of  heaven  is  unknown.  In  those  vile  dens,  the  unfortunate 
toilers  herd  together,  frequently  sleeping  ten  or  twelve  in  a, 
small  apartment,  regardless  of  age  or  sex,  paying  three  or 
four  sous  a  night  for  their  detestable  lodgings.  Some  of  the^ 
aged  and  less  impoverished  couples  pretend  to  keep  house  ;: 
but  it  is  after  so  sorry  a  fashion  that  their  homes  would  be- 
unwelcome  to  a  respectable  beast. 


8-iS  HASAED  DE  LA   FOURCHETTE. 

The  majority  of  the  rag-pickers  sleep  where  they  can,  and 
take  their  meals  in  the  dismal  cook-shops,  eating  whatever  is 
given  them,  and  asking  no  questions.  Worthless  dogs  that 
have  come  to  tragic  ends  are  there  served  up  for  beef,  and 
cats,  whose  nocturnal  serenade  has  been  suddenly  brought  to 
a  close  by  the  hurling  of  an  unappreciative  brick,  are  placed 
upon  a  rude  table  and  labelled  as  mutton.  Customers  who 
work  hard,  and  earn  but  three  or  four  dollars  a  week,  are  not 
fastidious.  Whatever  satisfies  the  cravings  of  hunger  is 
pronounced  good,  and  where  very  little  is  charged,  very  little 
must  be  expected. 

I  busied  myself  one  day  in  investigating  the  quarters  of 
the  chiffonniers,  because  I  always  feel  an  interest  in  the 
human  family  in  its  least  favorable  conditions  $  but  what  I  saw 
did  not  induce  me  to  repeat  the  experiment. 

One  of  the  cook-shops  that  I  entered  had  a  very  remarkable 
way  of  feeding  its  patrons,  combining  the  excitement  of 
'chance  with  practical  advantage.  The  proprietor  of  the 
place  purchases  from  the  restaurants  such  scraps  and  frag- 
ments as  are  left  upon  the  tables  and  in  the  kitchen,  puts 
them  in  a  large  pot  full  of  water,  and  submits  them  to  a  long 
boiling.  The  result,  quite  a  savory  soup,  is  placed  on  a  table, 
and  anybody,  by  paying  two  sous,  has  the  privilege  of  thrust- 
ing a  long  iron  fork  into  the  kettle,  and  of  eating  whatever 
he  can  bring  up  from  the  bottom.  Sometimes  the  handler  of 
the  fork  is  rewarded  with  a  very  tolerable  piece  of  beef, 
mutton,  chicken,  goose-liver,  or  some  genuine  delicacy  that 
may  have  been  ordered  at  a  fashionable  restaurant  in  the 
Boulevards.  Even  if  the  fork  come  up  without  the  hoped- 
for  prize,  the  adventurer  is  entitled  to  a  plate  of  the  soup, 
relished  none  the  less  because  the  eater  has  had  the  boldness 
to  risk  his  sous  for  something  more  substantial.  This  culinary 
game  is  called  the  fortune  of  the  fork  (hasard  de  lafourchette), 
-and  is  much  enjoyed  by  the  chiffonniers.  I  felt  a  curious 
interest  in  it  myself,  though  I  lacked  the  relish  of  hunger, 
^nd  consequently  the  personal  sympathy  properly  belonging 
to  the  entertainment. 


WINNING  A  WAGER.  849 

The  rag-pickers  gathered  about  the  table  on  which  the 
large  kettle  stood,  watching  with  eager  eyes  the  fellow  who 
handled  the  fork,  and  made  a  dash  for  the  invisible  morsel  he 
so  craved.  When  he  brought  up  nothing,  he  showed  no  dis- 
appointment, but  laughed  with  the  throng ;  and  when  he  was 
lucky  enough  to  lift  upon  the  tines  what  is  called  in  Paris  a 
bonne  bouche,  they  applauded  him  with  hands  and  voice,  as 
if  he  had  obtained  a  grand  victory.  The  rude  and  dingy  cook- 
shop,  with  the  soiled  and  tattered  rag-pickers  in  the  centre, 
and  the  burly  proprietor  in  the  background,  made  a  picture 
which  Dor6  would  have  been  pleased  to  draw. 

The  soup  had  an  appetizing  odor,  and  I  could  not  doubt 
that  what  appealed  so  much  to  one  sense  must  be  grateful  to 
another.  I  told  my  companion,  a  young  New  Yorker,  that  I 
thought  of  tasting  it ;  whereupon  he  offered  to  bet  me  the 
price  of  a  dinner  at  the  Cafe  Anglais  that  I  durst  not  obey  my 
thought.  I  called  at  once  for  a  plate  of  the  potage,  and  really 
found  it  excellent,  twenty  times  better  than  much  that  I  have 
eaten  in  first-class  hotels  at  home.  The  effort  of  my  friend  to 
thwart  my  humor  by  talking  to  me  of  broiled  horse,  roast  cat, 
boiled  parrot,  and  stewed  puppy,  had  no  effect.  I  finished 
the  soup  with  satisfaction,  and  at  the  dinner  which  I  had  won 
expressed  my  regret  that  the  Julienne  we  had  there  was  not 
so  good  as  the  mysterious  mixture  in  the  Quartier  Mouftard. 

The  chiffonniers  are  reputed  to  be  extremely  honest.  As 
evidence  of  this,  they  are  very  seldom  arrested  for  any  viola- 
tion of  law,  and,  according  to  the  French  code,  the  finder  of 
any  article  of  value  is  considered  guilty  of  larceny  unless  he 
makes  some  effort  to  restore  the  property.  In  a  great  and 
luxurious  city  like  Paris,  many  such  articles  must  necessarily 
be  lost,  and  they  are  very  likely  to  fall  into  the  possession  of 
the  rag-pickers.  The  representatives  of  this  order  are  con- 
stantly discovering  objects  which  they  must  feel  a  strong 
temptation  to  keep.  Still,  they  do  not  yield  to  the  tempta- 
tion, but  deposit  what  they  find  with  the  commissioner  of 
police,  who  gives  a  receipt,  and  takes  the  name  and  address 
of  the  finder.  The  thing  found  is  carried  to  the  Prefecture, 


850  HONESTY  OF   CHIFFONNIERS. 

where  it  is  held,  with  many  other  articles,  for  twelve  months ; 
and  if,  during  that  time,  no  one  claims  it,  it  is  returned  to  the 
finder  on  the  presentation  of  the  receipt.  In  no  other  city 
can  you  feel  half  so  certain  of  regaining  what  you  have  mis- 
laid, or  left,  or  dropped  in  some  public  place.  I  have  known 
of  watches  and  pocket-books  (with  something  in  them,  too) 
restored,  time  and  again.  I  have  even  recovered  lost  um- 
brellas, without  the  least  trouble,  and  have  been  handed 
small  pieces  of  money  which  I  had  left  upon  the  tables  of 
restaurants,  several  days  after  I  had  dined  there. 

Every  week  a  list  of  articles  found  and  deposited  at  the 
Prefecture  of  Police  is  published  in  the  official  journal,  some 
of  which,  one  would  imagine,  could  not  be  very  readily  lost. 
Among  the  articles  the  most  frequent  are  bank  notes,  porte- 
monnaies,  watches,  jewelry,  rings  of  keys,  lorgnettes,  canes, 
shawls,  gloves,  &c.  But  it  is  somewhat  singular  to  note,  as  I 
have  noted,  in  the  list,  casks  of  wine,  barrels  of  brandy,  sets 
of  false  teeth,  wigs,  baskets  of  newly-washed  linen,  petticoats, 
hats,  and  even  babies,  who  have  been  accidentally  left  in 
omnibuses,  railway  cars,  or  the  public  parks,  by  absent-minded 
nurses  or  self-absorbed  mothers. 

The  great  majority  of  the  rag-pickers  are,  as  would  neces- 
sarily be  inferred,  ignorant,  and  of  the  humblest  origin.  Some 
of  them,  however,  are  persons  of  education,  who  have  fallen 
from  their  natural  position  through  defect  of  their  own,  or 
adversity  of  circumstances. 

I  recollect  a  rag-picker  —  he  must  have  been  nearly  fifty 
years  of  age  —  who  passed  nightly  along  the  Grands  Boule- 
vards, and  who,  when  not  surveying  the  ground  with  his 
lantern,  walked  erect,  and  with  military  precision.  I  was 
told  that  he  had  been  well  born,  was  of  an  old  and  influential 
family,  and  had  served  with  distinction  in  the  army  in  Algiers. 
Cashiered  for  some  irregular  conduct,  his  family  disowned 
him,  and  he  began  a  course  of  dissipation,  which  soon  left  him 
without  friends,  money,  or  self-respect.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  reform  ;  but  his  habits  of 
intemperance  adhered  to  him,  and  after  numerous  disreputa- 


LA  BELLE  D'ENFER.  851 

6le  experiences,  and  after  several  arrests  on  charges  of  steal- 
ing, he  returned  to  Paris. 

He  could  get  no  employment  there  of  the  kind  he  wanted, 
and  after  trying  divers  methods  of  obtaining  a  livelihood,  he 
settled  down,  socially  and  mentally,  into  a  rag-picker.  Oddly 
enough,  in  this  position  he  became  industrious  and  moderate- 
ly abstemious.  Two  years  ago  he  was  accounted  one  of  the 
most  energetic  of  his  tribe,  and  often  earned,  with  his  lantern 
and  his  rake,  fifty  or  sixty  francs  a  week,  which  is  much  above 
the  average.  Having  reached  the  lowest  level,  he  seemed 
quite  satisfied ;  and  they  who  had  talked  with  him  said  he 
never  murmured  at  fortune,  and  very  rarely  referred  to  his 
antecedents.  His  health  and  strength  were  so  well  preserved, 
that  he  had  continued  in  his  grubbing  occupation  twelve  or 
fifteen  years  longer  than  is  customary  with  his  class.  This 
appears  to  be  one  of  the  few  instances  in  which  as  men  de- 
scend socially  they  rise  morally. 

Among  the  trilleuses,  —  the  old  women  who  arrange  and 
assort  the  contents  of  the  chiffonuiers'  baskets  for  the  rag- 
merchants, —  I  recall,  just  before  the  Franco-German  warr 
one  of  the  ugliest  hags  it  has  ever  been  my  fortune  to  see; 
and  my  observation  of  hags  has  been  extensive,  varied,  and 
profound.  One  of  Rembrandt's  ancient  females  was  youthful 
and  beautiful  to  her,  who  attracted  me,  somewhat  after  an  in- 
verted fashion,  by  her  positive  hideousness.  Seeing  her  one 
day  in  the  Cite  Dore,  I  inquired  of  a  gendarme  respecting 
her.  He  expressed  his  surprise  that  I  did  not  recognize  her, 
adding,  "  Everybody  knows  her.  She  is  called  the  Belle  of 
the  Bottomless  Pit  (Belle  d'Enfer)."  He  then  gave  me  her 
history ;  and  thus  it  ran  :  — 

She  was  nearly  seventy ;  forty  years  before,  had  been  one 
of  the  handsomest  and  most  courted  of  the  lorettes  of  Paris. 
Everybody  admired  her  lovely  face  and  exquisite  figure. 
Her  fame  as  a  beauty  had  extended  to  all  the  capitals  of 
Europe.  She  had  any  number  of  wealthy  lovers,  and  not  a 
few  young  noblemen  of  high  rank  in  her  train.  She  lived 
like  a  queen.  Her  horses,  and  carriages,  and  toilets  were 


852  A  EOMANTIC  STORY. 

the  envy  of  the  most  fashionable  ladies ;  and  when  the  name 
of  Annette  Gariteau  was  mentioned,  as  it  constantly  was, 
eulogies  on  her  charms  were  upon  every  lip. 

On  retiring  one  night,  her  bed-curtains  caught  fire,  and  she 
was  dreadfully  burned.  Not  a  single  trace  of  her  beauty  was 
left,  but  in  its  stead  a  frightfully  disfigured  face,  and  a  shriv- 
elled and  crippled  form.  For  some  weeks  it  was  thought  she 
could  not  live ;  and  when  she  did  recover,  she  was  so  dis- 
gusted with  herself,  she  tried  to  commit  suicide  by  drowning, 
by  poison,  and  by  charcoal.  They  all  failed,  and  she  then 
fancied  it  was  the  wish  of  Heaven  she  should  atone  for  her 
past  errors  by  living  until  nature  summoned  her.  Since  then 
she  has  been  very  pious,  never  neglecting  her  religious  duties 
in  the  smallest  particular.  She  became  a  rag-picker  because 
she  considered  that  the  humblest  of  callings,  and  because  she 
thought  that  in  it  she  would  best  serve  her  purpose  of  peni- 
tence, and  render  her  reformation  clear  as  noonday  in  the 
eyes  of  all  who  had  known  her  in  her  pride  of  iniquity. 

That  was  a  queer  story,  and  would  hardly  have  been  plau- 
sible, or  probable,  except  when  told  of  a  French  woman.  I 
heard  it  repeated  several  times  afterwards,  and  have  no  rea- 
son to  doubt  its  correctness.  The  tale  made  a  deep  impression 
on  me ;  and  now,  whenever  I  see  some  deformed  and  miserable 
creature,  I  try  to  forget  her  deformity  and  misery  by  fancy- 
ing that  she  may  be  another  Annette  Gariteau. 


XL. 

BRIGANDAGE   AND   PIRACY. 

RELATIONS  OF  THE  STEAM  ENGINE  TO  HONESTY.  —  PIRACY  AND  STEAMSHIPS.  — 
HOW  THE  SLAVE  TRADE  WAS  BROKEN  UP.  —  STORIES  OF  BRIGANDS. — EX- 
PLOITS OF  SPANISH  ROBBERS.  —  "  ROAD  AGENTS  "  IN  CALIFORNIA.  —  AN 
ADVENTURE  WITH  HIGHWAYMEN.  —  AN  ARMED  STAGE  COACH.  — THE  HAUNTS 
OF  THE  ROBBERS.  —  STORY  OF  A  PLUNDERED  PASSENGER.  —  "  PUT  UP  YOUR 
HANDS." —  AN  EXCITING  INCIDENT.  —  BROAD-HORNS  AND  KEEL-BOATS.— 
HIKE  FINK  AND  THE  CLERGYMAN.  —  PIRACY  ON  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  — A  FIGHT 
WITH  RIVER  PIRATES.  —  A  CAPTAIN  AND  CREW  MURDERED.  —  VISIT  TO  A 

ROBBERS'  CAVE. 

THE  invention  of  the  steam  engine,  while  it  has  done  a  good 
deal  for  honest  labor  and  honest  enterprise,  has  done  just  as 
much  towards  breaking  up  dishonest  enterprises  and  occupa- 
tions. Before  steamships  came  into  fashion,  the  broad  ocean 
and  its  adjacent  waters  were  in  many  places  the  cruising 
grounds  of  pirates.  They  had  sailing  vessels  built  very  long 
and  low,  with  large  spars,  and,  in  proportion  to  the  size  of 
their  hulk,  with  an  immense  spread  of  canvas.  In  a  light 
wind  or  a  heavy  breeze,  they  could  outsail  the  deeply  and 
richly  laden  merchant  ships,  whose  breadth  of  beam  was  great 
in  proportion  to  their  length,  in  order  that  they  might  carry 
heavy  cargoes.  These  pirate  vessels  either  sailed  on  the  open 
ocean,  in  the  track  of  merchant  ships,  or  were  concealed  along 
the  coast,  whence  they  could  dart  out,  and,  after  securing 
their  prey,  could  sail  back  to  their  safe  retreats.  It  was  im- 
possible to  avoid  them,  impossible  to  escape  them  in  a  fair 
race,  and,  from  the  great  number  of  men  they  carried,  gener- 
ally impossible  to  contend  against  them.  Ships  of  war,  like  mer- 
chant ships,  depended  upon  the  wind  for  their  propulsion,  and 
were  rarely  able  to  sail  as  rapidly  as  the  pirate  craft.  The 
invention  of  the  steam  engine  was  followed  by  the  construe- 


854  ONE  EFFECT  OF  STEAM. 

tion  of  the  steamship ;  and  when  the  steamship  was  armer) 
with  guns,  she  could  run  down  and  destroy  these  pirate 
cruisers. 

Piracy  in  the  West  Indies  and  other  regions,  as  well  as  on 
the  open  sea,  came  to  an  end  when  steamers  were  brought 
into  general  use  as  ships  of  war.  At  the  present  day,  piracy 
prevails  only  in  those  portions  of  the  far  east  where  the 
steamer  is  in  comparatively  little  use. 

The  slave  trade  received  its  death  blow  within  the  past 
twenty  years,  when  England  and  the  United  States,  with 
other  nations  interested  in  its  suppression,  substituted  war 
steamers  for  sailing  ships  along  the  coast  of  Africa.  From 
the  ports  of  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  where  the  slave  ships 
were  laden,  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  escape  under  cover 
of  a  dark  night ;  and,  once  fairly  at  sea,  the  slavers  could  bid 
defiance  to  their  pursuers.  With  the  wind,  all  had  the  same 
chance,  and  the  slavers  were  generally  so  constructed  and 
equipped  as  to  be  able  to  outsail  their  pursuers ;  but  it  be- 
came otherwise  when  the  latter  availed  themselves  of  steam. 

On  land,  in  past  times,  brigandage  flourished,  and  was 
profitable  until  the  railway  came  into  general  use.  A  stage 
coach  or  a  carriage  with  a  private  traveller,  on  a  lonely  road, 
might  be  robbed  with  comparative  ease ;  but  when  the  stage 
coach  or  the  private  carriage  was  exchanged  for  the  railway 
train,  robbery  was  not  so  easy.  Enterprising  brigands  in 
Spain  and  other  countries  occasionally  try  their  hands  at  rob- 
bing railway  trains,  but  such  exploits  are  rare.  Safety  in 
every  way,  whether  against  accidents  or  human  malice,  is 
rendered  much  greater  by  the  use  of  steam.  At  the  present 
day  the  countries  most  affected  with  brigandage  are  those 
where  railways  are  comparatively  scarce.  Until  within  the 
past  few  years,  California  had  no  railway  lines,  and  she  was 
the  most  profitable  field  in  all  the  United  States  for  the  ex- 
ploits of  robbers.  Californians  facetiously  call  highwaymen 
"  road  agents,"  and  I  have  heard  sometimes  that  the  Califor- 
nians are  proud  of  their  existence. 

I  remember  some  years  ago  taking  a  stage  coach  in  the 


AN  ADVENTURE  IN  CALIFORNIA.  855 

Golden  State  over  a  route  infested  with  robbers.  I  had 
heard  vague  rumors  of  exciting  scenes  along  the  road,  and 
we  had  no  great  objection  to  a  small  encounter  with  these 
artists  of  the  revolver.  As  we  started  from  the  station  near 
the  infested  region,  the  agents  of  the  stage  company  fur- 
nished every  man  with  a  rifle,  and  told  us  to  keep  a  sharp 
lookout  for  the  road  agents.  About  half  of  us  were  accus- 
tomed to  fire-arms,  but  the  other  half  evidently  knew  as  much 
about  the  handling  of  a  rifle  as  a  horse  knows  about  geometri- 
cal surveying.  I  was  fearful  at  starting  that,  if  we  came  to  a 
fight,  the  accidents  among  us  by  the  careless  handling  of  our 
rifles  would  have  caused  more  mortality  and  inflicted  more 
wounds  than  the  fire-arms  of  the  robbers. 

There  were  several  points  on  the  road  where  the  robbers 
were  looked  for,  and  when  we  approached  one  of  them,  the 
driver  would  call  our  attention  to  the  fact.  Then  everybody 
would  move  about  in  his  seat,  and  straighten  himself  like  a 
rooster  ready  for  crowing ;  and  some  of  the  more  timid  ones 
would  start  as  though  they  had  suddenly  dropped  upon  a 
chestnut  bur.  Our  rifles  wore  held  in  all  sorts  of  ways,  and 
with  the  barrels  sticking  out  in  different  directions,  the  coach 
bore  a  faint  resemblance  to  an  enormous  porcupine.  Each  of 
the  dangerous  places  we  passed  without  accident,  and  at  the 
next  station  we  left  our  rifles,  and  were  thankful  that  the 
great  peril  was  over. 

I  afterwards  learned  that  the  robbers  had  fully  determined 
to  attack  us  that  day,  but  one  of  the  party  had  gone  on  a 
drunk,  and  deranged  their  plan.  Before  that  time  I  had  re- 
gretted the  habit  of  intemperance  among  the  Californians,  but 
when  I  heard  of  this  occurrence,  I  was  thankful  that  the  prin- 
ciples of  Father  Mathew  did  not  prevail  among  them.  With 
all  due  regard  to  John  B.  Gough  and  the  cause  he  has  advo- 
cated, I  have  no  objection  to  every  robber  in  the  world  get- 
ting blind  drunk  every  morning,  and  remaining  so  for  forty- 
eight  hours  at  least. 

Robberies  on  that  route  were  of  quite  frequent  occurrence. 
Since  that  time  the  railway  has  taken  the  place  of  the  stage 


856  STORY   OF   A  TRAVELLER. 

line,  and  the  robbers  are  heard  of  no  more,  —  all  honor  to 
James  Watt  and  George  Stephenson ! 

One  of  my  fellow-passengers  of  that  day  had  been  over  the 
route  many  times,  and  had  been  engaged  in  several  fights. 
He  entertained  us  with  pleasing  accounts  —  that  is  to  say, 
the  accounts  were  very  interesting,  but  just  at  that  time  they 
were  not  calculated  to  be  cheering. 

"About  a  month  ago,"  said  he,  "I  was  riding  along  this 
very  road,  and  in  this  very  coach,  and  just  about  this  place ; 
it  may  be  half  a  mile  or  so  ahead  from  here."  Here  a  dyspep- 
tic individual  at  the  corner  of  the  coach  gave  a  groan,  and 
muttered  something  which  sounded  like  a  wish  that  he  was 
at  home. 

"  It  was  just  about  daylight,  when  all  at  once  the  horses 
stopped."  Here  the  coach  came  to  a  sudden  halt,  and  every 
one  of  us  fully  expected  that  the  robbers  had  taken  our  horses 
by  the  bridles;  but  the  voice  of  the  driver  reassured  us,  as 
he  said  he  had  stopped  to  hitch  up  a  trace. 

"When  they  stopped  the  coach,"  continued  the  traveller, 
'•'I  was  just  rubbing  my  eyes,  and  wondering  how  much 
longer  it  would  take  us  to  get  through.  All  at  once,  I  heard 
some  one  yell  out  to  the  driver,  '  Sit  still  there,  and  hold  up 
your  hands  ! '  And  just  about  that  time,  an  ugly-looking  re- 
volver came  through  the  curtains  of  the  coach,  and  a  fellow 
with  a  mask  on  stuck  his  head  partly  through.  l  Now,  gentle- 
men/ said  this  robber,  'just  step  out  here  on  the  ground,  and 
don't  go  putting  your  hands  around  your  pockets.  If  you  do, 
you  will  get  shot.'  His  manners  were  so  fascinating  that  we 
could  not  resist.  It  was  not  very  light,  but  as  he  held  that 
pistol  under  my  nose,  I  could  almost  swear  that  I  could  look 
down  to  the  bottom  of  the  barrel,  and  see  the  bullet  resting 
there.  We  stepped  out,  one  by  one,  and  as  we  did  so,  there 
were  two  other  fellows  with  masks  on  waiting  to  receive  us. 

" '  Put  up  your  hands/  said  the  first  robber  to  each  of  us,  as 
we  stepped  out  of  the  coach.  <  Put  up  your  hands,  or  you 
will  get  a  bullet  through  you  ! ' 

"  I  would  rather  put  up  my  hands  at  any  time  without  hav- 


"PUT   UP  YOUR  HANDS."  857 

ing  a  bullet  through  me,  and  I  put  them  up  at  once.  They 
stood  us  up  in  a  row,  with  each  fellow  sticking  his  hands  up 
in  the  air,  like  a  class  of  school-boys  ready  to  answer  ques- 
tions. T^hen,  when  they  got  us  all  out,  two  of  them  stood 
guard,  and  a  third  went  through  us.  He  went  through  us 
first  for  our  pistols,  and  took  every  one,  and  laid  them  in  a 
pile  on  the  ground,  right  between  the  two  robbers,  and  in 
such  a  way  that  we  could  not  get  at  them  without  being  shot. 

"  They  then  went  through  us  for  watches  and  money,  and 
they  made  a  very  good  haul.  I  did  not  have  much  —  only 
just  enough  for  my  expenses ;  and  when  I  told  them  so,  and 
they  saw  it,  they  told  me  I  had  better  keep  it. 

"  There  was  one  passenger,  though,  who  had  twelve  hun- 
dred dollars  in  coin.  They  took  the  whole  lot,  but  generously 
gave  him  twenty  dollars  to  pay  his  expenses.  l  Nothing  mean 
about  us/  said  one  of  the  robbers,  as  he  handed  back  the 
twenty-dollar  gold  piece.  f  We  don't  want  to  be  rough  with 
any  of  you.  but  we  must  make  our  living/ 

"  When  they  had  cleaned  us  out,  they  let  us  go  bask  into 
the  stage.  They  told  us  to  keep  still,  or  the  first  man  that 
moved  would  get  his  head  shot  oflf.  One  of  the  fellows  stood 
by  the  door  of  the  coach,  to  see  that  we  obeyed  orders.  He 
was  not  going  to  have  any  fluking. 

"  Then  they  made  the  driver  and  express  messenger  hand 
down  the  express  box.  The  box  was  heavy,  as  it  had  a  con- 
siderable amount  of  money  in  it.  The  messenger  was  reluc- 
tant to  give  up  the  money,  but  they  finally  persuaded  him  to 
do  so,  by  cocking  a  pistol  so  as  he  could  hear  it,  and  putting 
the  muzzle  of  it  into  his  ear.  The  driver  was  obliged  to  sit 
still,  with  his  reins  down  and  his  hands  up.  The  whole  oper- 
ation did  not  take  ten  minutes,  and  when  we  were  through, 
and  ready  to  start,  we  were  a  comical  picture.  All  of  us  in- 
side were  holding  up  our  hands;  the  messenger  had  his  hands 
up  in  the  air,  and  the  driver  was  holding  one  hand  in  the  air, 
and  taking  the  reins  in  the  other  from  one  of  the  robbers. 
The  fellows  stood  there,  with  their  pistols  ready  to  shoot,  and 
told  us  to  go  ahead ;  and  you  bet  we  did  go  ahead." 


858  EARLY  NAVIGATION   OF  THE  MISSISSIPPI. 

In  the  early  days  of  navigation  on  the  Mississippi  and  its 
tributaries,  before  the  construction  of  steamboats,  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  piracy.  Before  the  steamboat  was  invented, 
the  navigation  of  the  great  river  was  conducted  with  rafts 
and  keel-boats.  The  raft  was  built  on  the  upper  waters, 
freighted  with  produce,  and  floated  down  to  New  Orleans, 
where  both  the  raft  and  its  cargo  were  sold.  It  floated  with 
the  current.  It  would  descend,  but  it  could  not  be  made  to 
ascend.  The  keel-boat  was  of  better  construction,  and  after 
floating  down  the  river  with  its  cargo,  it  was  loaded  to  as- 
cend it. 

A  long  time  was  required  for  this  upward  voyage.  The 
current  of  the  Mississippi  is  very  strong,  running  in  many 
places  four  or  five  miles  an  hour.  Sails  are  of  very  little  use, 
as  the  river  is  crooked,  and  the  wind  is  rarely  strong.  The 
keel-boats  were  propelled  in  two  ways  —  first,  by  "  setting- 
poles  ; "  and,  secondly,  by  "  cordelling."  In  propulsion  by 
means  of  setting-poles,  long  poles  are  used,  and  set  or  fixed 
temporarily  in  the  bed  of  the  river.  There  is  a  plank  on 
which  men  can  walk  along  the  edge  of  the  boat.  The  man 
with  his  setting-pole  goes  to  the  bow  of  the  boat,  fixes  the 
pole,  and  then  walks  slowly  aft.  In  this  way  the  boat  is 
moved  under  his  feet,  and  propelled  up  stream. 

Cordelling  is  a  system  of  towing.  The  men  walk  along  the 
banks  of  the  river,  and  tow  the  boat  by  main  strength  against 
the  stream. 

The  advantages  of  steam  over  this  old  process  of  propulsion 
may  be  well  illustrated  upon  the  Ohio  River,  between  Cincin- 
nati and  Louisville.  The  distance  is  about  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles.  In  1794  keel-boats  made  regular  trips  between 
the  two  cities,  carrying  freight  and  passengers.  For  the 
round  trip  they  required  four  weeks.  A  steamboat  now 
leaves  Cincinnati  at  noon,  and  lands  its  passengers  in  Louis- 
ville the  next  morning.  By  noon  she  is  ready  to  return 
again,  and  makes  the  round  trip,  with  plenty  of  time  in  port, 
every  two  days. 

The  boatmen  of  the  Mississippi  in  the  olden  time  were  a 


MIKE  FINK  AND  THE  CLERGYMAN.  859 

peculiar  class.  Rough,  hardy,  uncouth  fellows  they  were ; 
ready  at  any  time  for  an  adventure,  generally  delighting  in  a 
fight,  and  able  to  perform  a  great  deal  of  hard  work.  They 
were  prompt  at  fairs,  races,  and  all  other  assemblages  along 
the  river  banks ;  and  when  they  landed  in  a  town,  and  con- 
cluded to  clean  it  out,  they  generally  did  so.  The  inhabitants 
being  powerless,  the  boatmen  had  it  all  their  own  way. 

The  West  is  full  of  stories  about  these  boatmen  and  their 
peculiar  lives.  One  of  the  most  famous  of  the  class  was  Mike 
Fink,  whose  history  has  been  made  the  theme  of  a  popular 
story.  A  story  is  told  of  a  clergyman  from  the  east  travelling 
down  the  Ohio  River,  some  years  ago,  who  was  anxious  to 
learn  something  about  Mike  Fink.  Somebody  told  him  that 
the  pilot  of  the  boat  on  which  he  was  travelling  had  been  ac- 
quainted with  Mike.  The  clergyman  approached  him,  and 
said, — 

"  Do  you  know  anything  about  Mike  Fink  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  pilot ;  "  knew  him  like  a  brother." 

"  Can  you  tell  me  some  peculiar  incident  of  his  life  ?  "  asked1 
the  clergyman. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  pilot,  hesitatingly.  "  Yes,. 
I  can.  He  ate  a  buffalo  robe  once." 

"  Ate  a  buffalo  robe  !  "  said  the  clergyman,  astonished. 

"  Certainly,  a  buffalo  robe,  with  the  hair  on,"  replied  the- 
pilot. 

"  Well,  what  did  he  do  that  for  ?  " 

"  Why,  you  see,"  said  the  pilot,  resting  a  moment,  to  shift 
his  quid  of  tobacco,  "  you  see,  Mike  drank  so  much  whiskey 
that  he  destroyed  the  coating  of  his  stomach,  and  the  doctor 
told  him  that  before  he  could  get  well,  he  would  need  a  new 
coat  for  it.  Mike  thought  the  thing  over,  and  said,  when  -he 
had  a  new  coat  for  his  stomach,  he  would  have  one  that  would 
stand  the  whiskey ;  and  he  made  up  his  mind  that  a  buffalo 
robe  with  the  hair  on  it  was  just  the  thing,  and  so  he  sat 
down,  and  swallowed  it.  He  could  drink  any  amount  of  whis- 
key after  that,  and  never  so  much  as  wink.  Fact,  now,  as. 
true  as  you  are  standing  here." 
46 


860          THE  DAYS  OF  THE  FLAT-BOATMEN. 

The  clergyman  turned  away,  satisfied. 

Besides  such  adventures  as  fighting  with  each  other,  and 
with  the  inhabitants  along  the  river,  these  men  had  conflicts 
with  robbers.  There  were  many  gangs  of  robbers  living 
along  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  Rivers,  and  they  had  places 
of  resort  known  only  to  themselves.  Some  of  the  limestone 
cliffs  abound  in  caves,  and  here  the  robbers  generally  had 
their  concealment.  They  watched  for  the  boats  ascending 
and  descending  the  river, 'sometimes  fired  upon  them  from 
the  bank,  and  sometimes  came  out  in  skiffs  to  capture  them. 
Many  a  boat,  while  quietly  anchored  for  the  night,  has  thus 
been  attacked,  and  its  crew  murdered,  and  thrown  into  the 
river.  The  boat  would  then  be  drawn  to  the  spot  most  con- 
venient for  the  robbers,  plundered  of  its  contents,  and  set  on 
fire  ;  or  it  might  be  manned  by  a  portion  of  the  gang,  taken 
to  New  Orleans,  and  sold. 

•Such  an  occurrence  was  not  unfrequent,  as  a  rapid  passage? 
'down  the  river  would  enable  them  to  sell  the  boat,  and  return 
again  to  their  place  of  concealment,  before  the  officers  of  the 
law  could  go  in  pursuit. 

There  are  many  interesting  stories  in  the  robber  history  of 
the  great  valley.  One  was  told  to  me,  some  years  ago,  by  an 
-old  steamboat-man,  who  had  worked  in  his  younger  days  on 
board  of  keel-boats  and  "  broad-horns,"  as  the  flat-boats  were 
generally  termed,  and  are  now  to  the  present  day.  I  give 
the  story,  as  nearly  as  I  can  remember  it,  in  his  own  words. 

"  There  used  to  be  a  famous  place  for  robbers  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  Ohio,  down  below  Paducah.  Many  a  boat  has  been 
captured  there,  and  the  men  on  board  of  it  were  never  heard 
of  afterwards.  They  were  a  desperate  lot  of  fellows.  These 
robbers  did  not  mind  killing  a  man  any  more  than  you  would 
mind  killing  a  rat.  I  shipped  on  board  a  broad-horn  once, 
from  Louisville,  going  to  New  Orleans.  We  had  a  load  of 
pork  and  .corn,  and  the  captain  of  the  broad-horn  owned  about 
half  the  boat  and  her  cargo.  We  got  along  very  well  without 
any  trouble  until  we  got  down  to  the  place  where  these  robbers 
were,  and  just  there  we  ran  on  a  sand-bar.  It  was  a  ticklish 


FIGHT   WITH    RIVER   PIRATES.  801 

place.  There  we  were  stuck ;  the  river  was  falling,  and  if  it 
left  us  on  the  bar,  we  would  have  to  stay  there  until  the  next 
rise  —  that  is,  if  we  did  not  die  in  the  mean  time.  We  worked 
away  all  the  afternoon,  and  all  night,  but  to  no  purpose.  One 
after  another,  we  had  dropped  off,  and  gone  to  sleep. 

"  We  were  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  shore,  but  the 
current  was  not  very  strong.  Towards  morning,  when  I  was 
on  watch,  I  heard  some  men  on  shore.  A  little  while  after- 
wards, I  heard  the  sound  of  oars,  and  saw  a  boat  coming  out 
of  a  little  creek  just  above  us.  By  the  sound  of  their  oars  I 
knew  that  the  boat  was  coming  towards  us,  and  I  waked 
everybody.  The  captain  got  out  his  own  rifle  and  every  rifle 
and  pistol  that  was  in  the  float,  and  prepared  to  make  fight. 
When  the  boat  got  within  fifty  or  sixty  yards,  and  we  could 
just  see  it  through  the  mist,  our  captain  yelled  out  to  them  to 
stop. 

"  '  Want  to  come  aboard,'  said  a  voice  from  the  boat.  '  We 
want  to  buy  some  pork  and  corn.  We  are  camped  here,  and 
have  got  short  of  provisions/ 

'"  Haven't  anything/  said  the  captain;  'not  a  thing.  We 
have  not  a  pound  of  pork  or  corn  on  board/ 

lt '  What  have  you,  then  ?  '  came  from  the  boat. 

" '  We  are  taking  a  load  of  stone  down  to  New  Orleans,  to 
sell  —  limestone,  first-rate  limestone  ;  you  don't  want  any  of  it.' 

"  The  boat  kept  coming  on,  and  somebody  in  it  said,  '  Come 
to  think  of  it,  now,  we  do  want  some  limestone,  and  we  will 
come  and  see  how  it  looks.' 

"  The  captain  saw  that  we  were  in  for  a  fight,  as  the  fellows 
were  determined  to  rob  us.  He  brought  his  rifle  up  to  his 
shoulder,  but  before  he  fired,  he  said  once  more, — 

"  <  Now,  I  tell  you,  STOP  ! ' 

"  The  boat  did  not  stop,  but  kept  straight  in  our  direction. 
The  current  swung  it  a  little  down  stream,  or  they  would 
have  been  on  board  of  us  before  we  could  have  done  much 
against  them ;  but  luckily  their  stern  swung  around,  and  they 
had  to  turn  a  little  against  the  current.  The  captain  fired, 
and  brought  down  one  of  the  fellows  in  the  boat.  There  were 


862  ANOTHER  BATTLE. 

six  or  eight  of  them,  and  only  five  of  us.  I  had  a  rifle,  and  I 
fired,  and  brought  down  another. 

"  The  captain's  man  fell  into  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  but  the 
one  I  shot  threw  up  his  hands,  and  tumbled  backward,  so  that 
he  went  overboard.  They  began  firing,  but  did  not  hit  any 
of  us  —  except  one  ball,  which  clipped  a  corner  of  the  cap- 
tain's ear. 

"  By  this  time  they  appeared  to  have  had  enough  of  it,  and, 
besides,  our  shooting  deranged  their  rowing.  We  were  reload- 
ing, and  before  they  could  get  up  to  the  boat,  we  would  have 
another  round  of  shots  for  them.  They  turned  down  stream, 
and  that  was  the  last  we  saw  of  them. 

"  In  the  morning  we  carried  a  line  ashore,  and  tied  it  to  a 
tree  ;  and  with  this  line  we  managed  to  pull  ourselves  off.  It 
was  tough  work,  that,  and  it  was  noon  before  we  got  away. 
We  floated  on  down  the  river,  and  got  to  New  Orleans  all 
right.  We  sold  out  our  load,  and  came  home. 

"  The  next  year  I  went  down  again  with  the  same  captain, 
on  another  broad-horn.  When  we  got  to  this  place  where  we 
had  been  aground,  we  gave  the  sand-bar  a  wide  berth,  and 
avoided  it;  but  we  had  another  fight  with  the  robbers  one 
night,  when  we  were  anchored.  They  came  upon  us  sudden- 
ly, when  all  but  two  of  us  were  asleep.  They  got  possession 
of  the  boat.  They  killed  the  captain,  and  sent  me  overboard. 
What  they  did  with  the  other  men  I  never  knew,  but  I  sup- 
pose they  killed  them. 

"  The  whole  fight  did  not  last  three  minutes,  from  the  time 
they  first  sprang  aboard  until  I  was  in  the  river,  and  floating 
away  on  the  water.  I  must  have  gone  down  the  stream  three 
or  four  miles,  keeping  my  head  above  water ;  and  at  last  I 
came  to  the  shore,  right  under  a  rocky  cliff. 

"  I  climbed  up,  and  squeezed  the  water  out  of  my  clothes. 
By  this  time  it  was  morning.  I  looked  around,  and  saw,  a 
little  way  off,  a  curious  looking  hole  in  the  rock,  and  something 
like  a  path  leading  up  to  it.  I  went  up  this  path  and  into  the 
rock. 

"  A  fire  was  burning  close  by  the  entrance,  and  I  thought 


IN  A  ROBBERS'  CAVE.  865 

somebody  must  live  there.  It  never  occurred  to  me  that  the 
place  might  be  a  robbers'  cave.  I  shouted,  and  nobody  came 
out.  Then  I  picked  up  a  brand  out  of  the  fire,  and  waved  it 
until  it  blazed,  so  as  to  light  me  into  the  rock. 

"  After  going  about  twenty  feet  along  a  narrow  passage,  I 
found  myself  in  a  sort  of  room,  thirty  or  forty  feet  square.  It 
looked  partly  natural  and  partly  as  if  it  had  been  dug  out  of  a 
rock.  There  were  piles  of  stuff  where  the  men  slept,  and 
there  were  goods  of  various  sorts  lying  around ;  but  nobody 
was  there.  There  was  a  bag  of  silver  dollars  which  my  eye 
happened  to  rest  upon,  and  I  picked  it  up.  I  then  thought 
that  I  had  got  into  the  cave  of  the  robbers,  and  that  it  was 
the  same  crew  that  was  in  the  boat.  I  went  out  of  that  place 
quick,  and  it  was  well  I  did  so. 

"  When  I  got  outside,  I  could  see  the  boat  coming,  not  half 
a  mile  away,  and  those  fellows  on  board.  If  I  had  staid  fif- 
teen minutes  more,  they  would  have  caught  me. 

"There  was  no  way  of  escaping  up  the  face  of  the  cliff 
without  their  seeing  me,  so  I  crawled  down  to  the  water,  and 
slipped  in  again.  I  could  swim  well,  and  thought  the  best 
thing  to  do  would  be  to  float  down  the  river  a  few  miles 
farther,  and  then  get  ashore  wherever  I  saw  a  house  or  a 
boat. 

"  I  tried  to  keep  the  dollars,  but  they  were  too  heaVy^-they 
weighted  me  down,  and  I  very  soon  dropped  them,  consoling 
myself  with  the  recollection  that  the  robbers  never  would  get 
them  again.  I  floated  half  a  dozen  miles  down  the  stream, 
saw  a  house,  and  went  ashore.  Next  day  a  flat-boat  came 
along  with  one  hand  short,  and  I  shipped  on  her  to  New  Or- 
leans. After  that  I  had  two  or  three  fights  with  the  river 
pirates,  but  they  never  bothered  me  much." 


LXI. 

BURIED  TREASURES. 

CAPTAIN   KIDD.  —  HIS  HISTORY.  —  HOW  HE   MADE  HIS    FORTUNE.  —  HIS    MELAN- 
CHOLY FATE. JOINT  STOCK  IN  THE  ADVENTURE  GALLEY.  —  SEARCHING  FOR 

TREASURES.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  SEA-COAST.  —  TRADITIONS.  —  ADVENTURES 
OF  A  TREASURE-HUNTER.  —  BILL  SANBORN,  AND  WHAT  HE  DID.  —  JIM  FOL- 
LETT'S  DOG.  —  A  PRACTICAL  JOKER.  —  A  MESSAGE  FROM  THE  SANDS  OF  THE 
SEA.  —  BILL  SANBORN'S  DREAM.  —  FINDING  THE  CHEST.  —  A  SUPERNATURAL 
VISITOR. 

A  NAUTICAL  ballad,  with  which  many  persons  are  familiar, 
narrates  the  adventures- of  the  celebrated  Captain  Kidd.  It 
is  composed  in  the  autobiographical  form,  and  its  first  line 
runs  as  follows  :  — 

"My  name  was  Robert  Kidd,  as  I  sailed,  as  I  sailed." 

Evidently  the  distinguished  pirate  travelled,  like  many  other 
robbers,  under  an  alias ;  arid  it  is  interesting  to  know  that  his 
name  was  Robert  Kidd  as  he  sailed,  for  he  certainly  was  not 
Robert,  but  William,  Kidd  when  on  shore  and  away  from  his 
marine  wanderings.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  he  draws  par- 
ticular attention  to  his  alias,  by  repeating  the  words  as  / 
sailed ;  obviously  wishing  to  state  his  case  plainly,  and  guard 
against  any  imputation  that  he  called  himself  Robert  when  on 
shore,  or  when  his  ship  was  at  anchor  or  becalmed.  It  must 
have  been  very  inconvenient  for  the  man  of  tender  conscience 
to  change  his  name  from  William  to  Robert  whenever  his  ship 
was  in  motion,  and  from  Robert  to  William  again  when  from 
any  cause  she  stopped.  It  made  things  lively  for  him  if  he 
ever  got  into  one  of  those  peculiar  squalls  of  the  Mozambique 
Channel,  where  for  two  or  three  days  you  have  a  puff  of  wind 
one  minute  and  a  dead  calm  the  next,  so  that  your  sails  are 
alternately  filling  and  flapping,  and  flapping  and  filling,  about 
as  fast  as  you  can  count.  But,  throwing  speculation  aside,  it 


THE  STORY   OF   CAPTAIN  KIDD.  867 

is  sufficient  to  say  that  "William  Kidd  was  born  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  followed  the  seas  from  his 
youth.  About  1695  he  was  known  as  one  of  the  boldest  ship- 
masters sailing  out  of  New  York,  and  he  became  so  famous 
that  he  attracted  the  favorable  attention  of  the  colonial  gov- 
ernment. 

About  the  close  of  the  century  in  which  our  hero  was  born, 
the  depredations  of  pirates  upon  British  commerce  were  so 
extensive  that  it  was  determined  to  send  out  privateers  to 
attack  the  freebooters.  The  owners  of  these  privateers  were 
reimbursed  for  their  outlay  by  the  sale  of  the  goods  and  ships 
captured  from  the  pirates,  and  they  calculated  that  they  could 
make  a  great  deal  of  money,  provided  they  had  a  fair  catch. 
One  company,  in  which  several  noblemen  were  shareholders, 
asked  the  governor  of  New  York  to  recommend  a  •  suitable 
person  to  command  a  privateer ;  and  in  consequence  of  his 
recommendation,  Kidd  received  a  commission,  signed  by  the 
king,  and  addressed  to  "  the  trusty  and  well-beloved  Captain 
Kidd,  commander  of  the  ship  Adventure  Galley." 

The  vessel  thus  put  in  charge  of  the  enterprising  William 
(not  Robert)  carried  thirty  guns,  was  a  fast  sailer,  and  had  a 
plentiful  supply  of  provisions,  and  a  crew  of  about  one  hun- 
dred men.  She  sailed  from  Plymouth,  England,  in  April,  1696, 
and  cruised  off  the  American  coast  for  several  months.  She 
occasionally  entered  New  York  and  Boston,  where  the  crew 
was  recruited  until  it  included  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  With  this  increased  force  Kidd  finally  sailed  for  the 
East  Indies  and  the  east  coast  of  Africa.  While  on  the  voy- 
age, he  concluded  that  it  would  be  much  more  profitable  to 
turn  pirate  —  at  least  so  the  story  goes ;  and  finding  that  his 
crew  were  not  averse  to  the  project,  he  became  a  freebooter 
of  the  most  enterprising  character.  He  captured  many  ships, 
and  after  filling  the  Adventure  Galley  with  gold  and  diamonds, 
and  all  that  kind  of  portable  property,  he  returned,  in  1698, 
to  New  York.  According  to  tradition,  he  buried  a  large  part 
of  his  treasure  on  various  parts  of  Long  Island,  Staten  Island, 
and  the  banks  of  the  Hudson  River,  and  then  boldly  sailed 


868  HE  MURDERED   WILLIAM  MOORE. 

into  Boston  harbor,  under  the  impression  that  his  royal  com- 
mission would  save  him  from  any  charge  of  piracy.  But, 
unluckily  for  him,  the  Earl  of  Bellamont,  governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  New  York,  was  a  stockholder  in  the  Adventure 
Galley,  and  was  disappointed  at  the  failure  to  declare  a  divi- 
dend. He  had  heard  of  Kidd's  indiscretions,  and  this  knowl- 
edge, added  to  the  chagrin  naturally  attending  the  failure  of 
the  enterprise  as  a  financial  speculation,  caused  him  to  arrest 
the  gallant  captain,  and  send  him  to  London  for  trial. 

At  this  day  there  are  many  persons  who  believe  Kidd  was 
innocent  of  the  charge  of  piracy,  and  they  unhesitatingly  say 
that  he  did  nothing  more  than  carry  out  his  orders.  On  his 
trial,  which  was  most  unfairly  conducted,  the  charge  of  piracy 
was  abandoned,  as  it  was  found  impossible  to  prove  it,  and  he 
was  arraigned  for  killing  one  of  his  crew,  —  William  Moore,  — 
in  consequence  of  the  mutinous  conduct  of  the  latter.  It  was 
shown  on  the  trial  that  Moore  addressed  insulting  language  to 
his  commander,  and  was  knocked  down  by  Kidd.  The  blowf 
which  was  delivered  with  a  bucket,  proved  fatal,  and  the 
decision  of  the  court  was  against  the  prisoner,  on  the  ground 
that  a  bucket  was  not  a  proper  weapon  with  which  the  com- 
mander of  a  ship  should  enforce  discipline.  Had  he  prodded 
him  with  a  sword,  or  perforated  him  with  a  pistol,  he  might 
have  been  acquitted ;  but  this  assault  with  a  bucket  was  too 
much.  Times  have  changed  since  then.  At  the  present  day 
we  have  the  spectacle  of  the  successful  defence  of  murderers, 
on  the  ground  that  the  weapons  they  used  were  not  murder- 
ous. I  may  instance  the  case  of  Foster,  a  conductor  on  a 
street  railway  in  New  York,  who  killed  Mr.  Putnam  with  a 
"  car-hook."  One  of  the  strongest  points  made  in  his  favor 
was,  that  a  car-hook  is  not  a  murderous  weapon.  Had  Kidd 
been  tried  in  New  York  subsequent  to  1870,  he  would  have 
escaped  the  notoriety  he  obtained. 

There  was  an  interesting  performance  at  Execution  Dock, 
in  London,  on  the  24th  day  of  May,  1701.  William  Kidd 
and  the  executioner  performed  a  duet,  which  resulted  in  the 
death  of  the  former,  after  an  acrobatic  exercise  of  some 


AS  HE  SAILED.  869 

fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  at  the  end  of  a  rope.  As  a 
warning  to  the  rising  generation,  and  for  the  amusement  of 
the  elders,  the  ruins  of  the  ex-pirate  were  left  in  chains  at 
the  end  of  a  gibbet,  where  they  swung  in  the  wind  for  sev- 
eral years.  Pious  fathers  used  to  take  their  sons  to  look  at 
the  pleasing  spectacle,  and  counsel  them  never  to  turn  pirate, 
and  come  to  such  a  rope's  end  as  befell  the  once  well-beloved 
Kidd.  Evidently  the  warning  was  effectual,  as  none  of  the 
London  youths  of  that  period  were  able  to  secure  the  com- 
mand of  an  Adventure  Galley,  and  sail  to  the  Indian  Seas. 
The  suppression  of  piracy  as  a  joint  stock  operation  became 
unpopular,  as  it  was  not  found  to  be  profitable. 

Many  of  the  incidents  narrated  in  the  touching  poem, 
"  My  name  was  Robert  Kidd,  as  I  sailed,  as  I  sailed,"  are 
altogether  apocryphal.  According  to  history,  Kidd  left 
seven  hundred  and  thirty-eight  ounces  of  gold,  eight  hundred 
and  forty-seven  ounces  of  silver,  and  several  bags  of  silver  or- 
naments and  precious  stones.  These  were  secured  by  the 
Earl  of  Bellamont,  but  whether  they  were  ever  handled  by 
the  unfortunate  shareholders  of  the  enterprise  is  not  known. 
The  probability  is,  however,  that  they  were  all  required  for 
the  expenses  of  the  arrest  and  trial  of  the  pirate. 

According  to  popular  belief,  the  quantity  above  named  was 
only  a  small  fraction  of  the  wealth  acquired  by  Kidd ;  and 
down  to  the  present  time  people  have  been  searching  locali- 
ties on  the  New  England  coast  and  along  the  Hudson  River, 
in  the  hope  of  finding  some  of  Kicld's  abandoned  wealth.  Tra- 
dition has  been  exhausted,  and  the  chief  reliance  has  been, 
especially  of  late  years,  upon  dreams  and  the  revelations  of 
spirits.  Almost  every  year  somebody  dreams  of  a  locality 
where  Kidd's  treasures  have  been  found,  and  he  frequently 
gets  wrought  up  to  such  a  degree  that  he  sets  about  digging 
for  a  fortune.  Thousands  of  dollars  have  been  expended  in 
these  researches,  and  they  have  invariably  resulted  in  noth- 
ing. It  is  safe  to  say  that  nobody  has  yet  found  a  dollar 
buried  by  Captain  Kidd,  and  it  is  equally  safe  to  predict  that 
nobody  ever  will  find  one.  The  writer  of  this  knew,  in  his 


870  DIGGING  FOR  KIDD'S  MONEY. 

boyhood  days,  of  several  enterprises  of  this  sort,  and  though 
he  never  dug  for  Kidd's  treasures,  he  was  acquainted  with 
several  persons  who  had  been  in  the  business.  Some  had 
abandoned  it  in  disgust,  and  some  still  clung  to  the  hope  that 
they  would  one  day  be  successful.  They  were  waiting  for 
dreams  and  revelations  that  should  indicate  the  precise  spot 
where  they  could  dig  for  the  iron-bound  chest,  which  invaria- 
bly contained  the  wealth  they  sought.  An  oaken  chest,  with 
hoops  of  iron,  was  somewhere  concealed,  that  should  one  day 
be  theirs. 

One  garrulous  old  fellow  used  to  be  full  of  mystery  about 
the  matter.  His  stories  were  a  little  incoherent,  but  I  am 
confident  that  he  firmly  believed  them,  and  thought  he  was 
telling  the  truth.  He  was  as  superstitious  as  an  Arab,  and 
believed  in  all  sorts  of  ghosts,  hobgoblins,  and  disembodied 
spirits  in  general.  One  day  I  happened  to  see  him  when  he 
was  bewailing  his  ill  luck  a  night  or  two  before.  He  had  a 
violent  cold,  and  had  swallowed  a  prodigious  quantity  of  rum 
and  molasses  to  drive  it  away.  When  I  asked  how  he  caught 
it,  he  became  very  solemn,  took  another  "  drain,"  as  he  called 
it,  and  then  proceeded  to  a  confidential  talk. 

"  Now,  boy,"  said  he,  "  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it ;  but  you 
must  first  promise  not  to  reveal  my  secret." 

Of  course  I  made  the  required  promise. 

"This  was  the  way  of  it,"  he  continued. 

"  One  night  last  week,  I  dreamed  that  a  spirit  with  a  bright 
light  in  its  hand  came  to  me,  and  told  me  to  follow.  I  fol- 
lowed, and  it  led  me  to  a  place  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  river,  where  it  set  down  the  light,  and  told  me  to  dig. 
There  was  nothing  to  dig  with,  but  as  I  looked  at  the  ground, 
I  saw  a  pick  and  shovel.  I  went  to  work  with  them,  and 
when  I  struck  the  first  blow,  the  spirit  went  away.  I  dug 
and  dug,  but  without  getting  tired.  It  seemed  that  after  I 
had  been  digging  two  or  three  hours,  I  struck  a  chest.  I 
could  hear  the  pick  hitting  on  it ;  and  by  and  by  the  point  of 
it  went  through  the  oak,  and  I  could  hear  the  money  rattling. 
Just  then  I  waked,  and  found  it  was  daylight. 


GUIDED  BY  A  SPIRIT.  871 

"  Next  night  I  dreamed  the  same  thing  again,  and  then  I 
knew  there  was  something  in  it.  The  second  time  I  dreamed 
it,  I  tried  hard  to  remember  where  the  place  was ;  and  the 
next  day  I  went  up  and  down  the  banks  of  the  river,  in  hopes 
of  seeing  it.  But  I  couldn't  find  it,  and  what  to  do  I  didn't 
know.  It  was  a  revelation,  sure,  but  the  revelation  wasn't 
clear  enough,  and  I  knew  that  something  else  was  coming. 
Night  before  last  it  came." 

He  spoke  the  last  sentence  very  solemnly,  and  as  he  did  so, 
he  moved  his  hand  towards  a  box  that  stood  near  his  arm- 
chair. I  thought  he  was  about  to  open  it,  and  show  me  some 
of  the  wealth  of  the  great  pirate ;  but  he  only  produced  a 
fresh  bottle  of  rum,  and  took  another  drink.  Smacking  his 
lips,  he  continued. 

"  Night  before  last  it  came.  I  was  out  by  the  swamp  after 
dark.  I  had  been  looking  for  the  place,  and  was  just  then 
going  home,  and  thinking  I  would  try  it  again  next  morning. 
I  was  walking  along,  thinking,  and  had  my  head  down,  when, 
all  at  once,  I  stumbled  over  something  that  made  me  look  up 
again.  And  there,  not  twenty  feet  away,  was  the  light  — 
just  such  as  the  spirit  carried  in  my  dream,  only  it  wasn't  so 
bright,'* 

I  was  about  to  say,  "  Will  o'  the  wisp; "  but  I  knew  that  if  I 
did  so,  I  should  put  an  end  to  the  story,  and  so  I  kept  silence. 

"  I  couldn't  see  any  spirit,  but  of  course  that  didn't  make 
any  difference,  as  I  knew  the  light  would  take  me  to  the  spot. 
I  didn't  say  a  word,  you  may  believe,  but  I  looked  at  the 
light ;  and'it  hung  there,  looking  at  me.  It  didn't  move  for  a 
minute,  and  then  it  began  dancing  along  —  not  dancing,  but 
sort  of  waving,  like  —  and  moving  away  from  me.  I  followed 
it  over  bushes  and  logs,  and  through  water  up  to  my  knees, 
and  sometimes  nearly  to  my  waist,  and  never  once  took  my 
eyes  off  of  it.  I  must  have  gone  half  a  mile  or  more,  when  I 
stepped  into  a  hole,  and  fell  flat  in  the  water,  down  among 
the  brambles.  The  pain  was  so  sharp  that  I  said  something, 
and  when  I  got  to  my  feet  again,  the  light  was  gone.  And 
that  is  how  I  got  this  cold." 


872  THE  MYSTERIOUS   CHEST. 

I  tried  to  explain  that  the  light  which  he  saw  was  nothing 
supernatural,  but  he  would  not  listen  to  my  "  boy  foolishness/' 
as  he  called  it ;  and  after  a  slight  attempt  to  enlighten  him,  I 
gave  it  up.  He  recovered  from  his  cold,  but  kept  his  dream 
of  fortune  constantly  in  mind.  I  believe  he  tried  again  to 
follow  the  mysterious  light,  and  with  the  same  result  as  be- 
fore. But  his  faith  was  not  shaken,  and  to  his  dying  day  he 
believed  he  should  yet  find  the  buried  wealth  of  Captain  Kidd. 

According  to  my  recollection,  every  story  told  by  this  man, 
or  any  of  his  associates  and  neighbors,  about  seeking  for 
buried  treasures,  was  full  of  supernatural  occurrences ;  and 
the  failure  to  obtain  the  hidden  wealth  was  always  attributed 
to  a  failure  to  maintain  silence.  In  this  instance  my  friend 
attributed  the  disappearance  of  the  light  to  his  exclamation 
when  he  fell ;  had  he  .remained  speechless,  the  light,  in  his 
opinion,  would  have  led  him  to  fortune.  Repeatedly  I  was 
told  of  instances  where  the  coveted  chest  had  been  reached, 
and  only  a  few  more  blows  were  required  to  open  it.  The 
air  was  full  of  unearthly  noises,  and  the  diggers  were  tossed 
and  struck  by  invisible  hands ;  but  they  heeded  them  not,  and 
worked  their  best.  But  a  blow  heavier  than  the  rest,  or  a 
sight  of  the  chest,  caused  an  exclamation ;  when,  instantly, 
the  chest  disappeared,  and  th§  hole  which  had  been  dug  by 
human  agency,  was  filled  by  a  supernatural  one. 

Along  the  coast  of  New  England,  from  the  end  of  Long 
Island  to  Portsmouth  and  Portland,  there  are  numerous  tra- 
ditions and  other  stories  of  Kidd's  treasures.  There  are  those 
who  believe  that  some  of  the  pirate's  wealth  is  hidden  near 
Lynn  and  Salem;  others  locate  it  near  Newburyport;  and 
others,  again,  near  Hampton,  Portsmouth,  and  Kittery.  On 
three  occasions  I  have  made  summer  cruises  near  these 
places,  and  whenever  I  sought  one  of  these  traditions,  I  gen- 
erally found  it.  Places  have  been  shown  me  where  credulous 
persons  have  dug  for  gold  and  silver  enough  to  make  them 
the  envy  of  all  their  neighbors ;  and  there  is  one  spot,  near 
Lynn,  where  a  man  expended  thousands  of  dollars,  trying  to 
make  an  entrance  into  a  oave,  where,  as  the  spirits  told  him, 


BILL  SANBORN'S  STORY.  873 

treasure  of  an  enormous  value  was  concealed.  His  money 
gave  out  before  the  treasure  was  reached;  and  if  it  was  there 
then,  it  remains  there  now,  ready  for  any  one  who  has  money 
and  inclination  to  prosecute  the  search. 

A  party  of  us,  one  afternoon,  while  loitering  around  New- 
buryport,  fell  in  with  an  ancient  inhabitant  who  was  a  firm 
believer  in  the  existence  of  the  wealth  of  Captain  Kidd.  He 
knew  a  great  deal  more  than  he  would  tell  —  or,  at  any  rate, 
intimated  as  much  to  us  when  we  endeavored  to  sound  him. 
I  will  call  him  Bill  Sanborn,  as  a  cover  for  his  real  name, 
which  I  do  not  feel  at  liberty  to  print.  He  was  a  genius  in 
his  way,  and  when  we  had  filled  him  with  rum,  and  warmed 
the  stiffened  muscles  of  his  time-worn  frame,  he  was  as  talk- 
ative as  a  magpie.  He  wandered  from  his  subject  continual- 
ly, and  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  tie  him  down  to  the  main 
topic  of  his  discourse.  He  had  a  son  or  a  grandson — I  forget 
which  —  keeping  a  groggery  in  Boston.  The  old  man  had 
recently  been  on  a  visit  to  the  modern  Athens,  and  evidently 
picked  up  considerable  of  the  slang  of  the  family  bar-room, 
where  he  passed  his  leisure  hours.  His  abilities  in  the  ab- 
sorption line  were  extensive,  and  I  hardly  dare  to  say  how 
much  he  drank,  and  we  paid  for,  before  he  was  in  a  proper 
condition  to  tell  about  Captain  Kidd.  Finally  we  had  him 
properly  wound  up,  and  after  singing  a  few  verses  of  the 
ancient  ballad,  with  a  tremendous  emphasis  on  "as  I  sailed," 
he  began. 

"  I  might  tell  you  a  good  deal  about  hunting  for  money, 
but  I  won't  go  and  do  it,  because  it  might  be  doing  injustice 
to  some  folks  that  ain't  dead  yet ;  and  I  don't  believe  in  that, 
anyhow.  There  was  Jim  Follett  and  me.  We  struck  a  big 
thing  once,  and  if  Jim  could  have  kept  his  hash-trap  shut,  we 
might  have  had  money  enough  to  buy  all  the  rum  in  America, 
and  keep  drunk  for  ten  thousand  years.  Jim  is  a  good  fellow, 
and  likes  to  have  a  good  time.  He'd  like  to  have  it  on  his 
own  money  ;  but  he  don't  have  none  of  his  own,  and  so  he  has 
to  get  other  people's,  which  does  just  as  well.  Jim  and  me 
are  pretty  much  alike,  but  I'm  more  like  him  than  he  is  like 


874  JIM  FOLLETT'S  DOG. 

me.  Jim's  gone  off  to  Labrador  fishing  now,  or  he  would  be 
here  with  us  to-day,  and  if  he'd  been  sucking  away  at  that 
bottle,  he  would  have  been  blind  drunk  by  this  time,  and 
couldn't  move  from  his  chair  no  more  than  if  he  was  an 
anchor. 

"  Jim  and  me  used  to  sit  around  the  store  up  there  on  the 
corner,  when  we  hadn't  nothing  to  do.  The  storekeeper  had 
a  dog,  a  little  ornery  cross  between  one  cur  and  another  cur, 
that  hadn't  no  more  real,  genuine  dog  blood  into  him  than  a 
sea-turtle.  He  was  a  monstrous  proud  dbg  though,  and  used 
to  sit  up  in  a  chair  and  look  as  serious  as  a  country  gal  at 
another  gal's  wedding.  When  he  had  eat  a  good  dinner  and 
was  a  digesting  it,  he  was  pretty  good  natured  ;  but  if  he 
was  hungry,  or  had  been  kicked,  or  another  dog  had  licked 
him,  he  wouldn't  allow  no  familiarity,  not  even  if  'twas  the 
Emperor  of  China  that  spoke  to  him.  He  had  a  funny  way, 
too,  that  if  anybody  tetched  him  round  the  tail,  or  sides,  or 
back,  he  wouldn't  bite  that  feller,  but  he  would  bite  the  man 
that  was  nearest  to  his  mouth.  For  instance,  you  and  me 
might  be  a  setting  here,  and  Spot  —  that  was  what  they  called 
the  dog  —  Spot  might  be  laying  down  atween  us,  with  his  head 
towards  me  and  his  tail  towards  you.  Now,  if  you  put  your 
foot  down  on  Spot's  tail,  that  confounded  dog  would  let  me 
have  it  right  in  the  leg,  and  the  more  you  put  your  foot 
down,  the  more  he'd  let  his  teeth  into  me,  until  they  met. 
Lots  of  the  fellers  has  been  chawed  by  Spot,  and  the  fun  of 
it  was,  that  them  which  was  worst  chawed  was  the  ones  that 
hadn't  tetched  him. 

"  They  got  a  new  parson  here  once,  and  one  day,  when  Jim 
and  me  was  in  the  store,  the  parson  happened  along,  and 
come  in  too. 

" '  Fine  morning/  says  he  to  us  and  the  storekeeper,  and 
of  course  we  said  '  fine  morning '  to  him.  He  was  a  meek 
sort  of  chap,  with  a  face  like  a  plateful  of  mashed  turnips, 
and  he  talked  as  if  he  thought  divine  Providence  was  easy  of 
hearing,  and  could  understand  him  if  he  didn't  speak  much 
above  a  whisper. 


HOW  THE  PARSON  WAS  BITTEN.  875 

"  The  parson  talked  round  a  while,  and  finally  he  happened 
to  see  Spot,  who  was  a  setting  tip  in  a  chair  with  his  tail  stick- 
ing out  between  the  rounds,  and  looking  as  if  he  was  just 
going  to  Sunday  school,  and  was  a  saying  his  lesson  over 
to  hisself. 

" '  Ah,  fine  dog  that/  says  the  parson  to  the  storekeeper. 
'  Tears  to  look  very  gentle,  and  very  intelligent  too/ 

"  The  storekeeper  just  then  had  his  back  turned,  and  we 
didn't  say  nothing.  The  parson  patted  Spot  on  the  head,  and 
said,  '  Good  doggie,  good  doggie/  Spot  was  getting  ready 
for  a  growl,  and  began  to  peel  his  ivories  like  the  ripping  up 
of  an  old  shoe.  The  parson  didn't  notice  it,  and  kept  on 
patting  him,  and  said  he  could  always  make  friends  with  any 
dog  that  he  met. 

'*  Jim  was  a  sitting  next  to  Spot,  and  reached  out  on  the 
sly,  and  pinched  the  critter's  tail.  Spot  made  one  grab  for 
the  parson's  wrist,  and  hung  on  like  a  locomotive  pulling  a 
freight  train.  The  parson  jumped  around,  howling  worse  than 
a  cayote,  and  his  mouth  was  as  narrow  as  a  hole  in  a  cast  iron 
letter  box.  Bimeby  the  dog  dropped  off,  and  the  parson 
went  out  of  the  door  and  off  for  home,  as  if  he'd  just  had  a 
call  to  marry  a  rich  couple  that  couldn't  wait.  Jim  and  me 
laughed,  but  the  storekeeper  was  mad,  because  he  was  afraid 
he'd  lost  the  parson's  custom.  So  he  talked  rough  to  us  and 
drove  us  off,  and  we  haven't  been  there  since. 

"  Jim  and  me  was  over  to  Hampton  one  time,  and  loafing 
around  a  week  or  so  among  the  boys.  There  was  a  gal  at 
Hampton,  mighty  smart  gal  she  was,  and  used  to  sing  in 
meeting  Sundays  until  you'd  think  she'd  lift  the  roof  of  the 
meeting-house.  Some  of  the  young  fellers  was  trying  to 
shine  up  to  her,  but  she  shook  'em  all  off,  and  went  sweet  on 
a  galoot  that  was  keeping  school  over  in  the  next  town.  He 
used  to  come  to  see  her  every  week,  and  he  always  come  on 
horseback.  The  Hampton  boys  sort  of  hated  him,  because 
he  was  a  cutting  them  out,  and  so  they  used  to  rig  up  jokes 
on  him  sometimes.  They'd  tie  the  door  of  the  house  where 
him  and  his  gal  was,  and  once  they  took  a  big  box  and  put  it 


876  A   PRACTICAL   JOKE. 

up  agin  the  door,  so  that  when  he  walked  out  of  the  house  he 
walked  into  the  box,  just  as  though  it  was  a  front  porch. 
They  hid  his  saddle  once,  and  made  him  ride  home  bare- 
back ;  and  the  folks  where  he  kept  school  said  he  didn't  sit 
down  much  for  three  or  four  days  afterwards. 

"  The  next  night  after  we  got  there  the  feller  come  a 
courting,  and  the  boys  asked  us  to  have  some  fun  with  them. 
The  hoss  was  tied  under  a  shed,  and  right  down  the  road, 
about  a  hundred  yards  away,  there  was  a  big  mud-puddle. 
It  run  clear  across  the  road,  and  we  could  see  that  when  the 
feller  started  for  home  he  would  have  to  go  right  through  it. 
Jim  looked  the  ground  over,  and  told  the  boys  to  go  and  buy 
a  hundred  yards  of  strong  clothes-line,  and  bring  it  to  him. 

"When  they  brought  the '  clothes-line,  Jim  said  to  'em, 
'  Tie  one  end  of  the  line  to  the  post  of  the  shed,  and  tie  it 
strong.' 

"  When  they  had  done  it,  Jim  says  again,  '  Now  take  the 
line  and  measure  it  right  out  to  the  middle  of  the  mud- 
puddle.' 

"  They  measured  it,  and  found  that  the  other  end  just  went 
to  the  middle  of  the  puddle.  They  brought  the  line  back,  and 
Jim  coiled  it  up  close  to  the  post,  and  then  tied  the  loose  end 
to  the  crupper  of  the  saddle.  Meanwhile  some  of  the  rest  of 
the  boys  had  got  an  old  cannon  out  into  a  field  just  behind  the 
shed,  and  loaded  it  up  with  a  good  charge  of  powder.  When 
everything  was  ready  it  was  about  a  quarter  to  twelve,  and 
we  sat  down  to  wait. 

"  The  feller  always  started  home  at  twelve  o'clock,  cause  the 
gal's  mother  wouldn't  let  her  sit  up  no  longer.  The  old  lady 
said  he  might  stay  as  long  as  he  liked,  but  Mary  must  go  to 
bed.  He  didn't  see  no  fun  in  courting  all  alone  to  hisself,  and  so 
he  never  staid  after  that  time.  Well,  just  at  twelve  o'clock 
we  saw  the  door  open,  and  heard  a  smack  like  bustin  a  cigar 
box  with  a  hammer.  Then  he  said,  '  Good  night,  dearest,'  and 
he  out  to  his  hoss,  unhitched  the  bridle,  and  jumped  on  with- 
out looking  to  see  if  things  was  all  right.  He  hit  the  hoss  a 
poke  in  the  ribs,  and  the  critter  humped  himself  at  a  gallop 


OUT   OF   THE   MUD-PUDDLE.  877 

straight  towards  the  mud-puddle.  The  rope  was  unwinding 
easy  and  nice,  and  neither  him  nor  the  hoss  didn't  know  noth- 
ing about  it. 

"  When  they  had  got  almost  to  the  edge  of  the  puddle,  Jim 
touched  off  the  gun  with  his  cigar.  It  sounded  like  a  clap 
of  thunder,  and  the  hoss  made  one  jump,  and  just  as  he  did  so 
he  got  to  the  end  of  the  rope.  The  saddle  come  off,  and  the 
feller  with  it,  and  the  beast  went  on  as  if  he  was  running  on 
a  bet  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  and  had  put  up  all  the  money 
hisself. 

"  As  the  feller  tumbled  off,  he  gave  a  yell  that  you  might 
have  heard  fourteen  thousand  miles  away.  He  thought  a 
streak  of  lightning  had  struck  the  hoss,  and  that  both  of  'em 
was  being  swallowed  up  by  an  earthquake.  The  gal  was 
standing  in  the  door,  arid  she  gave  a  scream,  and  ran  out  and 
met  the  feller  just  as  he  got  up  out  of  the  mud,  and  was 
making  for  the  house.  She  got  hold  of  him,  and  then  she 
fainted,  and  went  down  into  the  ditch  by  the  road-side,  where 
there  was  a  foot  or  so  of  water.  She  didn't  stay  fainted 
long;  it  warn't  more  than  a  minute  before  she  was  up  again. 
Both  of  'em  thought  it  was  a  flash  of  lightning,  until  they 
got  most  up  to  the  shed,  and  we  could  see  them  by  the  light 
shining  out  of  the  house.  They  was  the  sloppiest,  muddiest 
looking  pair  that  you  ever  set  eyes  on.  The  feller  had  on  a 
claw-hammer  coat,  and  the  water  was  a  dripping  off  the  tails 
of  it  like  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  and  his  white  trousers  was 
like  an  old  map  of  Africa,  covered  all  over  with  black  ink  for 
unexplored  country.  His  hat  was  gone,  and  his  hair  was  full 
of  mud,  and  looked  like  a  swab  that  hasn't  been  wrung  out 
after  washing  the  floor  of  a  bar-room.  If  you've  ever  seen  a 
hen  that's  been  caught  in  a  shower,  and  got  under  a  cart  to 
get  dry,  you'll  know  how  that  gal  looked  with  her  clothes  all 
sticking  to  her,  and  she  all  ready  to  drop  down  again  as  soon 
as  she  found  a  good  place.  She  said  she  never  knew  such 
awful  thunder  and  lightning ;  and  just  as  he  said.  '  Yes,  dear- 
est,' they  stumbled  over  the  rope,  and  then  they  see  what  it 
was.  He  hauled  the  rope  in,  hand  over  hand,  jest  as  you'd 
47 


878  STEALING   A  BABY. 

haul  in  a  halibut ;  and  when  he  got  the  saddle,  and  found  it 
tied  to  the  rope,  they  was  about  the  maddest  pair  that  ever 
was  in  Hampton.  The  gal  belonged  to  the  church,  and  there- 
fore couldn't  swear,  and  the  feller  couldn't  swear  cause  the 
gal  would  hear  him,  but  he  said  something  that  sounded 
mighty  like  it.  They  both  went  into  the  house,  where  every- 
body had  got  up  on  account  of  the  noise.  The  feller  staid 
there  that  night,  but  he  never  come  there  no  more.  He 
seemed  kind  of  discouraged  like,  and  thought  there  was  too 
many  difficulties  about  courting  to  make  it  pay." 

The  old  fellow  paused  here  to  take  another  drink,  and  then  he 
went  on  with  more  anecdotes  about  Jim  Follett  and  his  practi- 
cal jokes.  It  was  rather  odd,  or  at  any  rate  appeared  so  to  his 
hearers,  that  he  did  not  see  the  least  impropriety  in  giving 
severe  pain  and  annoyance  to  those  who  had  offended  nobody, 
and  the  thought  that  there  was  the  slightest  injustice  in  prac- 
tical joking  seems  never  to  have  entered  his  head.  One  of 
Jim's  performances,  greatly  relished  by  old  Bill,  was  of  the  most 
inhuman  character.  One  day  Jim  was  on  the  train  from  Bos- 
ton, and  was  to  stop  at  Newburyport.  There  were  but  few 
passengers  in  the  car  where  he  rode,  and  near  him  was  a 
woman  with  a  baby.  She  was  going  through  to  Portland,  and 
before  reaching  Newburyport  she  placed  the  slumbering  child 
on  the  seat  before  her,  and  while  watching  it,  fell  asleep  her- 
self. On  reaching  Newburyport,  Jim,  in  a  spirit  of  mischief, 
took  the  child  from  the  train,  left  it  in  the  station,  and  quietly 
walked  away.  The  agony  of  the  mother  on  awaking  may  be 
imagined.  Luckily  another  passenger  had  witnessed  Jim's 
performance,  and  by  a  vigorous  use  of  the  telegraph,  the 
mother  and  child  were  brought  together  a  few  hours  later, 
after  considerable  suffering  on  the  part  of  both. 

Suddenly  Bill  recollected  himself,  and  told  us  about  the 
search  for  Captain  Kidd's  buried  treasures. 

"  One  day  Jim  was  down  setting  some  lobster  traps,  and  he 
wanted  something  for  bait.  So  he  went  ashore,  and  tried  to 
dig  clams  in  a  little  cove  where  there  was  a  strip  of  sand  in 
between  the  rocks.  But  there  wasn't  a  clam  to  be  found  j  and 


THE   MYSTERIOUS   BOTTLE.  879 

while  he  was  a  setting  down,  and  wondering  what  to  do  next, 
he  thought  he  saw  something  odd  in  the  hole  he  had  just 
made.  He  went  for  it,  and  it  turned  out  to  be  the  neck 
of  a  bottle  ;  he  pulled  it  out,  and  there  was  one  of  the 
curiousest  bottles  you  ever  see.  It  looked  as  if  it  might  have 
been  the  bottle  that  Methuselah  used  to  carry  when  he  was 
a  young  bummer  and  went  off  on  jarnbarees  over  Sunday. 
'  Now/  sa}'s  Jim, '  I'll  take  this  bottle  home  and  show  it  to 
Bill  Sanborn  ; '  and  sure  enough,  he  did.  We  busted  it  and 
found  it  empty,  and  I  ought  to  have  said  that  if  there  had 
been  anything  into  it  Jim  wouldn't  never  Lave  brought  it 
home  without  opening  it. 

"  No,  it  wasn't  empty  neither.  There  was  a  piece  of  paper 
in  it,  a  sort  of  dried-tip,  old  parchment  like,  with  some  writing 
on  it.  The  writing  looked  as  if  it  was  done  in  the  dark  by  a 
blind  man  who  couldn't  read  and  was  drunk  into  the  bargain. 
We  fussed  over  it  a  long  time,  but  couldn't  make  nothing  out 
of  it,  and  after  trying  a  dozen  times,  we  laid  it  away  and  went 
to  bed. 

"  I  fell  asleep,  and  pretty  soon  I  dreamed  that  writing  all 
out  as  plain  as  though  it  had  been  printed.  I  don't  remember 
what  it  was  now,  but  it  told  that  there  was  something  a  hundred 
and  twenty-three  yards  north-north-east,  half  east,  from  a  cer- 
tain rock ;  and  I  dreamed  the  rock  out  so,  that  I  thought  I 
should  know  it.  Then  I  waked  and  lit  a  candle,  and  tried  the 
paper  again,  and  found  I  could  read  it  all  straight. 

"  I  waltzed  Jim  out  of  bed  in  no  time,  and  we  determined  to 
start  off  at  daybreak.  I  shaVt  tell  you  exactly  where  we 
went,  and  I  haven't  told  you  the  correct  distance  and  bear- 
ings, because  I  want  to  try  it  again  some  time.  Anyhow,  we 
went  there,  and  after  a  good  deal  of  hunting  we  found  the 
rock,  and  found  a  cross  like  a  big  X  cut  into  it.  Then  we 
measured  off  the  distance,  and  took  the  bearings  with  a  com- 
pass we  had  brought  along  for  the  purpose.  It  turned  out 
that  a  hundred  and  twenty-three  yards  north-north-east,  half 
east,  from  the  rock  carried  us  beyond  high-water  mark  ;  and  as 
the  tide  was  jest  coming  in,  we  couldn't  do  nothing.  We 


880  THE   GHOSTLY  WATCHMAN. 

drove  a  stake  into  the  sand,  though,  and  concluded  to  come 
back  and  work  at  night  when  the  tide  was  out,  so  as  to  prevent 
anybody  seeing  us.  We  went  and  slept  as  much  as  we  could, 
and  when  the  night  tide  was  going  out,  we  come  back  with 
shovels  and  picks  and  pitched  in. 

"  You  never  seen  fellows  dig  as  we  did.  We  made  the  dirt 
fly,  and  we  only  stopped  once  in  a  while  to  take  a  drink.  We 
kept  our  wits  about  us,  and  didn't  speak  a  word,  as  the  old 
folks  say  if  you  speak  when  you  are  digging  for  money  you 
won't  never  find  it. 

"  A  little  before  midnight  we  were  down  about  six  feet, 
and  had  a  hole  large  enough  to  bury  one  of  those  dog-house 
trunks  the  women  take  to  Nahant.  I  struck  the  pick  down, 
and  it  hit  something  that  sounded  hollow.  Jim  almost  got  his 
mouth  open  to  say  something,  but  I  motioned  him  to  keep 
still,  and  put  the  pick  down  again.  There  was  the  same  hol- 
low sound,  and  then  we  went  at  it  for  dear  life.  We  dug  away 
and  tossed  out  the  dirt,  and  bimeby  I  hit  the  chest  with  my 
shovel.  When  I  did  that  I  felt  somebody  push  me  first  one 
way  and  then  the  other,  but  I  couldn't  see  nobody  but  Jim, 
and  he  wasn't  doing  it.  I  slid  around  lively,  digging  all  the 
time,  and  Jim,  too ;  but  it  was  enough  to  make  your  hair  turn 
white  to  be  struck  as  we  were  by  ghosts,  and  to  hear  the  air 
full  of  noises,  but  couldn't  see  anybody  making  them.  They 
cursed  us  and  screamed  at  us,  but  we  had  expected  something 
of  the  sort,  and  besides  we  was  after  a  fortune.  We  got  some 
of  the  dirt  off  the  chest,  as  it  seemed  to  be,  and  with  it  we  got 
some  bones  of  a  man. 

"  How  did  they  get  there,  do  you  suppose  ?  I  don't  know 
any  more  than  you  do ;  but  I've  heard  tell  that  when  those 
pirates  buried  money  they  left  somebody  to  watch  it.  They 
couldn't  leave  him  there  alive  where  nobody  lived,  and  board- 
ing-houses wasn't  to  be  found,  and  so  they  used  to  draw  lots, 
and  the  feller  that  got  the  unlucky  lot  was  just  knocked  in 
the  head  and  laid  on  top  of  the  chest  before  they  filled  up 
the  hole.  That  skeleton  belonged  to  the  watchman,  and  it 
was  him  that  knocked  us  around  and  made  such  noises  in  the 


LOSING  THE  FORTUNE.  881 

air.  If  he  ever  wants  anybody  to  say  he  did  his  duty,  let  him 
call  on  me  and  Jim  —  that's  all. 

"  We'd  got  out  several  pieces  of  the  skeleton,  and  in  five 
minutes  more  would  have  been  in  the  chest.  All  at  once 
Jim  was  took  by  the  throat  by  one  of  them  air  ghosts,  and  at 
the  same  time  a  voice  called  out,  '  Leave  or  die.7 

"Jim  dropped  his  pick  and  yelled  ' murder'  as  loud  as  he 
could. 

"  In  less  time  than  you  could  hold  a  red-hot  nail  in  your  eye 
without  winking  the  chest  sunk  down  out  of  sight  and  reach, 
the  dirt  rolled  in  on  us  ;  and  if  we  hadn't  got  out  as  quick  as 
we  could  jump,  it  would  have  buried  us.  And  the  odd  thing 
about  it  was,  that  the  bones  went  in  before  the  dirt  did,  and 
settled  down  jest  as  they  were  before  we  disturbed  them. 
We  had  nothing  more  to  do.  Our  fortune  was  gone,  and  it 
was  all  because  Jim  hadn't  put  a  big  plaster  over  his  mouth 
so  as  he  couldn't  holler." 

Here  Mr.  Sanborn  took  another  drain  at  the  bottle,  and  sud- 
denly relapsed  into  silence. 


LXIL 

OPERATIONS    AT    HELLGATE. 

HELLGATE  AND  SANDY  HOOK.  —  ENTRANCES  TO  NEW  YORK  HARBOR.  —  THE 
HELLEGAT  AND  ITS  MEANING.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  OLD  VOYAGERS.  —  EDI- 
TORIAL JOKES.  —  MAILLEFERT'S  OPERATIONS.  —  DEEPENING  THE  CHANNEL. 

—  GENERAL    NEWTON.  —  THE    AUTHOR     ON    AN    EXCURSION.  —  BLOWING    UP 

COENTIES'  REEF. — HOW  IT  IS  DONE. — AN  ACCIDENT  WITH  NITRO-GLYCER- 
INE.  —  THE  AUTHOR'S  NARROW  ESCAPE.  —  DIVER'S  EXPERIENCE.  —  ASTON- 
ISHING THE  FISHES.  —  RECEPTION  AT  HALLETT'S  POINT.  —  GOING  UNDER 
THE  REEF.  —  THE  MEN  AT  WORK.  —  AN  INUNDATION.  —  HOW  THE  REEF  IS  TO 
BE  REMOVED.  —  SURVEYING  IN  THE  WATER.  —  A  GRAND  EXPLOSION. 

FROM  the  Atlantic  Ocean  there  are  two  entrances  into  the 
harbor  of  New  York ;  one  by  way  of  Sandy  Hook,  and  the 
other  through  Long  Island  Sound  and  the  East  Eiver.  For  a 
steamer  coming  from  Liverpool,  the  nearest  entrance  is 
through  Long  Island  Sound.  The  Sandy  Hook  entrance  is 
obstructed  by  sand  bars ;  the  channel  is  tortuous,  and  acci- 
dents are  not  uncommon.  The  entrance  to  Long  Island 
Sound  is  broad  and  easy,  but  between  the  Sound  and  the 
East  River  there  is  a  very  dangerous  passage,  which  extends, 
however,  less  than  a  mile.  This  dangerous  passage  is  popu- 
larly known  as  Hellgate  ;  the  early  Dutch  navigators  gave  the 
place  its  name.  Tradition  says  that  a  Dutch  skipper,  named 
Adrian  Blok,  called  it  tSe  Hellegat  Riviere,  after  a  small  stream 
in  Flanders,  the  place  of  his  nativity.  There  is  nothing  sul- 
phurous in  the  name,  Hellegat,  which  is  said,  by  one  writer, 
to  mean  "  Beautiful  Pass  ;  "  somehow,  the  transposition  of  the 
word  into  Hellgate,  has  given  it  an  infernal  aspect. 

The  early  historians  of  Manhattan  and  its  vicinity  de- 
scribed the  Hellegat  as  a  very  dangerous  place  ;  one  of  the 
earliest  writers  speaks  of  it  as  follows  :  "  which  being  a  nar- 
row passage,  there  runneth  a  violent  stream  both  upon  flood 


JOKES  ABOUT  HELLGATE.  885 

and  ebb,  and  in  the  middle  lyeth  some  islands  of  rocks,  which 
the  current  sets  so  violently  upon,  that  it  threatens  present 
shipwreck  5  and  upon  the  flood  is  a  large  whirlpool,  which 
continually  sends  forth  a  hideous  roaring,  enough  to  affright 
any  stranger  from  passing  that  way,  and  to  wait  for  some  Cha- 
ron to  conduct  him  through,  yet  to  those  who  are  well  ac- 
quainted, little  or  no  danger ;  yet  a  place  of  great  defence 
against  any  enemy  coming  in  that  way,  which  a  small  fortifi- 
cation would  absolutely  prevent." 

Washington  Irving  humorously  says  of  it,  "At  low 
water  it  is  as  pacific  a  stream  as  you  would  wish  to  see. 
But  as  the  tide  rises  it  begins  to  fret ;  at  half  tide  it  roars 
with  might  and  main,  like  a  bull  bellowing  for  more  drink ; 
but  when  the  tide  is  full  it  relapses  into  quiet,  and  for  a  time 
sleeps  as  soundly  as  an  alderman  after  dinner.  In  fact,  it 
may  be  compared  to  a  quarrelsome  toper,  who  is  a  peace- 
able fellow  enough  when  he  has  no  liquor  at  all,  or  when  he 
has  a  skinful,  but  who,  when  half-seas  over,  plays  the  very 
devil." 

Occasionally,  certain  witty  editors  of  New  York  and 
Boston  engage  in  little  wordy  contests  in  regard  to  the  im- 
provement of  Hellgate  :  a  Boston  editor  will  say  the  widen- 
ing and  deepening  of  Hellgate  will  improve  the  entrance  to 
New  York  !  An  editor  of  Manhattan  Island  will  respond  that 
the  widening  and  deepening  of  Hellgate  improves  the  road 
to  Boston.  Neither  seems  inclined  to  admit  the  existence  of 
as  much  immorality  in  his  own  city  as  in  the  abiding-place 
of  the  other. 

The  removal  of  the  rocks  that  lie  in  this  passage  between 
East  River  and  Long  Island  Sound  has  been  a  subject  of 
great  anxiety  with  merchants  of  New  York,  and  it  seems  a 
little  strange  that  from  the  time  of  the  settlement  of  New 
York  until  less  than  thirty  years  ago,  very  little  had  been  done 
towards  this  work. 

As  late  as  1845,  the  channel  had  not  even  been  surveyed ; 
and  it  was  not  until  the  Office  of  the  Coast  Survey  was  re- 
organized, in  1847,  that  a  careful  examination  of  this  perilous 


836  MAILLEFERT'S  OPERATIONS. 

channel  was  undertaken.  The  first  survey  was  made  under 
the  supervision  of  Lieutenant  (now  Rear  Admiral)  Charles 
H.  Davis,  towards  the  close  of  1847.  He  made  his  report  in 
February  of  the  following  year,  giving  a  careful  description 
of  the  rocks  and  currents  of  Hellgate,  and  suggesting  a  plan 
for  the  removal  of  the  most  serious  obstructions.  Nothing 
was  done  until  the  following  year,  when  a  new  survey  was 
made.  A  map  was  published,  and  in  March,  1851,  steps  were 
taken  to  remove  certain  small  but  dangerous  rocks  by  the 
process  of  blasting.  The  engineer  in  charge  of  this  work 
was  a  Frenchman  named. Maillefert ;  he  proposed  to  remove 
the  rocks  by  exploding  charges  of  powder  against  them. 

The  plan  dispensed  altogether  with  the  slow  arid  difficult 
process  of  drilling  ;  he  exploded  his  powder  directly  upon  the 
rock,  on  the  theory  that  the  pressure  of  the  water  above  the 
gas  formed  by  the  burning  powder,  would  offer  sufficient 
resistance  to  throw  considerable  force  against  the  rock.  His 
first  blast  was  made  on  Pot  Rock,  and  removed  about  four 
feet  from  its  highest  point.  The  plan  was  successful  as  long 
as  the  rocks  were  in  a  state  of  projection ;  but  after  these 
projections  had  been  removed,  and  the  explosions  were  made 
against  a  solid  fiat  surface,  they  failed  almost  completely. 

After  this  French  engineer  ended  his  operations,  new  sur- 
veys were  made,  and  it  was  found  that  the  channel,  though 
greatly  improved,  was  far  from  complete  or  satisfactory. 
Other  surveys  followed,  and  various  plans  were  proposed  ; 
but  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  for  a  time  put  a  stop  to 
the  labors.  In  1866  Brevet  Major  General  Newton  was  sent 
by  the  War  Department  to  examine  the  obstructions  of  Hell- 
gate,  and  to  arrange  for  their  removal.  In  the  following  year 
he  made  his  report,  giving  estimates  of  the  time  and  money 
required  to  make  a  safe  and  easy  passage-way  for  ships  of 
all  sizes :  he  proposed  to  remove,  by  blasting,  the  obstruc- 
tions known  as  Pot  Rock,  Frying  Pan,  Way's  Reef,  Shell  Drake, 
Heeltap  Rock,  Negro  Point,  Scaly  Rock,  Hallett's  Point,  and 
certain  other  rocks  of  smaller  size. 

He  estimated  that  the  channel  could  be  made  an  average 


DANGERS   OF   HALLETT'S   POINT.  887 

depth  of  twenty-five  feet  below  low-water  mark  ;  that  the 
work  could  be  completed  in  six  years,  at  a  cost  of  about  six 
million  dollars. 

Another  plan  included  the  removal  of  these  rocks  and  four 
others  in  ten  years'  time,  at  a  cost  of  nine  millions  of  dollars ; 
and  he  presented  another  plan,  by  which  some  of  the  middle 
rocks  should  remain  as  they  were  ;  and  the  most  serious  ob- 
struction, known  as  Hallett's  Point,  could  be  removed  in  three 
years,  at  a  cost  of  three  millions. 

Hallett's  Point  is  the  most  dangerous  obstruction  in  Hell- 
gate.  From  shore  to  shore  the  distance  is  about  six  hundred 
feet ;  the  reef  extends  more  than  three  hundred  feet  from  one 
shore,  so  that  the  actual  width  of  the  channel  is  reduced  to 
three  hundred  feet. 

The  water  boils  furiously  over  this  reef,  and  turns  a  large 
part  of  the  tide  upon  the  Gridiron  Rock,  frequently  throwing 
ships  upon  it.  The  process  of  drilling  and  blasting  was  con- 
sidered too  slow  and  ineffectual,  and  it  was  proposed  to 
remove  the  rock  by  sinking  a  shaft  upon  the  shore,  undermin- 
ing the  entire  reef,  leaving  pillars  to  support  the  rock  until 
the  work  of  undermining  was  all  completed,  when,  by  a 
single  explosion,  these  pillars  could  be  blown  away,  the 
whole  reef  would  fall,  and  the  dangerous  obstructions  to  the 
commerce  of  New  York  would  be  removed. 

One  pleasant  day,  in  1871, 1  was  one  of  a  party  to  visit  the 
scene  of  General  Newton's  operations.  Our  party  embarked 
on  a  small  steamer  at  the  Barge  Office,  and  proceeded  up  the 
East  River,  stopping  on  the  way  to  examine  the  operations  in 
progress  for  the  removal  of  what  is  known  as  Coenties'  Reef. 
This  reef  is  about  six  hundred  feet  from  Pier  No.  8,  on  the 
East  River,  and  lies  directly  in  the  busiest  part  of  the  harbor 
of  New  York,  almost  in  the  track  of  the  ferry  boats  between 
New  York  and  Brooklyn,  and  has  always  been  considered 
very  troublesome  and  dangerous.  Attempts  have  been  made 
at  various  times  to  remove  this  reef,  but  none  of  them  were 
successful  until  the  plan  of  General  Newton  was  tried.  The 
reef  is  about  250  feet  long,  and  is  130  feet  wide  in  its  broad- 


888  DRILLING  UNDER  WATER. 

est  part.  We  found  a  large  scow  anchored  above  the  reef, 
and  were  politely  taken  on  board.  The  scow  is  very  broad 
and  heavy,  and  is  firmly  anchored,  so  that  ships  or  steamers 
that  run  against  it  can  be  very  little  damaged. 

In  two  or  three  instances,  vessels  that  have  come  in  collision 
with  the  scow  have  retired  considerably  damaged,  while  the 
large  and  unwieldy  craft  remains  unharmed. 

As  we  went  on  board  we  were  taken  to  the  centre  of  the 
scow,  where  there  was  a  circular  well  about  thirty  feet  across  ; 
and  in  this  well  there  was  a  dome,  which  could  be  raised  and 
lowered  by  means  of  machinery.  At  the  top  of  the  dome  there 
was  a  "  telescope,"  twelve  feet  in  diameter,  that  could  be  ex- 
tended or  shortened  in  order  to  accommodate  itself  to  the  con- 
dition of  the  tide.  The  plan  of  working  was  to  anchor  the 
scow  over  the  place  where  the  rock  was  to  be  drilled,  and 
then  to  lower  the  dome  until  it  touched  the  rock.  As  soon 
as  one  part  of  it  struck  the  rock,  rods  were  pushed  out  from 
the  side  of  the  dome  to  rest  upon  the  reef,  and  perform  the 
work  of  feet :  they  readily  adapted  themselves  to  the  inequal- 
ities of  the  rock,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  fastened  in  their 
place  the  dome  was  almost  immovable. 

Inside  the  dome  there  were  places  for  lowering  drills,  and 
working  them,  by  means  of  machinery.  The  drilling  engines- 
were  run  by  steam,  and  the  drills,  nine  in  number,  were  oper- 
ated simultaneously  ;  the  nine  holes  that  they  made  were  in  a 
circle  of  about  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  The  drill  penetrated 
the  rock  from  six  inches  to  two  feet  an  hour,  according  to  its 
hardness.  When  a  round  of  holes  was  made,  the  scow  was 
hauled  off,  the  holes  were  filled  with  charges  of  nitro-glycer- 
ine  in  tin  cans,  and  everything  was  made  ready  for  a  blast. 

The  work  of  blasting  has  to  be  done  very  rapidly,  for  the 
reason  that  a  diver  can  only  go  down  to  arrange  the  charges 
at  the  period  of  slack  water.  Everything  is  made  ready  at 
the  turn  of  the  tide,  and  the  very  instant  that  the  tide  falls 
the  holes  are  charged.  . 

We  were  not  in  time  to  witness  a  blast ;  and  on  two  other 
occasions,  when  I  went  to  see  an  explosion,  the  performance 


NITROGLYCERINE  EXPLOSIONS.  889 

did  not  come  off;  some  slight  accident  had  happened,  so  that 
the  slack  water  period  had  passed  before  everything  was  ready. 

When  the  round  of  holes  has  been  charged,  the  diver  goes 
down.  The  pump  to  supply  him  with  air  is  kept  at  work ; 
the  charges  are  lowered  into  the  water  one  after  the  other, 
and  placed  in  the  holes  where  they  belong.  When  he  has  ar- 
ranged everything,  he  gives  a  signal  and  is  drawn  above. 
The  boats  then  back  away  from  the  reef  sufficiently  far  to  be 
out  of  the  way  of  the  explosion. 

The  nine  charges  are  fired  simultaneously  by  means  of 
electricity.  The  double  wire,  insulated  with  gutta-percha, 
extends  into  a  small  cartridge  of  powder,  which  is  placed  in 
the  top  of  each  charge  of  mtro-glycerine.  The  ends  of  the 
wire  are  brought  quite  near  each  other,  and  between  them  a 
small  slip  of  platinum  is  soldered.  The  current  of  electricity, 
passing  through  the  wires,  heats  this  platinum  to  redness,  and 
sets  fire  to  the  powder  around  it.  The  powder  explodes,  and 
its  explosion  sets  fire  to  the  nitre-glycerine.  As  the  battery 
which  furnishes  the  electricity  is  on  board  the  boat,  the  cur- 
rent is  thrown  into  each  pah  of  wires  simultaneously  and 
thus  the  explosions  occur  at  exactly  the  same  moment. 

A  column  of  water  shoots  up  into  the  air,  the  rock  is  torn 
and  broken,  and  there  is  a  general  disturbance  of  the  water 
all  round  it :  ships  and  boats  are  warned,  by  means  of  a  red 
flag,  to  keep  at  a  safe  distance.  It  generally  happens  that  a 
good  many  fishes  that  have  been  swimming  around  the  rock 
at  the  time  of  the  explosion  are  killed,  and  rise  to  the  surface  ; 
those  that  are  not  killed  are  very  much  astonished,  and  swim 
away  with  great  rapidity. 

The  experience  of  a  diver  going  down  to  arrange  the 
charges  is  not  highly  agreeable.  If  he  remains  longer  than 
the  period  of  slack  water,  he  finds  the  current  so  strong  that 
it  almost  carries  him  off  his  feet ;  and  it  frequently  becomes 
necessary  for  him  to  be  drawn  to  the  surface  and  abandon  his 
work  until  the  next  turn  of  the  tide.  Should  an  explosion 
occur  while  he  is  below,  it  would  be  pretty  certain  to  cause 
his  death. 


890  EFFECTS   OF  NITROGLYCERINE. 

The  substance  which  he  handles  is  not  the  safest  in  the 
world,  but  the  engineers  seem  to  be  agreed  that  it  is  much 
better  in  every  way  than  gunpowder.  They  say  that  acci- 
dents which  have  occurred  from  the  use  of  nitre-glycerine 
have  been  caused  by  careless  or  ignorant  handling,  and  that 
many  accidents  to  which  powder  is  liable  will  not  occur  with 
nitre-glycerine. 

General  Newton  explained  to  us  that  a  few  days  before  our 
visit  a  slight  accident  occurred,  which  would  have  proved  fatal 
had  they  been  using  powder.  At  that  time  they  were  using 
fulminating  caps  instead  of  electricity ;  one  of  the  fulminat- 
ing caps  was  ignited,  and  set  fire  to  the  charge  of  powder : 
the  case  was  broken  and  the  nitro-glycerine  was  spilled  about, 
but  nothing  serious  happened.  Had  they  been  using  gun- 
powder instead,  the  consequences  would  have  been  fatal. 

In  nearly  all  the  modern  blasting  operations  in  the  United 
States,  in  Europe,  and  in  many  other  places,  nitro-glycerine  takes 
the  place  of  powder ;  it  is  much  more  powerful  in  its  effect,  a 
single  charge  of  it  breaking  and  shattering  a  rock  much  more 
than  gunpowder.  It  has  the  advantage,  too,  of  extending  its 
force  completely  to  the  bottom  of  the  hole,  whereas  gunpow- 
der very  frequently  acts  only  part  way  down  the  hole. 

My  individual  experience  of  nitro-glycerine  has  not  been  of 
the  most  pleasing  character.  In  1866  I  sailed  from  New  York 
for  San  Francisco  by  way  of  Panama  ;  when  we  reached  As- 
pinwall  we  crossed  the  Isthmus  to  take  the  Pacific  steamer 
at  Panama.  It  was  nearly  sunset  when  we  climbed  up  the 
gangway,  and  stood  upon  her  deck  ;  an  hour  later,  the  tug 
with  our  baggage,  and  with  the  express  freight  and  mails, 
came  out.  I  was  standing  near  the  gangway  when  the  bag- 
gage and  express  matter  came  on  board,  and  I  think,  though 
I  will  not  be  positive  about  it,  —  and  some  of  my  acquaintances 
say  it  is  very  unlikety,  —  that  I  assisted  in  taking  a  few  of  the 
boxes  over  the  rail.  Everything  was  stowed  away,  and 
about  ten  o'clock  at  night  we  steamed  down  the  Bay  of  Pan- 
ama, and  were  on  our  way  to  San  Francisco.  We  reached  the 
latter  city  in  safety  on  a  Saturday  morning,  and  I  was  intro- 


A  HORRIBLE  ACCIDENT.  891 

duced  to  a  very  large  number  of  gentlemen,  and  most 
hospitably  entertained. 

Two  or  three  days  later,  I  was  walking  up  Montgomery 
Street,  and  met  a  friend  on  his  way  to  lunch  at  a  well-known 
Club  House  :  I  would  have  accepted  his  invitation  to  lunch, 
only  it  happened  that  I  had  just  breakfasted ;  and,  bid- 
ding him  good  morning,  or  good  afternoon,  I  walked  slowly 
towards  the  Occidental  Hotel.  I  had  been  there  but  a  very 
few  minutes  before  I  heard  a  loud  report,  which  jarred  the 
whole  building,  and  set  people  flying  through  all  the  corridors 
to  ascertain  what  was  the  matter.  I  went  out,  and  walked  up 
the  street  the  way  I  had  come.  The  office  of  Wells,  Fargo,  & 
Go's  Express  was,  if  I  remember  correctly,  two  blocks  away 
from  the  hotel.  It  turned  out  that  the  explosion  which  had 
jarred  all  that  part  of  the  city,  was  in  the  office  of  the  Express 
Company. 

To  tell  the  story  briefly,  seventeen  persons  were  killed, 
among  them  some  of  my  personal  friends,  and  as  many  more 
had  been  wounded.  The  Club  House,  where  I  was  very  near 
taking  my  lunch,  had  been  blown  up,  and  several  persons  who 
were  sitting  at  the  lunch-table  were  among  the  injured. 

Among  the  boxes  which  had  been  on  the  steamer  with  me 
from  New  York  to  San  Francisco,  had  been  passed  over  the 
rail  of  the  steamer  at  Panama,  and  which  I  had  assisted  in 
handling,  there  were  two  cases  of  nitro-glycerine. 

One  of  these  cases  had  exploded  at  the  express  office,  its 
contents  not  being  known,  and  consequently  it  had  not  been 
carefully  handled,  and  in  exploding  it  had  set  fire  to  the  other. 
The  force  was  sufficiently  strong  to  cause  a  marvellous  deal 
of  damage,  in  and  around  the  express  company's  building,  to 
break  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  panes  of  glass,  some  of 
them  three  or  four  hundred  yards  away ;  and  all  agreed  that 
if  those  cases  had  blown  up  on  our  steamer  we  never  would 
have  been  heard  of  afterwards. 

"Suppose,  now,"  said  one  ofmy  fellow-travellers, — "  suppose, 
now,  those  cases  had  exploded  when  we  were  taking  them  in 
at  Panama.  Why,  the  steamer  would  have  gone,  one  half  to  the 


g92  AT  HALLETT'S  POINT. 

bottom,  and  the  other  half  up  in  the  air,  and  some  of  us  might 
have  come  down  a  thousand  miles  away." 

A  week  or  two  after  this  explosion  at  San  Francisco,  there 
was  one  quite  like  it  at  Aspinwall,  doing  an  amount  of  clam- 
age  equal  to,  if  not  greater  than  the  explosion  at  San  Fran- 
cisco. Since  that  time  I  have  had  a  wholesome  fear  of  nitro- 
glycerine, and  am  always  inclined  to  keep  at  a  respectful  dis- 
tance from  it.  It  may  be  a  very  good  thing  in  its  way,  it 
may  be  entirely  safe  if  properly  handled,  but  I  greatly  prefer 
that  it  should  not  be  in  my  way,  and  that  somebody  else  should 
handle  it. 

From  Coenties'  Reef  we  went  to  Hallett's  Point,  and  were 
landed  under  the  supervision  of  the  general  in  charge.  We 
were  delivered  over  to  the  hands  of  the  superintendent,  Mr. 
Reitheimer,  who  entertained  us  very  pleasantly,  and  showed 
great  politeness  to  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  party, 
especially  to  the  ladies.  He  explained  all  about  the  works, 
and  opened  a  mysterious  case.  In  a  very  short  time  our  heads 
were  full  of  tunnels,  drifts,  headings,  drills,  champagne,  nitro- 
glycerine, reefs,  derricks,  pale  sherry,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  He  showed  us  his  plans  and  specifications,  and  then 
induced  us  to  step  into  a  wooden  box  slung  at  the  end  of  a 
derrick,  and  be  lowered  away  into  a  pit  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet 
in  depth. 

This  pit  formed  a  shaft  which  had  been  sunk  on  shore  to 
begin  the  operations  upon  the  reef.  From  the  shaft  a  series 
of  tunnels  extended  very  much  like  one's  outstretched  fingers. 
Between  the  tunnels  there  were  smaller  tunnels,  running 
from  one  to  the  other,  leaving  pillars  to  support  the  rock  and 
the  water  above.  A  strong  dam  had  been  built  around  the 
mouth  of  the  pit  to  prevent  the  water  from  flooding  it.  The 
tunnels  or  headings,  as  they  were  technically  called,  had  been 
designated  by  names  instead  of  numbers.  Most  of  the  men 
working  there  were  Cornish  miners,  and  they  seemed  not  fond 
of  numerical  designations.  The  superintendent  originally  called 
the  central  heading  Number  One,  but  it  was  changed  to  Farra- 
gut  Heading.  The  others  in  order  after  it  were  Madison,  Hum- 


VIEW  OF  SHAFT  FROM  THE  DAM. 


THE  SHAFT,  SHOWING  HEADINGS. 


UNDER  HELLGATE.  895 

phrey,  Hoffman,  Sherman,  Jefferson,  Grant,  McClellan,  Frank- 
lin, and  Jackson. 

At  the  center  of  the  reef  the  highest  tunnel  was  known  as 
Grant  Heading.  Nine  feet  of  rock  was  left  to  form  a  roof.  The 
rock  was  not  very  hard,  but  full  of  seams  and  fissures,  through 
which  the  water  constantly  dripped.  The  narrow  seams  were 
closed  by  blocking,  and  when  a  wide  seam  was  struck  it  had  to 
be  closed  outside. 

In  one  case  the  miners  came  upon  a  horizontal  seam,  through 
which  the  water  poured  at  the  rate  of  six  hundred  gallons  a 
minute,  and  before  the  flow  could  be  stopped,  the  miners  were 
standing  in  three  or  four  feet  of  water.  Bags  of  clay  were  kept 
in  readiness -on  the  edge  of  the  coffer-dam,  over  each  heading,  so 
that,  whenever  a  seam  was  found,  it  could  be  closed  as  quickly 
as  possible. 

A  large  number  of  men  were  employed  in  these  headings, 
drilling  holes  in  the  rock,  and  preparing  for  the  great  blast  to 
come.  For  a  long  time,  hand  drills  only  were  used,  but  the 
work  was  greatly  facilitated  by  the  introduction  of  drills  operated 
by  means  of  compressed  air. 

It  was  not  until  September,  1876,  that  the  rocks  of  the  reef 
were  completely  "honey-combed."  The  process  left  a  roof  of 
rock,  supported  by  piers,  which  were  so  perforated  as  to  secure 
their  destruction  by  the  blast.  The  quantities  of  explosive 
materials,  finally  decided  upon  by  General  Kewton  and  his 
engineers,  were  estimated  as  follows : — Dynamite,  25,976  pounds; 
Yulcan  powder,  14,244  pounds;  Rend  Rock,  9,061  pounds; 
Dynamite  in  Primers,  3,500  pounds.  Dynamite  is  simply  nitro- 
glycerine mixed  with  sand,  and  the  Vulcan  and  Rend  Rock  are 
brands  of  strongest  blasting  powder.  Connected  with  the 
explosive  material  in  each  of  the  sealed  canisters  was  a  copper 
wire,  and  all  these  wires  were  connected  with  the  coil  attached 
to  twenty-three  powerful  electric  batteries.  Thus,  the  batteries 
were  connected  with  each  canister,  and  operated  upon  each, 
while  each  canister  was  connected  with  and  operated  upon  all 
the  others.  To  make  all  these  connections,  about  twenty-three 
miles  of  wire  was  used.  The  excavations  in  the  rock  were 


THE  GREAT   EXPLOSION. 

filled  with  water.  It  required  47,561  cubic  yards  to  fill  them. 
The  water  was  let  in  at  the  rate  of  2,000  cubic  yards  per  hour, 
completing  the  filling  at  eight  o'clock,  Saturday  evening, 
September  20d.  Three  hundred  feet  from  the  rock,  General 
Newton  had  constructed  a  bomb-proof  building,  twelve  feet 
square,  in  which  he  placed  the  batteries.  The  metallic  plates 
were  not  submerged  in  the  acids  till  noon  of  the  next  day 
(Sunday),  so  that  the  electricity  could  not  be  generated  till 
near  the  time  of  the  explosion,  which  had  been  fixed  at  2:50  p.  m. 
Guard  boats  were  stationed  on  the  river  to  force  a  suspension 
of  navigation,  and  the  police  took  up  a  line  along  the  river  front 
to  guard  against  a  too  near  encroachment  by  sight-seers.  At 
2:25  p.  m.  the  first  signal  gun  was  fired,  and,  ten  minutes  later, 
a  second  gun  announced  the  near  approach  of  the  dreaded  hour. 
The  assembled  multitude  awaited  with  breathless  interest  the 
last  and  most  important  scene  in  the  Hellgate  drama.  Men 
and  women  stood,  watches  in  hand,  counting  the  minutes  and 
seconds,  or  gazing  anxiously  across  the  water  to  where  the  great 
upheaval  was  to  take  place.  All  waited  in  anxious  suspense, 
and  finally,  at  exactly  the  appointed  time,  the  tiny  finger  of 
little  Mary  Newton,  three  years  old,  guided  by  the  firm  hand  of 
her  father,  pressed  the  magic  key,  the  shock  came,  away  went 
Hallett's  Point  reef,  and  the  fears  of  the  timid  were  found  to 
have  been  totally  groundless.  The  shock  was  merely  a  dull, 
deadened  sound,  as  of  distant  thunder,  and  the  upheaval  was 
less  than  might  naturally  have  been  expected  from  firing  sucli 
an  amount  of  explosives.  The  water  rose  up  like  a  wall  of 
many  geysers  to  a  height  of  from  sixty  to  seventy  feet.  It 
appeared  snow-white,  and  formed  of  huge  cones  which  had 
dome-like  terminations.  There  was  so  much  spray  between 
these  cones,  however,  that  the  appearance  of  the  water  was  that 
of  a  wall  from  which  great  columns  stood  out  in  high  relief. 
Suddenly  there  came  out  from  the  eastward  a  dark  cloud  of 
mingled  stones  and  earth,  in  front  of  which  were  huge  wooden 
fragments  of  the  coffer-dam.  The  roof  of  the  mine  seemed  to 
rise  to  the  surface,  and  then  slowly  sink  to  the  bed  of  the  river. 
The  water,  after  receding,  was  black  and  discolored,  and,  after 


GENERAL  NEWTON'S  TRIUMPH.  897 

seething  and  boiling  for  a  few  seconds,  apparently  resumed  its 
natural  state.  The  concussion  was  slight,  and  crowds  of  people 
remained,  in  the  vain  expectation  of  witnessing  something 
which  would  be  on  a  more  magnificent  scale. 

It  was  feared  that  the  blasted  rocks  would  pile  up  around  the 
sides  of  the  excavation,  and  form  a  dangerous  temporary  obstruc- 
tion. As  a  precaution,  three  massive  spar  buoys  were  held  in 
readiness  to  mark  the  locality  until  the  work  of  sounding  was 
finished,  and  the  position  of  the  debris  discovered.  The  United 
States  steamer  Cactus  on  the  afternoon  of  Monday,  the  25th, 
began  the  work  of  laying  out  the  buoys.  The  first  sounding 
was  made  at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  feet  from  shore,  along 
an  arc  around  Hallett's  Point  and  over  the  exploded  mine. 
Tour  after  tour  was  made  at  greater  distances  from  shore,  and 
with  the  shaft  deeper  in  the  water.  Not  a  rock  or  obstacle  of 
any  kind  was  encountered  during  the  afternoon.  In  referring 
to  the  record  of  water  found  at  the  different  soundings,  the 
number  of  feet  reported  may  be  considered  the  amount  of  water 
at  mean  or  average  low  tide.  When  the  work  of  excavation 
began,  the  tide-gauge  showed  four  feet  of  water  over  the  average 
low  water  mark.  The  trial-shaft  made  the  tour  unhindered  at 
a  depth  of  sixteen  feet,  thus  demonstrating  a  safe  passage  for 
vessels  of  such  a  draft  at  a  point  where  the  day  before  a  giant 
rock  protruded  from  the  water.  The  last  trial  was  made  at 
three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  out,  and  showed  a  depth  of  twenty- 
one  feet  at  low  water. 

General  John  Newton  may  be  said  to  have  achieved  a  victory 
greater  than  any  in  war.  The  24th  of  September  ought  here- 
after to  be  celebrated  as  the  jubilee  day  of  commerce,  and  the 
anniversary  of  the  greatest  triumph  of  engineering  science  in 
history.  The  seven  years'  toil  on  Hallett's  Point  Reef  at  Hell- 
gate  has  culminated  in  a  grand  coup  de  maitre,  which  was  suc- 
cessful in  every  detail  and  in  the  full  accomplishment  of  all  the 
results  expected,  and  all  without  a  single  disaster  to  human 
life.  Begun  upon  a  carefully  matured  plan — carried  on  with 
the  quiet,  painstaking  persistence  of  science — the  long  labor  of 
demolishing  the  great  obstacle  to  navigation  has  at  last  been 

completed. 

48 


LXIII. 

THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  MANKIND. 

THE  STONE  AGE.  —  PICTURE  OF  ADAM  AND  EVE.  —  HOW  EVE  CUT  THE  APPLE. 
—  MINERS  OP  ANCIENT  TIMES. — DISCOVERY  OF  STONE  IMPLEMENTS.  —  THE 
INVENTION  OF  FIRE.  —  HOW  GOLD  WAS  FOUND.  —  COPPER  AND  BRONZE.  — 
THE  BRONZE  AGE.  —  IRON  AND  ITS  USES.  —  MINERAL  PRODUCTIONS  OF 
DIFFERENT  COUNTRIES.  —  QUICKSILVER  IN  SPAIN  AND  CALIFORNIA.  —  THE 
WEALTH  OF  NEVADA. — ROMANTIC  STORY  OF  THE  COMSTOCK  LODE. — 
MINERAL  FUTURE  OF  AMERICA. 

THE  most  extensively  worked  mineral  substance  at  the 
present  day  is  coal,  yet  it  is  the  most  recent  of  mineral  dis- 
coveries. Iron,  copper,  tin,  and  nearly  all  the  metals  were 
dug  from  the  earth,  and  used  long  before  the  value  of  mineral 
coal  was  known. 

In  the  earliest  days  of  mankind,  tools  for  various  uses  were 
made  of  wood,  bones,  or  stone.  The  first  tools  were  undoubt- 
edly of  wood,  but  the  material  was  so  perishable  in  its  nature 
that  no  specimens  from  those  early  days  have  come  down  to  us. 
Stone,  being  a  harder  substance  than  wood,  and  much  more 
durable  in  its  character,  rapidly  took  its  place.  The  period 
when  the  human  race  was  in  its  infancy  has  been  properly 
classified  as  the  "  Age  of  Stone,"  for  the  reason  that  man  at 
that  time  was  ignorant  of  the  use  of  metal.  Many  implements 
from  the  stone  age  have  come  down  to  us,  and  are  found  in 
various  parts  of  the  world.  In  the  copper  mines  on  the  shores 
of  Lake  Superior,  many  tools  have  been  found  which  were  used 
by  a  race  long  extinct,  and  of  which  we  have  no  history. 

In  opening  one  of  these  mines,  several  years  ago,  more  than 
a  hundred  stone  axes  and  wedges  were  discovered  near  a 
large  mass  of  native  copper,  which  had  been  moved  a  short 
distance,  and  supported  upon  sticks  of  timber. 


DISCOVERY  OF  FIRE.  899 

No  implements  other  than  those  of  stone  were  found,  and 
all  of  these  had  been  broken  in  an  unsuccessful  attempt  to 
cut  the  mass  of  copper  in  two.  In  various  parts  of  America, 
Europe,  and  Asia,  stone  implements  from  the  early  days  of  the 
human  race  are  found,  and  at  the  present  time  there  are  many 
savage  tribes  belonging  practically  to  the  stone  age. 

In  some  islands  of  the  Pacific  the  people  have  not  yet 
emerged  from  what  is  to  us  a  very  remote  period.  Barbarism 
under  some  circumstances  may  almost  be  considered  perpetual. 

The  history  of  the  early  days  of  mankind  upon  the  earth  is 
very  largely  a  matter  of  conjecture :  much  of  it  comes  from 
tradition,  and  much  of  it  from  calculation.  The  great  anti- 
quity of  the  human  race  is  a  recognized  fact,  and  geologists 
have  shown  that  the  period  of  early  barbarism  may  have  ex- 
tended over  tens  of  thousands  of  years.  Civilization,  properly 
speaking,  began  only  with  the  discovery  of  fire  and  metals. 

Some  of  the  Greek  mythologists  say  that  Prometheus  stole 
fire  from  heaven.  The  more  prosaic  fact  is,  that  fire  was  first 
discovered  by  means  of  lightning,  which  set  fire  to  the  forests, 
and  thus  revealed  to  mankind  a  new  element  in  nature.  It 
is  probable  that  our  first  parents  in  the  garden  of  Eden  had 
no  knowledge  whatever  of  this  element,  or  of  the  metals,  or 
even  of  implements  of  wood  or  stone.  Consequently  the  en- 
thusiastic artist  of  the  middle  age,  who  drew  a  picture  of 
Adam  and  Eve  standing  in  front  of  a  fire  to  warm  themselves, 
and  represented  Eve  holding  a  knife  in  her  hand,  with  which 
she  was  cutting  slices  from  the  fatal  apple  to  give  to  the 
waiting  Adam,  was  guilty  of  anachronism. 

There  are  other  conjectures  of  the  discovery  of  fire,  but 
they  'are  purely  conjectures.  Fire  may  have  been  known 
from  the  earliest  ages,  through  volcanic  eruptions  and  streams 
of  lava. 

People  who  lived  far  away  from  volcanos  may  have  dis- 
covered it  from  the  spontaneous  combustion  of  wood  after  hot 
and  dry  summers,  or  of  masses  of  weeds  and  rubbish  thrown 
together,  and  forming  peculiar  chemical  combinations.  It  is 
possible  that  other  people  may  have  discovered  fire  by  means 


900  THE   AGE  OP  BRONZE. 

of  flint,  or  they  may  have  obtained  it  by  rubbing  two  pieces 
of  dried  wpod  against  each  other,  according  to  the  practice  of 
the  present  day  among  many  savage  people. 

At  any  rate,  it  is  probable  that  the  discovery  of  fire  led  to 
that  of  metals.  Fires  built  against  certain  rocks  may  have  cal- 
cined them,  and  caused  the  metals  which  they  contained  to  be 
fused  together.  By  some  it  is  thought  that  the  first  metal 
discovered  was  gold,  which  existed  in  the  sands  of  the  streams, 
and  would  naturally  attract  attention  by  its  shining  appear- 
ance. « 

Even  if  gold  were  the  earliest  discovery,  it  exercised  no 
great  influence  on  the  civilization  of  the  human  race  ;  but  it 
was  otherwise  with  the  discovery  of  the  commoner  metals. 
From  the  time  these  were  known,  the  human  race  made  rapid 
progress,  and  written  history  began  with  them. 

The  discovery  of  copper  and  tin  preceded  that  of  bronze, 
which  is  an  alloy  of  these  two  metals.  Copper  may  have  been 
discovered  in  its  natural  state,  or  in  combination  with  other 
substances,  which  could  easily  be  removed  by  the  action  of 
fire.  The  metal  was  soft  and  easily  fashioned,  but  there  are 
many  purposes  which  it  could  not  be  made  to  answer.  The 
localities  where  this  metal  was  first  discovered  are  not  posi- 
tively known.  Some  contend  that  it  came  from  India,  while 
others  give  credit  to  that  part  of  England  known  at  the 
present  time  as  Cornwall. 

The  alloy  of  copper  and  tin  for  the  formation  of  bronze 
grew  into  very  rapid  use,  and  it  was  made  of  various  degrees 
of  hardness,  according  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  was  intended. 
Wedges,  knives,  axes,  saws,  fish-hooks,  ploughshares,  picks, 
and  a  thousand  other  implements  for  the  uses  of  peace  or  of 
war,  were  made  of  bronze.  It  could  be  melted  and  cast  in 
moulds,  or  it  could  be  hammered  and  fashioned  at  the  will  of 
the  smith.  With  bronze  the  art  of  moulding  began.  Bronze 
was  used  for  money.  It  was  cast  into  utensils  for  kitchens, 
and  parlors,  and  other  apartments  of  dwellings.  It  was 
fashioned  into  statuary,  and  sometimes  into  statuary  of  a  very 
vulgar  character.  Weapons  were  made  of  it,  such  as  the 


THE  AGE   OF  IRON.  901 

heads  of  arrows,  lances,  and  javelins,  swords,  shields,  and  hel- 
mets; while  it  was  useful  in  peace,  it  was  likewise  useful  in 
war.  A  French  writer  has  said,  "The  art  of  killing  one 
another  will  advance  at  the  same  time  as  all  the  other  arts." 

Lead,  silver,  and  quicksilver  were  discovered  about  the 
same  time  as  copper.  A 'long  period  may  have  elapsed  after 
the  discovery  of  bronze  before  that  of  iron.  Doubtless  this 
was  in  a  great  measure  because  bronze  supplied  all  the  re- 
quirements of  the  arts  of  peace  as  well  as  of  war,  and  would 
naturally  precede  iron,  because  it  was  more  readily  and  easily 
worked.  The  reduction  of  iron  ore  has  always  been  a  delicate 
process,  and  is  attended  with  more  or  less  difficulty.  A  strong 
current  of  air  was  required  to  give  sufficient  heat  to  melt  the 
iron.  It  is  quite  likely  that  the  first  blast  furnace  was  made 
from  the  hollow  tr  link  of  a  tree  containing  a  piston,  moving 
up  and  down  like  that  of  an  ordinary  pump.  This  method  is 
still  in  use  among  the  Malays  and  the  African  negroes. 
While  the  Polynesians  are  still  in  the  stone  period,  the  Malays 
and  negroes  are  just  entering  the  first  cycle  of  the  iron  period. 

Some  of  the  philosophers  suggest  that  this  is  by  the  desire 
of  the  Ruler  of  the  universe,  in  order  to  guide  the  civilized 
man  of  to-day  in  the  study  of  the  early  history  of  his  race. 

For  a  long  time  iron  was  only  used  in  its  malleable  form. 
The  discovery  of  cast  iron  was  not  a  prime  necessity,  since 
its  place  was  well  supplied  by  bronze.  Historians  tells  us 
that  cast  iron  was  discovered  about  the  time  of  the  invention 
of  gunpowder.  It  was  used  for  making  shot,  and  afterwards 
for  making  the  guns  by  which  the  shot  were  projected.  The 
English  were  the  first  to  adopt  them,  and  tried  them  against 
the  French  in  the  battle  of  Crdcy,  about  the  middle  of  the 
fourteenth  century. 

Step  by  step  furnaces  were  constructed,  and  almost  every 
decade  witnessed  some  kind  of  improvements  in  their  manage- 
ment. Then  came  the  invention  by  which  steel  could  be 
manufactured  on  a  large  scale.  The  rapid  increase  in  the  use 
of  iron  dates,  as  before  stated,  from  the  general  use  of  min- 
eral coal. 


902  CO.UNTRIES   THAT  PRODUCE  IRON. 

Pages  could  be  covered  with  details  of  the  uses  of  iron  and 
steel.  The  production  and  consumption  of  these  metals 
amount  to  millions  of  tons  annually,  yet  the  demand  never 
exceeds  the  supply.  They  are  fast  replacing  timber  and 
stone  for  many  uses,  and  they  are  substituted  for  bronze  in 
ornamental  castings.  No  tools  or  weapons  can  be  made  with- 
out them.  They  constitute  parts  of  nearly  all  machinery ; 
and  turn  where  we  will,  • —  wherever  civilized  men  are  to  be 
found,  —  we  shall  see  iron  and  steel  occupying  prominent 
places. 

Deposits  of  metals  are  found  in  all  parts  of  the  globe. 
Great  Britain  is  rich  in  lead,  and  tin,  and  iron,  and  in  some 
localities  gold  has  been  discovered.  She  furnishes  other 
countries  with  some  of  her  metals,  and  those  which  she  does 
not  find  in  sufficient  quantities  for  her  own  wants  she  brings 
from  abroad.  Many  of  the  metallic  ores  of  other  countries  are 
sent  to  England  to  be  smelted  and  reduced.  On  the  continent 
of  Europe  there  are  copper  mines,  silver  mines,  iron  mines,  and 
mines  of  nickel,  zinc,  and  tin.  Some  of  the  deposits  of  metallic 
ores  are  very  great.  In  one  place  in  Swedish  Lapland  there 
is  a  hill  rising  out  of  the  swampy  ground,  where  there  are 
veins  of  iron  ore,  some  of  them  two  hundred  feet  in  thickness. 
Belgium,  in  proportion  to  her  size,  produces  more  iron  than 
England.  Along  the  valley  of  the  Rhine  and  its  tributaries 
there  are  rich  deposits  of  the  various  metals,  some  of  them  of 
great  extent.  Russia  is  rich  in  mines  ;  and  as  we  go  from  Eu- 
ropean to  Asiatic  Russia,  we  find  that  the  richness  continues. 

France  has  large  supplies  of  iron,  and  on  a  small  scale  she 
possesses  the  other  metals.  In  Spain  there  is  great  mineral 
wealth,  and  some  of  the  mines  of  that  country  have  been  ex- 
ploited for  thousands  of  years.  The  most  celebrated  quick- 
silver mine  in  the  world  is  that  of  Almaden,  situated  in  Spain ; 
and  it  has  been  continually  worked  for  three  thousand  years. 
Until  the  discovery  and  working  of  the  New  Almaden  quick- 
silver mine,  in  California,  the  famous  mine  of  Spain  controlled 
the  quicksilver  market  of  the  globe.  In  Northern  Italy  there 
are  many  districts  rich  in  metallic  ores.  Throughout  Asia, 


SILVER  IN  AMERICA.  903 

from  the  Arctic  to  the  Indian  Ocean,  there  are  mines  of  all  the 
metals,  gome  of  them  of  great  richness.  Mining  industry  in 
that  part  of  the  world  is  still  in  its  infancy,  and  great  dis- 
coveries and  great  progress  may  be  looked  for  within  the  next 
hundred  years. 

In  Africa,  as  well  as  in  Asia,  there  are  rich  mineral  deposits, 
though  comparatively  little  is  known  about  them.  The  new 
world  is  not  behind  the  old  in  its  mineral  wealth.  Every 
known  mineral  substance  is  found  here ;  and  there  are  evi- 
dences that  the  mines  were  worked  thousands  of  years  before 
Columbus  made  his  famous  voyage  across  the  Atlantic.  Some 
of  the  largest  metallic  veins  in  the  world  are  in  America. 

Mexico,  Peru,  and  other  Spanish  settlements  on  this  side  of 
the  globe  are  almost  unparalleled  in  richness.  California  alone 
has  furnished  an  immense  amount  of  gold  to  the  hard  money 
circulation  of  the  world,  and  is  destined  to  furnish  still  more. 

Nevada  and  the  territories  lying  around  it  have  a  wealth 
of  silver  unknown,  and  doubtless  inexhaustible.  The  copper 
mines  of  Lake  Superior  have  become  famous  throughout  the 
world  ;  and  the  iron  mines  of  the  great  Mississippi  valley  and 
the  Atlantic  slope  may  yet  supply  the  world  with  the  most 
useful  and  most  generally  needed  metals. 

Probably  the  richest  mines  yet  known  are  those  situated  on 
the  famous  Comstock  lode,  in  Nevada. 

From  1862  to  1865,  including  both  these  years,  the  mines 
on  that  lode  yielded  about  forty-eight  millions  of  dollars,  and 
since  that  time  the  return  has  averaged  more  than  twenty 
millions  of  dollars  annually.  The  produce  of  silver  from  the 
Comstock  vein  is  about  one  fourth  of  the  entire  amount  fur- 
nished by  all  the  silver  mines  in  the  world.  It  exceeds  the 
aggregate  produce  of  all  European  countries,  and  equals  that 
of  the  entire  western  coast  of  South  America. 

A  French  engineer,  who  visited  Nevada  some  years  ago, 
wrote  of  it  as  follows  :  — 

"  Its  extraordinary  productiveness  has  made  the  Washoe 
region  more  famous  for  its  mineral  wealth  than  many  places 
where  silver  ores  have  been  found,  and  mined  for  centuries. 


904  MINERAL   EXCHANGES. 

It  has  attracted  an  enormous  civilized  population.  It  has 
built  cities  in  the  desert,  and  roads  across  high  mountain 
ranges,  accelerated  the  union  by  steam  of  the  Atlantic  and 
Pacific  coasts  of  America,  created  a  new  branch  of  mining  in- 
dustry in  the  Pacific  states,  and  given  successful  employment 
to  large  amounts  of  capital." 

The  original  mine  of  the  Comstock  vein  is  known  as  the 
Gould  and  Curry.  It  originally  belonged  to  two  men  whose 
names  it  bears.  Gould  sold  out  his  share  for  a  pair  of  blankets 
and  a  bottle  of  whiskey.  Curry  disposed  of  his  interest  for  a 
horse  and  two  thousand  dollars.  One  of  the  mines  on  the 
same  vein  was  bought  one  day  for  two  thousand  dollars,  and 
six  weeks  afterwards  was  sold  for  nine  hundred  thousand. 
Some  of  the  most  remarkable  mining  speculations  ever  known 
in  the  history  of  the  world  have  occurred  in  Nevada. 

A  long  story  could  be  told  of  the  various  countries  of  the 
world,  and  of  the  productions  for  which  they  are  famous ;  but 
it  is  hardly  necessary  in  this  place,  and  very  likely  would  be- 
come tedious.  Scarcely  any  part  of  the  globe  can  be  mentioned 
where  some  mineral  of  value  is  not  found,  and  the  various 
substances  seem  to  be  distributed  in  such  a  way  as  to  develop 
intimate  relations  among  the  various  members  of  the  human 
family,  and  to  draw  nations  nearer  and  nearer  to  each  other. 

England  exchanges  her  iron  and  coal  for  the  produce  of 
other  nations.  Spain  sends  her  quicksilver.  Chili  sends  her 
copper.  Mexico  and  Peru  send  their  silver,  and  receive  in 
return  the  articles  which  they  need,  and  other  nations  can 
spare.  Other  countries  send  their  minerals  to  distant  mar- 
kets, and  receive  in  return  the  products  of  the  countries 
where  those  markets  exist.  America,  with  her  mines,  is  com- 
paratively in  a  state  of  infancy ;  but  the  day  will  come  —  and 
it  is  not  far  distant — when  she  will  be  the  great  supplying 
centre  of  a  large  portion  of  the  globe. 


LXIY. 

DIAMOND  AND   OTHER  SWINDLES. 

THE     GREAT    DIAMOND    SWINDLE    OP    1872.  —  HOW    IT  WAS    ORGANIZED.  —  MAG- 
NIFICENT PLANS  OP  THE  SWINDLERS.  PLANTING  A    DIAMOND    FIELD. — HOW 

THE  FRAUD  WAS  EXPOSED. A  NEAT  SWINDLE  ATTEMPTED  IN  SAPPHIRES. 

HOW    IT    WAS    DISCOVERED.  —  A    MYTHICAL    COPPER    MINE.  —  FATE    OF   THE 
SWINDLER. 

THE  great  diamond  swindle  of  California  will  probably  go 
down  in  history  as  one  of  the  most  magnificent  frauds  of  this  or 
any  other  age.  There  are  some  facts  about  the  matter  which 
have  not  yet  been  given  to  the  public.  When  the  operators 
first  started  their  "  plant,"  they  went  to  New  York,  and 
endeavored  to  enlist  capitalists  in  that  city.  A  friend  of 
mine  was  thrown  into  contact  with  them,  and  from  him  I 
learned  the  points.  They  wanted  half  a  million  dollars  for 
their  claim.  He  looked  at  the  diamonds,  which  appeared  to 
be  genuine,  and  he  was  allowed  to  apply  the  usual  test  of 
rubbing  with  steel  files  and  with  emery.  They  stood  the 
test,  and  he  offered  to  put  ten  thousand  dollars  into  the 
scheme.  Another  friend  (a  friend  of  my  friend)  came  forward, 
and  as  he  had  some  money  to  spare,  he  was  allowed  to  inves- 
tigate the  business ;  the  twain  were  prepared  with  more  files 
and  emery,  and  they  rubbed  more  of  the  diamonds. 

The  test  was  going  on  satisfactorily,  when  my  friend,  whom 
I  will  call  Sharpley,  happened  to  lay  hold  of  a  stone  that 
yielded  to  the  hard  substances  against  which  it  was  brought. 
Sharpley  tried  another  side  of  it,  and  again  it  yielded.  He 
was  handling  a  piece  of  common  crystal,  and  not  a  diamond, 
and  his  eyes  were  beginning  to  open.  He  became  inquisitive 
enough  for  a  son  of  Paul  Pry,  and  the  result  of  his  question- 


906  DISCOVERING  A  FRAUD. 

ing  was,  that  lie  didn't  put  his  money  into  the  speculation. 
Straightway  he  sought  his  friend,  and  actually  found  him 
arranging  to  draw  the  check  that  would  have  made  him  a 
twenty  thousand  dollar  stockholder  in  the  great  diamond  mine 
of  Arizona. 

Sharpley  talked  to  him  like  a  Dutch  uncle,  and  with  some 
difficulty  induced  him  to  withhold  the  money  for  the  present. 
I  say  with  difficulty,  for  Sharpley's  friend  had  become  as 
enthusiastic  over  the  diamonds  as  a  damsel  of  sixteen  over 
her  first  beau,  and  was  determined  to  go  in  anyhow.  He  half 
suspected  that  Sharpley  wanted  to  keep  others  out  so  that  he 
could  get  more  stock  for  himself,  and  subsequently,  when  the 
stock  was  all  taken,  he  upbraided  Sharpley  for  keeping  him 
out.  He  does  not  upbraid  much  now,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
quite  the  reverse.  When  the  exposure  came  out,  he  thought 
how  his  twenty  thousand  dollars  had  been  saved,  and  remem- 
bered that  Sharpley  had  been  the  cause  of  its  salvation.  He 
sent  a  basket  of  the  best  champagne  to  Sharpley's  office,  and 
it  was  while  drinking  a  glass  of  the  beverage  that  its 
recipient  told  me  of  his  diamond  experience. 

"  It  was  one  of  the  best  laid  plants  I  ever  saw,"  said 
Sharpley,  "  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  stumbling  on  that  piece 
of  crystal,  I  might  have  been  taken  in.  They  tried  to  explain 
to  me  that  the  crystal  got  in  there  by  accident;  but  as  they 
had  previously  told  me  that  every  stone  in  the  collection  had 
been  examined  by  an  expert,  I  knew  there  was  a  lie  some- 
where. They  had  a  few  rubies,  which  they  claimed  were 
found  in  the  same  locality,  or  near  them.  I  looked  at  them, 
and  was  allowed  to  take  one  of  them  to  a  jeweller,  who  pro- 
nounced it  genuine.  That  night  I  overhauled  my  encyclo- 
pedia, and  studied  up  the  character  of  diamonds  and  rubies. 

"  I  found  that  the  diamond  consists  of  crystallized  carbon, 
while  the  ruby,  sapphire,  and  all  that  class  of  gems,  are 
crystallized  alumina.  Next  morning  I  went  to  one  of  the 
best  geologists  in  New  York,  whom  I  happened  to  know  well, 
and  asked  him  if  crystals  of  carbon  and  alumina  could  be 
found  in  the  same  locality. 


SCENE   OF  THE   PLANT.  907 

"  '  Most  certainly  not/  was  his  reply.  l  Such  a  thing  may 
be  possible,  but  I  doubt  it  very  much.' 

"  '  What  would  you  say/  I  asked,  l  if  a  man  showed  you  a 
diamond  and  a  ruby,  and  told  you  they  were  found  side  by 
side  ? ' 

"  '  I  should  ask  him  if  he  knew  the  man  that  put  them 
there ;  and  if  he  insisted  that  they  were  natural  deposits,  I 
should  change  the  topic  of  conversation  for  fear  of  saying 
something  to  wound  his  feelings.' 

"  I  left  the  professor/'  continued  Sharpley,  "  and  made  up 
my  mind  to  have  nothing  to  do  with  the^lpeculation,  although 
I  confess  I  was  greatly  puzzled.  Apart  from  the  statement 
of  the  geologist,  and  the  discovery  of  the  crystal  which 
first  caused  my  suspicions,  everything  appeared  right  enough. 
The  parties  were  respectable,  polite,  intelligent,  and  wanted  a 
good  price  for  their  property,  or  rather  for  half  of  it,  as  they 
only  desired  to  obtain  mone}7  to  work  their  claim.  They 
would  not  reveal  the  locality  of  the  discovery,  as  it  was  upon 
unsnrveyed  ground,  and  they  desired  the  passage  of  a  bill  by 
Congress  to  confirm  their  title  to  it.  The  mesa,  or  diamond- 
bearing  ground,  was  minutely  described,  and  was  very  much 
like  the  diamond-bearing  localities  of  Brazil  and  India.  Pro- 
fessor Janin,  a  scientist  of  repute,  had  been  there,  and  staked 
his  reputation  on  the  genuineness  of  the  discovery.  He  was 
sworn  to  secrecy,  in  order  that  there  should  be  no  jumping 
of  the  claim  by  the  adventurous  fellows  who  abound  on  the 
frontier,  and  to  keep  off  everybody,  in  fact,  until  the  proper 
title  was  secured,  and  the  company  was  ready  to  go  to  work. 
Several  persons  who  had  investigated  the  matter  as  exten- 
sively as  they  could,  were  convinced  of  its  correctness,  and 
were  ready  to  invest. 

"Furthermore,  the  operators  were  anxious  to  get  the  claim 
to  their  land,  and  spent  money  to  get  it.  General  McClellan, 
Samuel  Barlow,  and  others  went  into  the  operation,  and  you 
may  be  sure  they  don't  risk  their  money  unless  things  appear 
pretty  certain.  McClellan,  Barlow,  and  the  rest,  whom  I  will 
call  the  New  York  party  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  offered 


908        HOW  THE  NEW  YORKERS  WERE  CAUGHT. 

four  hundred  thousand  dollars  for  the  half  interest,  and  had 
the  money  ready  to  put  up.  I  surely  expected  the  '  planters ; 
would  take  this  and  clear  out,  as  they  would  then  make  a 
handsome  profit  on  the  speculation.  But  they  refused  it,  and, 
as  they  could  get  no  more,  they  took  up  their  bags  of 
diamonds  and  went  away.  This  again  made  the  thing  look 
genuine,  and  I  was  more  puzzled  than  ever.  I  began  to  wish 
I  had  put  in  my  money,  and  it  was  then  that  my  friend, 
whose  champagne  I  am  drinking,  blew  me  up  for  dissuading 
him  from  investing.  I  soothed  him,  and  we  determined  to 
keep  our  mouths  shift,  and  wait  for  what  would  turn  up. 

"  Well,  to  shorten  up  the  story,  the  planters  went  to 
San  Francisco  and  got  Ralston,  and  the  rest  of  them  to  go  in. 
When  the  company  was  organized,  the  New  York  party  began 
to  regret  not  having  taken  the  thing  at  half  a  million,  and 
they  felt  so  bad  about  it  that  they  asked  the  Ralston  crowd  to 
let  them  in  on  the  bed  rock  organization.  They  urged  the 
time,  money,  and  influence  they  had  used  to  get  the  grant 
from  the  government,  and  begged  so  hard  that  Ralston's  party 
finally  gave  them  a  chance.  They  won't  tell  how  much  they 
lost,  but  I  think  there  were  five  of  them  stuck  for  about  twenty 
thousand  apiece.  There  were  other  small  fry,  but  they  were 
not  of  much  account. 

"  Now,  there  is  another  thing  that  hasn't  come  out  yet,  but 
I  am  sure  it  will  one  of  these  days.  There  is  a  rich  deposit 
of  diamonds  on  this  continent  of  North  America,  and  some  of 
the  stones  which  have  been  exhibited  came  from  it.  Some 
of  the  diamonds  used  in  getting  up  this  plant  were  bought  ir> 
London,  and  came  from  Brazil  and  South  Africa,  but  there 
were  others  that  certainly  came  from  no  diamond  fields  yet 
known.  At  least  that  is  what  some  of  the  experts  say,  and 
if  all  the  parties  interested  in  the  purchase  of  the  Arizona 
mines,  —  I  do  not  mean  those  who  sold,  but  those  who  bought 
the  half  interest  from  the  swindlers, — if  all  these  parties, 
were  catechized  searchingly,  I  have  reason  to  believe  that 
some  of  them  would  or  could  tell  something  that  would  be 
quite  as  startling  as  the  original  story  of  diamonds  in  Arizona. 


lib 

DREAMS    OF    A    DIAMOND    SWINDLER. 


A   RICH   MESA  SOMEWHERE.  911 

They  had  already  taken  steps  to  secure  this  new  locality 
before  the  Arizona  swindle  was  exposed,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  the  sudden  death  of  a  gentleman  connected  with  the 
negotiations,  the  business  would  have  been  completed  ere 
this.  The  negotiations  were  hindered  by  his  death,  and  it 
may  be  months  before  they  are  completed ;  but  you  can  cer- 
tainly look  for  a  revelation  some  time  in  1873  o!f  great  interest 
concerning  diamond  fields  of  wonderful  wealth." 

"  Why,"  I  asked,  "  did  not  the  Arizona  swindlers  get  up 
their  speculation  on  the  real  diamond  fields  of  which  you 
speak  ?  They  could  have  made  more  money,  and  avoided  the 
stigma  of  dishonesty  which  they  must  bear  as  long  as  they 
live." 

"  Simply  because  the  swindle  was  much  the  easier  thing. 
The  real  fields  are  practically  inaccessible,  except  to  a  large 
and  well-armed  party,  and  under  the  sanction  of  another  gov- 
ernment than  our  own.  A  concession  to  hold  and  work  them 
must  be  obtained,  and  this  would  take  a  long  time.  I  will  say 
this  and  no  more  —  that  they  are  north  of  the  Isthmus  of 
Darien,  and  are  not  in  the  United  States.  You  may  guess 
about  their  locality  as  much  as  you  like,  but  for  the  present  I 
can  say  nothing  more.  You  see  it  was  much  easier  to  get  up 
an  excitement  about  Arizona  or  Colorado,  and  turn  it  into 
money,  than  to  wait  and  work  on  the  genuine  enterprise. 
Men  are  not  generally  inclined  to  dishonesty  unless  they  can 
make  something  by  it." 

So  endeth  what  I  have  to  say  about  the  diamond  swindle. 

Some  other  transactions  of  a  kindred  sort  have  come  to  my 
knowledge,  and  they  may  properly  be  told  in  this  connection. 
A  few  years  ago  I  was  interested  in  the  study  of  crystalliza- 
tions, and  made  some  experiments  in  the  laboratory  of  a 
chemical  friend.  We  tried  a  long  time  to  get  up  rubies  and 
sapphires,  and  followed  the  processes  of  Ebelman  and  Gaudin 
as  closely  as  possible.  Artificial  crystals  of  alumina  have 
been  produced,  but  they  have  always  been  so  small  as  to 
require  a  microscope  for  their  discovery,  and  any  attempt  to 
color  them  has  failed.  In  the  course  of  our  experiment  we 


912  COUNTERFEIT  SAPPHIRES. 

came  in  contact  with  a  scientific  gentleman  of  considerable 
repute.  He  assisted  us  in  some  of  our  efforts,  but  we  never 
succeeded  in  them,  not  even  producing  the  smallest  crystal. 
Finally,  we  gave  up  the  enterprise,  and  turned  our  attention 
to  something  else. 

Three  or  four  months  later  I  met  this  scientist,  Professor 
Blank,  in  the  corridor  of  the  Astor  House.  He  was  delighted 
to  see  me,  and  said  he  had  called  two  or  three  times  on  busi- 
ness of  importance,  which  he  could  only  explain  at  his  rooms. 

We  made  an  appointment  for  that  evening,  and  he  went 
away. 

I  was  on  hand  at  the  appointed  hour,  and,  after  carefully 
locking  the  door,  the  professor  became  confidential. 

"  You  remember  your  experiments  to  produce  sapphires," 
he  said,  "  and  you  also  remember  that  I  took  great  interest  in 
them.  "When  you  were  disheartened  and  gave  up,  I  did  not 
abandon  hope,  and  at  last  I  have  been  rewarded.  I  have  pro- 
duced a  perfect  sapphire  by  following  another  process  from 
yours.  You  used  alumina  and  boracic  acid  ;  I  have  been 
using  the  same  things,  but  have  added  another  acid,  and  an 
oxide  that  gives  the  color  to  the  stone  at  the  same  time  that 
it  facilitates  the  crystallization.  Here  is  the  result." 

As  he  spoke  he  opened  a  table  drawer,  and  from  a  small 
box  produced  three  beautiful  stones.  Apparently  they  were 
sapphires  of  correct  shape,  color,  and  density,  and  worth  a 
great  deal  of  money.  They  reflected  the  gas  light,  and  for  a 
short  time  I  saw  a  fortune  before  me.  When  I  had  examined 
them  thoroughly  and  placed  them  on  the  table,  the  professor 
continued :  "  Now,  these  are  sapphires  made  in  my  labora- 
tory — just  as  Nature  has  made  them  in  hers.  They  are  of 
the  same  material  as  the  natural  sapphire,  and  a  man  can  sell 
them  for  genuine  stones  and  not  be  guilty  of  any  fraud." 

I  assented  to  his  proposition. 

"  Here  is  a  fortune  in  my  secret ;  but  to  make  the  secret 
available,  it  is  necessary  to  proceed  with  great  caution.  The 
instant  it  is  known  or  suspected  that  the  stones  are  made  by 
an  artificial  process,  the  market  will  be  ruined.  I  have 


A  MAGNIFICENT  SCHEME.  913 

thought  the  whole  thing  over,  and  determined  upon  a  plan. 
We  will  form  a  small  company,  the  fewer  men  in  it  the  better, 
and  fit  up  a  laboratory  in  connection  with  a  tin  shop,  or  some- 
thing of  the  sort.  The  shop  will  be  a  blind  to  prevent  suspi- 
cion, and  the  laboratory  can  be  in  the  rear,  where  we  will 
pretend  to  have  a  new  process  for  soldering  tin.  When  the 
stones  are  made,  we  can  put  them  on  the  market  slowly,  and 
sell  them  just  fast  enough  to  prevent  getting  up  a  panic." 

He  went  on  with  the  details  of  his  scheme,  which  was  plau- 
sible enough,  only  it  was  a  trifle  too  large.  Had  he  been  an 
adventurer,  I  should  have  suspected  him  at  once ;  but  here 
was  a  scientific  gentleman,  whose  name  was  on  the  title 
page  of  a  book  that  had  been  received  as  an  authority,  and, 
go  far  as  I  knew,  his  reputation  was  without  blemish.  I  was 
captivated  by  the  brilliancy  of  the  enterprise,  and  readily  con- 
sented to  join  him  and  bring  the  matter  to  the  attention  of 
some  of  my  friends.  He  wanted  about  twenty  thousand  dol- 
lars for  a  share  in  the  secret,  and  as  capital  wherewith  to  set 
up  and  stock  his  proposed  laboratory.  To  wind  up  the  even- 
ing and  leave  me  fully  convinced,  he  opened  a  crucible,  which, 
he  averred,  he  had  that  afternoon  taken  from  the  furnace  and 
laid  a\vay  to  cool.  From  the  black  mass  of  slag  at  the  bottom 
he  extracted  a  couple  of  sapphires,  smaller  than  the  ones  he 
had  previously  shown  me,  but  as  perfect  in  every  way  as  the 
others.  My  mind  was  nearly  but  not  quite  made  up.  I  asked 
the  privilege  of  taking  one  of  these  latest  sapphires,  and  also 
one  of  the  others,  to  show  to  a  friend  whom  I  wished  to  join 
me  in  the  speculation. 

The  professor  consented,  with  the  injunction  that  I  must 
not  reveal  the  secret  of  their  manufacture,  and  that  I  should 
be  very  cautious  about  exciting  the  suspicion  of  any  outsider 
as  to  their  artificial  character.  "  We  must  be  very  careful," 
said  he,  "  not  to  let  the  dealers  know  that  the  stones  are  not 
dug  from  the  ground,  like  all  others  in  the  market.  They  are 
in  every  respect  the  same,  but  the  question  of  demand  and 
supply  tells  more  readily  on  precious  stones  than  on  anything 
else  that  men  deal  in." 


914  FINDING  A  CLUE. 

Next  morning  I  jumped  into  an  omnibus  and  rode  down 
town.  I  went  to  a  lapidary  on  John  Street,  with  whom  I  had 
a  slight  acquaintance,  and  at  once  showed  him  my  sapphires. 
He  looked  at  them  just  an  instant,  and  asked  what  I  wanted 
to  know  about  them.  I  asked  what  he  called  those  stones. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile,  "  they  are  very  good  imi- 
tations of  sapphires." 

"Imitations!" 

11  Yes,  imitations ;  I  ought  to  know,  for  I  made  them  my- 
self." 

A  gigantic  flea  at  that  instant  —  a  flea  as  large  as  an  ele- 
phant —  entered  my  right  ear,  and  jumped  about  like  a  school- 
boy exercising  across  a  gutter.  The  lapidary  continued,  that 
he  made  the  stones  to  order,  and  three  others  at  the  same 
time,  about  a  month  before,  but  declined  to  tell  me  for  whom 
they  were  made.  They  were  made  of  strass,  a  fine  article  of 
glass,  consisting  mainly  of  potash,  oxide  of  lead,  borax,  and 
silex.  Nearly  all  artificial  gems  are  made  of  strass,  and  the 
colors  are  obtained  by  adding  certain  oxides  while  the  sub- 
stance is  in  a  state  of  fusion.  Diamonds,  sapphires,  rubies, 
and  amethysts,  made  of  strass,  may  deceive  a  novice,  and  even 
be  made  so  skilfully  as  to  require  a  careful  test  before  decid- 
ing on  their  character  ;  but  you  can  no  more  sell  them  for 
genuine  to  a  regular  dealer  than  you  can  make  a  butcher  buy 
a  poodle  under  the  belief  that  it  is  a  bull-dog. 

I  returned  the  gems  to  the  professor  that  evening,  with 
the  brief  explanation  that  my  friend  was  averse  to  a  specula- 
tion on  account  of  a  lack  of  funds,  and  that  an  unexpected  de- 
vejopment  had  rendered  it  impossible  for  me  to  invest.  He 
did  not  press  for  an  explanation,  and  we  separated  with 
mutual  regrets. 

Another  time  a  man  who  had  been  for  several  years  on  the 
Pacific  coast  came  to  New  York,  and  lived  a  month  or  two  at 
my  hotel,  without  any  appearance  of  business.  I  formed  an 
acquaintance  with  him  one  day  at  the  table,  and  found  that 
he  was  a  good  talker,  and  well  informed  on  mining  matters. 
Our  acquaintance  ran  on  a  week  or  so,  and  one  day  he  invited 


A   BOGUS   COPPER   MINE.  915 

me  to  his  room,  and  showed  me  some  specimens  of  copper  ore. 
They  were  of  wonderful  richness,  and  while  I  was  looking  at 
them  he  explained  that  he  knew  where  there  was  a  vein  six 
feet  wide  and  a  half  a  mile  long  of  just  such  ore.  He  said  it 
in  the  most  careless  way  imaginable,  and  remarked  that  he 
thought  he  had  about  as  good  a  thing  as  there  was  going. 

I  thought  so,  too  ;  and  after  a  few  minutes'  conversation  we 
separated.  Nothing  more  was  said  for  several  days,  when 
finally  he  asked  if  I  knew  anybody  who  would  like  to  join 
him  in  working  the  mine  and  sharing  the  profits.  There  was 
more  than  he  wanted  for  himself,  and  he  would  like  to  be  re- 
lieved of  the  trouble  of  looking  after  it.  The  mine  was  on  the 
Colorado  River,  in  Lower  California,  and  was  'a  very  easy  one 
to  work.  I  took  some  of  his  samples  of  ore,  and  showed  them 
to  a  speculating  friend,  who  said,  "  This  is  a  wonderfully  rich 
ore,  and  there  is  no  end  of  money  in  it,  if  he  is  talking  the 
truth.  It  is  worth  looking  into,  but  we  must  be  cautious." 

Ten  of  us  formed  a  company,  and  agreed  to  pay  him  a  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars  for  a  half  interest  in  the  mine,  if  it 
turned  out  as  he  represented.  He  described  it  minutely,  over 
and  over  again,  and  his  story  appeared  perfectly  plausible. 
He  was  ready  to  go  there  with  any  of  us,  show  us  the  property, 
and  satisfy  us  that  he  had  told  the  truth.  We  sent  one  of  our 
number  to  California  with  him,  and  at  San  Francisco  a  couple 
of  gentlemen,  to  whom  we  had  written,  joined  the  twain,  and 
made  a  party  of  four  to  go  to  the  copper  mine.  All  the  way 
he  talked  about  the  mine  —  from  New  York  to  San  Francisco, 
and  from  the  latter  city  to  the  Colorado  River.  Several  cop- 
per mines  had  been  opened  in  that  region,  and  he  spent  a  day 
escorting  the  party  among  the  reduction  works  of  these  com- 
panies. Up  the  banks  of  the  river  he  led  them  about  twenty 
miles  from  the  last  of  these  mines,  and  then  acknowledged  that 
the  whole  thing  was  a  deception,  and  that  he  had  no  mine  to 
sell. 

The  two  Calif ornians  proposed  shooting  him  on  the  spot ; 
but  the  New  Yorker  had  a  prejudice  against  shedding  blood, 
and  persuaded  his  friends  to  let  the  scoundrel  escape.  He 
49 


916  SHOT   BY  MISTAKE. 

did  not  return  with  them,  and  he  never  reappeared  in  New 
York ;  but  he  did  turn  up  in  San  Francisco,  where  he  sold  for 
ten  thousand  dollars  (and  obtained  the  money  for  it),  a  quarter 
interest  in  a  mine  to  which  he  had  no  more  title  than  I  have 
to  a  township  in  the  moon.  He  was  a  plausible  wretch,  and 
could  look  you  straight  in  the  eye  while  telling  a  lie  as  big 
and  as  plump  as  the  swelled  head  of  an  Irishman  the  morning 
after  a  wake. 

I  believe  he  was  subsequently  mistaken  for  a  coyote,  and 
shot  by  a  miner  whose  claim  he  had  been  endeavoring  to  steal 
and  sell.  The  miner  regretted  the  mistake,  or,  at  all  events, 
said  that  he  was  sorry  that  somebody  else  had  not  made  the 
mistake,  and  made  it  earlier. 


LXV. 

PERQUISITES. 

CURIOSITIES  OF  COMMERCIAL  TRANSACTIONS.  —  PAYING  COMMISSIONS  IN  EUROPE, 
—  FUNNY  EXPERIENCES.  —  SPREAD  OF  THE  CUSTOM  IN  AMERICA.  —  HOW  CON- 
TRACTS ARE  OBTAINED  AND  PAID  FOR.  —  COMMISSIONS  TO  TRADESMEN  AND 
OTHERS.  —  CURIOUS  FEATURES  OF  THE  PIANO  TRADE. 

AMERICAN  travellers  in  Europe  frequently  express  astonish- 
ment at  the  commission  system  which  prevails  there  among 
all  classes  of  people.  From  the  moment  you  land  on  Euro- 
pean soil  till  the  moment  you  leave  it,  you  are  the  subject,  or 
rather  the  object,  of  commissioners  of  every  possible  variety. 
I  do  not  refer  to  the  parties  who  expect  and  require  you  to 
pay  money  for  direct  services,  but  to  those  who  make  money 
out  of  you  in  an  indirect  way.  You  step  on  the  dock  at  Liv- 
erpool or  Havre,  and  an  officious  porter  takes  you  in  charge, 
and  hands  you  over  to  a  cabman.  You  pay  the  porter  for  his 
services,  and  think  that  the  money  you  give  him  is  all  he  re- 
ceives.  Not  a  bit  of  it.  The  cabman  gives  the  porter  a  com- 
mission on  the  money  which  you  pay  for  your  ride,  and  very 
often  this  commission  is  a  heavy  one.  Instances  have  come 
to  my  knowledge  wherein  the  porter  or  servant  engaging  a 
carriage  was  paid  twenty-five  per  cent,  of  the  fare ;  and  I 
once  looked  from  a  door-way  in  Rome,  and  saw  the  cabman 
give  my  valet  de  place  exactly  half  the  money  which  the  former 
had  received  from  me  ;  and  I  had  paid  him  only  a  few  cents 
above  the  regular  tariff.  The  couriers,  or  travelling  servants, 
receive  a  commission  on  the  hotel  bills  of  the  tourists  whom 
they  accompany,  and  also  a  commission  on  nearly  all  their 
bills  of  whatever  sort.  If  you  make  purchases  in  shops,  it 
will  very  likely  make  a  difference  of  five  or  ten  per  cent,  in 


918          TRICKS  UPON  EUROPEAN  TRAVELLERS. 

your  bills  whether  you  are  accompanied  by  a  courier  or  valet. 
Some  of  these  fellows  are  constantly  urging  you  to  go  to 
shops  where  you  are  likely  to  buy  something,  and  very  in- 
genious are  the  devices  by  which  they  wheedle  you,  or  en- 
deavor to  wheedle  you,  into  buying  something.  The  shrewd- 
est of  them  pretend  to  be  your  friends,  and  take  your  part 
with  a  great  deal  of  vigor.  I  have  in  mind  a  valet  that  a 
party  of  us  hired,  one  day,  to  show  us  the  sights  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Naples.  We  thought  he  was  a  capital  fellow,  as  he  was 
exceedingly  earnest  in  his  efforts  to  save  us  from  the  grasp 
of  the  swindlers.  There  were  many  sights  to  be  seen,  and 
consequently  many  fees  to  be  paid ;  and  he  took  especial  care 
that  we  did  not  pay  too  much.  A  custodian  would  demand 
four  francs  for  admitting  the  party  to  the  special  curiosity  in 
his  charge.  "  Two  francs  is  the  proper  charge,"  our  con- 
ductor would  say ;  and  if  the  custodian  persisted  in  his  out- 
rageous demand,  our  guardian  would  threaten  to  erect  a 
dormer  window  on  him.  We,  of  course,  would  pay  the  two 
francs,  and  rejoice  that  we  had  not  been  defrauded.  We 
learned,  next  day,  that  one  franc  would  have  been  sufficient, 
and  that  the  extra  franc  was  divided  between  the  custodian 
and  our  valet.  He  made  a  nice  day's  work  of  it,  as  he  re- 
ceived, in  addition  to  his  hire  and  commissions,  a  present  of 
five  francs  from  us  for  his  fidelity.  When  we  returned  to 
the  city,  he  took  us  to  a  coral  store,  but  declined  to  enter,  as 
he  feared  the  proprietor  would  take  advantage  of  us  on  ac- 
count of  his  presence,  and  charge  an  extra  sum,  on  pretence 
of  expecting  to  pay  commission.  We  learned  afterwards  that 
this  was  one  of  the  tricks  of  the  trade.  It  made  ns  more 
willing  to  purchase,  as  it  threw  us  off  our  guard ;  and  no 
doubt  the  storekeeper  and  the  valet  had  a  laugh  over  the 
circumstance  when  the  latter  received  his  commission.  For 
ways  that  are  dark,  and  for  tricks  that  are  not  in  vain,  com- 
mend me  to  a  courier  or  a  volet  de  place  in  Europe. 

Sometimes  this  universal  practice  of  giving  commissions 
leads  to  funny  experiences  on  the  part  of  travellers.  In 
1867,  the  year  of  the  Exposition,  it  was.  my  fortune  to  be  in 


REGULATING  SWINDLES.  9}  9 

Paris,  and  to  see  the  capital  in  its  gayest  and  most  prosperous 
times.  Every  Parisian,  in  whatever  business  engaged,  was 
counting  upon  making  a  fortune,  or,  at  all  events,  upon  laying 
a  broad  and  solid  foundation  for  it.  Prices  were  exorbitant ; 
trade  was  brisk,  and  money  was  plenty.  For  had  not  the  for- 
eigners come  from  all  parts  of  the  globe,  with  abundance  of 
cash,  which  they  were  scattering  as  the  farmer  scatters  the 
grain  he  sows?  The  police  came  to  the  relief  of  the  much- 
defrauded  public  ;  but  though  they  regulated  the  cabmen  and 
other  public  personages,  they  could  not  regulate  the  shop- 
keepers, Merchants  would  coolly  demand  a  hundred  francs  for 
an  article  worth  no  more  than  twenty,  and  when  you  taxed 
them  with  an  attempt  to  swindle,  they  explained  that  they  must 
live,  and  that  rents  were  very  high.  One  day  I  found  a  small 
spot  of  grease  on  my  hat,  and  stepped  into  a  hat  store  close 
by  the  Grand  Hotel.  The  shopman  examined  the  hat  for  at 
least  a  minute,  and  then  sent  for  the  foreman  of  the  work, 
room.  The  latter  came,  and  the  twain  held  a  solemn  consulta- 
tion, that  resulted  in  a  proposition  to  eradicate  the  obnoxious 
grease  if  they  could  have  three  days'  time,  and  at  an  expense 
of  twelve  francs.  I  declined,  and  walked  out.  The  same 
afternoon,  at  a  small  hat  store  in  the  Latin  Quarter,  the  stain 
was  removed  inside  of  ten  minutes,  by  the  use  of  a  hot  iron ; 
and  the  whole  work  cost  but  half  a  franc. 

There  were  lots  of  Americans  in  Paris  at  that  time,  and  the 
most  of  them  did  not  know  enough  French  to  swear  in,  much 
less  to  make  a  purchase,  or  order  a  breakfast.  They  used  to 
fall  upon  such  of  us  as  knew  the  language,  and  compel  us  to 
act  the  part  of  valets  in  accompanying  them  on  shopping 
tours.  Very  soon  we  were  utterly  sick  of  this  amusement, 
and  used  to  invent  all  sorts  of  excuses  to  be  rid  of  it.  One 
day  I  had  some  fun  that  lasted  me  a  week  at  least,  and  was  a 
standing  joke,  which  several  of  my  friends  enjoyed  hugely. 
A  gentleman  and  lady  of  my  acquaintance  induced  me  to  ac- 
company them  to  a  shop  on  the  Rue  de  la  Paix,  where  I  was 
to  act  as  their  interpreter  in  some  projected  purchases.  I 
was  the  go-between  in  the  transaction,  and  faithfully  ren- 


920  AN  AMUSING  EXPERIENCE. 

dered  the  English  of  the  patrons  into  the  French  of  the  shop- 
keeper, and  vice  versd.  The  purchases  amounted  to  nearly 
three  hundred  francs ;  the  goods  were  wrapped,  and  the 
money  was  paid  over.  My  friends  were  taking  a  final  glance 
into  the  show-cases  on  one  side  of  the  shop,  while  I  was  look- 
ing at  something  on  the  other  side,  and  holding,  by  accident, 
my  open  hand  on  the  counter.  The  shopman  slipped  a  twenty- 
franc  piece  into  my  hand.  His  action  surprised  me  for  an 
instant;  but  I  speedily  comprehended  the  situation,  closed 
upon  the  coin,  and  then  took  a  sly  glance  at  it.  "  Dix  francs 
tncore"  I  demanded,  in  a  whisper,  and  shook  my  head.  There 
was  a  look  of  expostulation  on  the  face  of  the  merchant ;  but 
I  repeated  my  demand,  and  received  the  extra  ten  francs. 
We  left  the  shop,  and  I  kept  the  occurrence  to  myself  until 
evening,  when  I  narrated  it,  in  the  cafe  of  the  Grand  Hotel,  to 
a  little  group  which  included  the  gentleman  whom  I  had  ac- 
companied. He  was  boasting  of  the  cheapness  with  which  he 
bought  his  articles  that  day,  and  recommended  the  shop  as 
the  most  honest  one  in  Paris.  Then  I  came  out  with  my 
story,  and  produced  the  identical  money  received  from  the 
dealer  in  bijouterie.  The  champagne  which  was  bought  with 
those  thirty  francs  proved  to  be  a  very  good  article,  but  some- 
what high  priced,  though  no  more  so  than  the  like  material 
which  my  patron  was  obliged  to  purchase  as  soon  as  my  com- 
mission was  expended.  He  did  not  hear  the  last  of  that 
affair  for  some  time,  nor  did  I. 

The  foregoing  is  a  prologue  to  a  few  remarks  —  rather  a 
long  prologue,  I  admit — upon  the  fraud  of  this  custom  of  giv- 
ing commissions  in  America.  How  long  it  has  existed  here,  I 
do  not  know.  Quite  likely  the  fellow  who  negotiated  the  sale 
of  Manhattan  Island  for  twenty-four  dollars,  in  the  days  of 
Hendrick  Hudson,  received  a  commission  for  his  services;  and 
it  may  be  that  the  ministers  who  surrounded  Ferdinand  and 
Isabella,  and  persuaded  them  to  listen  to  the  daring  Genoese 
navigator,  and  favor  his  project  for  a  new  route  to  the  Indies, 
received  a  commission  from  Columbus  as  soon  as  the  money 
for  equipping  his  fleet  was  secured  from  the  king  and  queen. 


STORY  OF  THE  TAMMANY  RING.  921 

History  records  that  the  Mayflower  was  very  poorly  equipped 
when  she  sailed  with  the  Pilgrims  for  Plymouth  Rock,  and 
that  the  contractors  who  furnished  her  did  not  comply  either 
with  the  letter  or  spirit  of  their  agreement.  If  the  matter 
could  be  investigated,  I  have  little  doubt  we  should  find  that 
the  contractors  were  obliged  to  pay  a  commission  to  some- 
body, and  that  they  found  it  so  heavy  as  to  take  away  all 
their  profits,  and  compel  them  to  the  dreadful  alternatives  of 
being  dishonest  or  losing  money  by  the  operation.  At  any 
rate,  this  is  frequently  the  case  nowadays,  and  I  have  known 
a  man  to  be  pressed  so  sorely  by  the  commission-seekers  that 
he  found  a  contract,  originally  supposed  to  be  very  fat,  to  turn 
out  so  lean  as  to  be  no  better  than  a  skeleton.  Particularly 
is  this  so  with  matters  connected  with  the  city  government  in 
New  York. 

In  the  days  of  the  Ring,  a  man  would  seek,  we  will  say,  a 
contract  for  paving  a  certain  number  of  streets.  He  would 
pay  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  to  introduce  a  reso- 
lution authorizing  the  said  pavement.  Then  a  committee 
would  be  appointed  to  investigate  the  matter,  and  the  com- 
mittee would  need  something  to  help  support  their  families, 
and  also  to  secure  a  favorable  report.  Next  it  would  be 
necessary  to  interview  a  sufficient  number  of  the  members  to 
make  a  majority,  and  then  the  resolution  would  go  through. 
The  same  course  would  be  followed  with  the  Board  of  As- 
sistant Aldermen  before  the  resolution  would  become  a  law 
of  the  city,  and  enable  the  pavement  to  proceed.  And  when 
the  work  is  finished,  there  is  trouble  about  getting  the  money 
for  it.  First  comes  the  inspector,  who  is  to  pronounce  upon 
the  work,  and  say  whether  the  terms  of  the  contract  have 
been  met.  His  salary  is  small,  and  his  expenses  are  large. 
He  is  the  head  of  a  numerous  family,  and  is  required  to  con- 
tribute to  the  success  of  his  political  party ;  and  such  success 
requires  money.  A  judicious  salve  of  greenbacks  spread  over 
the  contract  enables  him  to  see  as  he  should  see,  and  he  re- 
ports favorably.  Then  come  the  Board  of  Audit,  Supervisors,. 
and  the  like.  They  may  not  all  need  money ;  but  there  are 


922  UNDERCURRENTS  OF  CONTRACTS. 

certain  members  and  attacJigs  who  are  poor,  but  dishonest, 
and  are  struggling  manfully  against  the  floods  and  storms  of 
this  wicked  and  weary  world.  Delays  are  dangerous  and 
vexatious,  and  to  secure  expedition  and  favorable  action, 
there  is  nothing  so  good  as  money.  And  then  there  is  the 
work  of  getting  the  money  after  the  payment  has  been  or- 
dered, and  very  often  somebody  in  the  financial  department 
of  the  city  and  county  of  New  York  will  demand  and  receive 
his  commission.  Then  there  are  outside  bills  to  persons  of 
influence,  and  when  one  has  been  settled,  another  and  another 
will  make  its  appearance. 

I  have  made  no  fancy  sketch.  This  is  the  history  of  many 
a  contract  —  probably  of  most  of  the  contracts  —  with  the 
city  government  of  New  York  in  the  past  twenty-five  years. 
And  it  is  for  this  reason  that  such  exorbitant  prices  are  paid 
for  paving,  street  cleaning,  and  all  other  city  work ;  and  it  is 
for  this  reason  that  many  contracts  which  appear  exceedingly 
profitable  on  their  face,  really  furnish  little  or  no  profit.  I 
have  known  several  men  who  had  large  contracts  on  which 
they  actually  lost  money,  and  I  have  in  mind  one  who  was 
driven  into  bankruptcy  by  a  contract  out  of  which  he  ex- 
pected to  make  a  large  amount  of  money.  He  had  calculated 
upon  a  shave  of  fifty  per  cent.,  and  made  his  terms  accord- 
ingly. '  But  his  actual  proceeds  were  only  twenty -two  per 
cent,  of  the  face  of  the  contract,  and  even  for  that  amount  he 
was  compelled  to  wait  so  long  that  he  could  not  meet  his  out- 
standing bills,  and  became  a  financial  wreck.  Other  city  gov- 
ernments may  be  bad,  but  I  think  none  of  them  are  equal  to 
that  which  has  its  scene  of  operations  on  Manhattan  Island. 
I  leave  out  of  the  case  altogether  the  forgeries  and  raised 
bills  of  the  Ring  operators,  and  consider  only  those  contracts 
which  may  be  classed  as  strictly  legitimate. 

There  is  a  good  little  story  which  is  told  of  a  noted  hotel- 
keeper,  whose  name  I  will  not  mention,  though  there  are 
•dozens  of  New  Yorkers  who  can  give  it,  and  can  vouch  for  the 
correctness  of  the  narrative.  Some  years  ago  there  was  a 
foreign  embassy  here,  and  the  city  government  showed  many 


THE   HOTEL-KEEPER   AND   ALDERMEN.  923 

attentions  to  it»  Our  Boniface  obtained  from  the  Board  of  Al- 
men  an  order  for  a  grand  dinner  to  the  embassy,  and  a  splen- 
did affair  it  was.  The  bill  was  atyout  three  times  what  it 
should  have  been;  but  Boniface  was  a  good  fellow,  and 
agreed  to  divide  with  the  aldermen  if  they  would  put  it 
through.  They  did  so,  and,  what  was  more,  they  ordered 
the  immediate  payment  of  the  money.  It  was  paid ;  and 
Boniface  sent  word  to  the  members  who  had  befriended  him 
to  come  to  the  hotel  at  a  certain  hour,  next  day,  and  he 
would  do  the  handsome  thing.  They  came  promptly,  every 
man  of  them,  and  were  assembled  in  one  of  the  parlors.  Boni- 
face was  among  them,  with  a  greeting  for  everybody,  and  he 
poured  out  his  wine  in  the  most  liberal  manner.  He  was  a 
good  talker,  and  kept  them  amused  with  his  wine  and  his 
stories  for  a  full  hour  or  more.  But  time  was  pressing,  and 
some  of  them  hinted  that  they  had  better  end  the  business, 
and  separate. 

"  Don't  go  yet,"  said  Boniface ;  "  take  some  more  wine." 

They  took  it,  and  hinted  that  they  came  for  the  divide. 

"  Take  some  more  wine,  boys ;  I'm  going  to  do  the  hand- 
some thing." 

"  But  that  divvy,  Bonny,"  urged  one  of  the  party.  "  We 
can't  stay  longer,  as  we  have  a  meeting  this  afternoon,  and  it 
is  almost  time  for  it." 

"  Boys,"  said  the  hotel-keeper,  "  I've  just  ordered  a  basket 
of  this  wine  for  each  of  you,  and  you  will  find  it  at  your 
houses  when  you  go  home." 

"  Hang  the  wine !  We  want  that  money,  and  that's  what 
we  came  for." 

"  Now,  boys,"  said  Bonny,  seating  himself  in  an  arm-chair, 
and  smiling  till  his  mouth  resembled  the  entrance  to  a  railway 
tunnel,  "  I  suppose  you'd  call  me  a  d — d  skunk,  if  I  went  back 
on  you,  and  didn't  hand  over  a  cent." 

"  Of  course  we  should,"  said  half  a  dozen,  almost  in  unison ; 
"  but  we  don't  think  you'd  do  that." 

"  Well,  that's  just  about  the  size  of  it,"  he  replied.  "  I've 
got  the  money,  and  mean  to  keep  it.  You  may  have  all  the 


924:  AN  UNDERTAKING   COMMISSION. 

wine  you  want,  but  I'm  not  going  to  corrupt  you  with  money, 
and  you  may  call  me  what  you  d — n  please.  Have  some  more 
wine,  boys ;  have  some  more  wine." 

The  boys  were  in  no  mood  for  drinking  just  then.  They 
went  away  sorrowing,  and  they  all  cursed  him  in  all  the 
epithets  known  to  the  language.  It  is  even  said  that  they 
offered  liberal  premiums  to  anybody  who  would  invent  fresh 
forms  of  swearing,  so  that  they  could  speak  their  minds  fairly. 
Common  profanity  wouldn't  do. 

Few  persons  have  any  idea  of  the  extent  of  this  commission 
business  in  ordinary  affairs.  I  mean  those  unconnected  with 
politics.  It  would  be  difficult  to  name  any  branch  of  business 
where  commissions  are  not  paid  to  somebody.  Lawyers  give 
commissions  to  those  who  send  them  clients ;  doctors  pay  those 
who  recommend  them  to  patients ;  grocers,  butchers,  bakers, 
and  candlestick  makers  pay  commissions  to  those  who  send 
them  patronage ;  tailors,  milliners,  haberdashers,  confection- 
ers, florists,  bar-keepers,  taverners  —  in  fact,  nearly  all  per- 
sons who  buy,  or  sell,  or  fill  orders,  are  obliged  to  pay 
commissions  to  somebody.  Railway  companies,  steamship 
companies,  and  dozens  of  other  corporations  —  reputed  to  be 
without  souls  —  pay  commissions,  and  will  continue  to  pay 
them  to  the  end  of  time.  Even  undertakers  are  not  exempt. 
I  know  of  two  cases  wherein  they  have  paid  for  the  business 
which  came  to  them,  and  have  heard  of  several  others. 
One  that  was  told  me  a  few  weeks  ago  was  as  follows :  A 
woman  in  a  fashionable  boarding-house  died  suddenly,  and 
her  husband  asked  the  landlady  to  send  for  an  undertaker. 
She  did  so,  and  the  job  proved  a  good  one,  as  the  bereaved 
husband  was  possessed  of  considerable  money,  and  wished  to 
do  the  thing  up  in  style.  He  told  the  undertaker  to  make  the 
funeral  a  swell  one,  and  not  to  stand  on  expense.  The  under- 
taker obeyed  orders,  and  the  affair  was  the  envy  of  the 
remaining  boarders  in  the  house.  A  day  or  two  after  the 
payment  of  the  bill,  the  landlady  called  at  the  coffin  shop,  and 
quietly  hinted  that  a  death  in  a  house  is  a  sad  thing, 
especially  in  a  boarding-house.  The  undertaker  assented, 


TAILOES  AND  THE  BILLS  THEY  PAY.          925 

and  without  further  parley  drew  a  check  for  fifty  dollars, 
which  consoled  the  unhappy  matron,  and  turned  her  sorrow 
into  delight.  When  another  boarder  dies  she  will  not  forget 
this  slight  testimonial  of  the  undertaker's  respect  and 
esteem. 

Many  a  nice  young  man  about  town  is  clothed  free  of  ex- 
pense by  fashionable  tailors  who  have  an  eye  to  business,  and 
know  it  is  to  their  advantage  to  keep  the  much  viewed  swells 
in  fine  garments.  Grocers,  butchers,  bakers,  and  all  men  of 
their  ilk,  pay  commissions  to  house  servants  much  oftener 
than  their  employers  imagine.  The  custom  has  become  very 
general  in  New  York  in  the  past  few  years,  and  in  some 
households  the  wages  of  the  servants  are  the  smallest  part  of 
their  incomes.  On  New  Year's  day  the  grocers  send  presents 
to  the  servants,  generally  a  bottle  of  whiskey  or  gin  to  each 
cook  or  kitchen  maid,  and  the  result  is,  that,  in  a  good  many 
houses,  the  servants  below  stairs,  on  the  first  day  of  January, 
are  quite  as  drunk  as  the  majority  of  the  visitors  and  enter- 
tainers in  the  parlors  above.  At  the  railway  and  steamboat 
landings,  the  hackmen  frequently  pay  commissions  to  the 
policemen  who  allow  them  good  places  in  the  line,  and  do  not 
press  them  to  move  on.  Policemen,  by  the  way,  make  a  great 
many  commissions  —  when  their  consciences  are  flexible  — 
from  gin-shops,  gambling-houses,  and  other  establishments 
which  may  as  well  be  nameless,  and  in  the  same  way  hotel 
clerks  and  hackmen  are  enabled  to  add  materially  to  their 
regular  incomes.  The  hotel  clerks  come  in  for  commissions  on 
the  tailors,  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  others  who  come 
in  contact  with  strangers.  For  example,  there  is  a  tailor  in 
New  York  who  is  understood  to  have  friendly  relations  with 
one  of  the  consulates,  —  I  don't  mean  with  the  consul,  but 
with  some  of  the  subordinates,  \yhen  a  foreign  traveller 
drops  into  this  consulate,  and  says,  "  I  want  some  clothes,  you 
know,  and  I  want  to  know,  you  know,  where  I  can  find  a  good 
tailor,  you  know,"  some  one  is  moved  to  say,  "  My  dear 
fellow,  you  know,  go  to  —  —s  ;  here's  his  card  ;  awful  nice 
tailor,  you  know ;  will  just  suit  you,  my  boy."  The  traveller 


926  INTRODUCTION  TO   GAMBLERS. 

goes,  and  remarks  to  the  tailor  that  they  told  him  at  the  con- 
sulate that  this  was  the  place.  Is  it  anybody's  business  if 
somebody  gets  the  handsome  thing  done  for  him  ? 

There  is  one  trick  in  the  business  which  has  been  adopted 
by  many  people,  but  the  point  of  it  is  rarely  seen  by  the 
victim.  It  is  that  of  giving  a  letter  of  introduction  by  way 
of  holding  a  tighter  grip  on  the  party  to  be  skinned,  and  also 
of  avoiding  a  dispute  as  to  the  validity  of  the  claim  for  a 
commission.  Jones,  from  the  country,  is  stopping  at  the 
Bangup  Hotel,  and  asks  the  clerk  to  direct  him  to  a  good, 
respectable  gambling-house,  or  something  of  the  sort,  as  he  is 
a  stranger  in  town,  and  doesn't  know  the  ropes.  Clerk  tells 
him,  for  instance,  that  Heenan's  or  Morrissey's  is  just  what 
he  wants,  and  draws  from  his  pocket  a  card,  on  which  is 
printed  the  name  of  the  clerk  of  the  Bangup.  Then  he 
writes  on  the  back  thereof,  "  This  is  my  particular  friend,  Mr. 
Jones :  treat  him  kindly  ;  show  him  every  attention,  and  charge 
it  to  me."  "  Be  sure  and  hand  him  this  card,"  the  clerk 
enjoins ;  "  otherwise  he  won't  know  you,  and  won't  show  you 
any  more  attention  than  anybody  else."  Jones  delivers  the 
card,  is  treated  politely,  and  often  leaves  a  hundred  dollars  or 
so  in  the  house,  and  is  satisfied.  So  also  is  the  clerk  when 
he  receives  his  share  of  the  proceeds. 

A  few  years  ago  there  were  two  hotels,  one  in  New  York, 
and  the  other  in  a  western  city,  which  were  run  in  a  sort  of 
half-way  partnership.  Suppose  you  were  a  patron  of  the 
New  York  concern,  and  were  about  going  to  the  other  city : 
mine  host  of  Manhattan  would  say,  "  Let  me  give  you  a  letter 
to  my  cousin,"  and  forthwith  he  wrote  a  warm  letter,  in  which 
you  were  represented  as  a  particular  friend, — you  will  always 
find  a  "  particular  "  in  the  letter,  — one  of  the  best  of  men,  a 
gentleman  in  the  true  sense  of  that  word,  and  one  whose 
acquaintance  would  be  an  honor  of  which  the  President  of 
the  United  States  and  the  Emperor  of  Russia  might  be  proud. 
You  would  be  deserving  the  highest  respect,  and  should 
receive  the  very  best  the  house  could  afford. 

You  took  the  letter,  —  I  have  seen  several  of  them,  —  and 


A   MODEL   LETTER   OF   INTRODUCTION.  927 

went  to  the  house  named  in  it.  I  never  knew  anybody  who 
received  any  special  courtesy  in  consequence,  but  he  gener- 
ally found  his  bill  from  twenty  to  fifty  per  cent,  higher  than 
it  would  have  been  had  he  brought  no  introduction.  The  two 
hotels  played  that  game  a  long  time  before  travellers  found 
them  out,  and  it  was  astonishing  how  long  it  took  to  discover 
the  trick.  A  friend  of  mine  once  arrived  here  from  the  hotel 
at  the  other  end  of  the  line.  I  met  him  at  the  dock,  and 
urged  him  to  go  to  the  house  where  I  lived.  "  No,"  said  he, 

"  I  have  a  letter  from  -  to  his  cousin  here,  and  I  am 

going  to  that  hotel.  Just  look  at  that  letter."  I  read  the  docu- 
ment, which  was  one  of  the  most  fulsome  things  you  ever  saw, 
and  would  clearly  entitle  my  friend  to  canonization.  He  went 
to  the  hotel,  was  politely  received,  crammed  into  a  room  under 
the  eaves,  and  about  as  large  as  a  cigar-box ;  could  not  get 
moved  lower  down,  though  they  promised  every  hour  that 
they  would  transfer  him  on  the  next ;  and  after  staying  there 
four  days,  left  in  disgust,  with  the  additional  affront  of  a  bill, 
in  which  there  were  all  real  and  several  erroneous  extras  at 
the  highest  possible  or  impossible  rates.  The  real  wording 
of  that  letter  should  have  been, — 

"  This  is  one  of  our  patrons ;  stick  him  in  anywhere,  and 
charge  him  all  you  can." 

I  presume  the  business  that  pays  more  commissions  than  any 
other  is  that  of  making  and  selling  pianos.  In  the  first  place 
each  large  establishment  usually  keeps  a  man  to  write  its  ad- 
vertisements and  look  after  its  business  relations  with  the 
press  and  advertising  mediums  generally.  One  manufacturer, 
a  shrewd  foreigner,  is  understood  to  employ  one  of  the  musical 
critics,  who  not  only  prepares  pamphlets  and  advertisements, 
but  devotes  his  criticisms  as  far  as  possible  to  the  interest  of 
his  master.  Then,  most  of  the  distinguished  pianists  who  come 
here  are  each  paid  by  some  one  of  the  manufacturers  to  toot 
for  his  piano.  If  you  look  at  the  programmes  of  these  piano 
concerts  and  recitals,  you  will  generally  see  a  line  announcing 
"  The  Muggins  piano  is  exclusively  used  at  this  concert,  and 
recommended  by  Herr  Ivory  pounder."  One  pianist,  now  in  this 


928  COMMISSIONS   IN   THE   PIANO   TRADE. 

country,  was  brought  here  by  a  piano  maker  who  guaranteed 
forty  thousand  dollars  for  a  six  months'  tour ;  and  another 
foreign  pianist,  now  here,  has  a  similar  guarantee  of  twenty 
thousand.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  half  the  noted  foreign  pianists 
are  imported  by  the  piano  makers,  and  that  half  the  rest  are 
engaged  and  subsidized  by  the  makers  soon  after  they  get 
here.  Then,  most  of  the  concert  tours  are  backed  by  the 
piano  men  ;  and  I  know  several  instances  in  which  they  have 
been  directly  organized  by  them.  They  may  lose  money  on 
the  tour  itself,  but  they  make  money  out  of  the  extra  sales  of 
pianos.  Then  they  are  obliged  to  pay  commissions  to  music 
stores  and  to  music  teachers  who  recommend  their  wares  and 
effect  sales,  and  frequently  to  persons  totally  unconnected 
with  musical  matters,  such  as  upholsterers,  carpenters,  and 
friends  of  the  families  where  pianos  are  bought.  I  know  an 
instance  wherein  a  man  who  was  paying  attention  to  a  young 
lady  received  two  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  from  a  piano  dealer 
for  turning  the  attention  of  his  loved  one  from  the  instrument 
of  Stiggins  to  that  of  Wiggins.  He  accompanied  her  to  the 
store,  where  she  made  her  purchase  ;  her  papa  sent  his  check 
next  morning,  and  in  the  afternoon  her  dear  Charles  Augustus 
called  for  and  obtained  his  commission.  And  he  is  not  the 
only  society  man,  by  a  long  way,  who  makes  something  out  of 
the  piano  dealers. 

The  daughter  of  a  wealthy  citizen  not  long  ago  wanted  a 
piano,  and  the  wealthy  citizen  told  her  to  select  one.  The 
house  was  undergoing  some  repairs  and  alterations,  and  the 
carpenters  and  upholsterers  were  at  work  there.  Maria  was 
taking  music  lessons,  and  appealed  to  her  teacher  for  advice  ; 
the  latter  recommended  a  Muggins,  and  in  the  course  of  a 
week  or  so  the  piano  was  bought  and  sent  home.  The  teacher 
was  suddenly  called  out  of  town,  and  did  not  visit  Muggins 
until  ten  or  twelve  days  after  the  purchase.  When  he  asked 
for  his  commission,  Muggins  told  him  it  was  already  paid. 

"  To  whom  ?  "  was  the  question,  with  emphasis  of  astonish- 
ment. 

"To  Reps  &  Co.,  upholsterers." 


TRICK   OF  EEP3  AND   COMPANY.  929 

«  What  right  had  they  to  it  ?  " 

u  They  came  here  next  day  after  the  piano  was  sent  home, 
and  said  they  were  upholstering  the  house,  and  were  consulted 
about  a  piano.  They  recommended  mine  as  specially  adapted 
to  the  house,  and  said  it  was  bought  through  their  influence. 
I  paid  them  the  commission.  Since  then  the  carpenters  have 
been  here,  and  now  you  make  the  third  applicant.  I  am  sorry 
it  has  happened  so,  but  take  a  check  for  fifty  dollars,  and 
whenever  you  influence  another  sale,  let  me  know  at  once." 

The  music  teacher  was  badly  sold,  as  it  afterwards  turned 
out  that  Reps  &  Co.  did  not  know  a  word  about  the  piano  till 
they  saw  it  in  the  house.  Had  he  been  as  sharp  as  some 
others  of  his  profession,  he  would  have  notified  each  of  the 
piano  makers,  as  soon  as  Maria  broached  the  subject,  that  he 
was  trying  to  sell  his  piano,  and  then,  no  matter  whose  make 
she  selected,  he  would  have  obtained  his  honestly  earned 
commission. 


LXYI. 

THE  WIELICZKA   SALT  MINES. 

THE    GREAT   WIELICZKA   SALT   MINES,     THE   LARGEST    IN   THE     WORLD.  —  THEIR 
HISTORY.  —  EXTENT     AND    PRODUCT.  —  DESCENT     INTO      AND     EXPLORATION 

OF    THEM.  WHAT    IS    TO    BE    SEEN.  —  MINERS    AT   WORK     BLINDFOLDED.  — 

WONDERFUL  CHAMBERS.  —  GLOOM  CONVERTED  INTO  SPLENDOR.  —  BAN- 
QUETS IN  THE  BOWELS  OF  THE  EARTH.  —  THE  INFERNAL  LAKE.  —  HUMAN 
DEMONS.  —  AWFUL  APPARITIONS.  —  EXTRAORDINARY  NARRATIVES. 

THE  Wieliczka  salt  mines  in  Galicia,  Austrian  Poland,  are 
probably  the  largest  and  most  productive  on  the  globe.  They 
are  generally  called  the  Cracow  mines,  though  they  are  ten 
miles  from  the  ancient  capital  of  Poland  —  perhaps  because 
Wieliczka  (pronounced  Vyalitclika)  is  so  much  harder  for  the 
tongue  to  master.  They  are  connected  with  the  mines  of 
Bohemia, —  this  town  is  some  eighteen  miles  east  of  Wieliczka, 
—  and  extend  over  a  space  two  miles  long,  and  nearly  one 
mile  broad,  with  a  depth  varying  from  six  hundred  to  eleven 
hundred  feet.  The  time  of  their  discovery  is  unknown  ;  but 
it  is  held  that  salt  was  obtained  from  them  in  small  quantities 
as  early  as  the  eighth  century.  That  they  were  worked  in  the 
beginning  of  the  twelfth  century,  when  they  belonged  to 
Poland,  there  can  be  no  manner  of  doubt.  Less  than  two 
hundred  years  later,  they  had  grown  so  productive,  that  Cas- 
simir  the  Great  established  rules  respecting  them.  In  1656 
they  were  ceded  to  Austria,  and  twenty-seven  years  after 
recovered  by  John  Sobieski.  Austria  again  obtained  posses- 
sion of  them  at  the  first  dismemberment  of  Poland,  and  has 
held  them  from  1772  to  the  present  time,  except  for  the  six 
years  preceding  1815.  They  have  been  a  great  source  of 
wealth  to  the  empire,  and  from  them  the  Polish  monarchs  have 
drawn  their  principal  revenues.  So  important  were  they  con- 
sidered, that,  at  each  royal  election,  the  Polish  nobles  stipu- 


ENTERING    A   SALT   MINE.  981 

latecl  that  the  salt  of  Wieliczka  should  be  furnished  to  them 
at  cost.  The  mines  have  never  yielded  so  abundantly  as  at 
present ;  the  annual  product  being,  I  have  understood,  about 
six  hundred  thousand  tons,  which,  at  ten  dollars  a  ton  —  the 
usual  market  rate  —  creates  a  revenue  of  some  six  million 
dollars.  As  many  as  fourteen  or  fifteen  hundred  men,  and  as 
many  as  six  or  seven  hundred  horses,  are  generally  employed 
in  extracting  the  salt,  which  is  found  in  lenticular  masses  in- 
clined at  a  high  angle.  The  salt  varies  very  much 'in  purity. 
Some  of  it,  called  green  salt,  has  six  or  seven  per  cent,  of  clay  ; 
another  kind  (spiza)  is  mixed  with  sand,  and  the  third  and 
best  sort  (szybik)  lies  at  the  lower  levels  in  unadulterated  and 
beautifully  transparent  crystals.  The  Bohemian  mines  employ 
six  or  seven  hundred  workmen,  and  yield  from  two  hundred  . 
to  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  tons  of  salt  yearly.  The 
figures  I  give,  I  obtained  on  the  spot,  and  they  may  therefore 
be  regarded  as  accurate. 

A  few  years  ago  I  made  a  special  journey  from  Vienna, 
*n  order  to  go  through  the  Wieliczka  mines,  in  which  I  had 
felt  a  great  interest  ever  since  the  geography  of  my  boyish 
days  had  introduced  me  to  their  acquaintance.  I  had  no 
trouble  in  procuring  a  ticket  of  admission  at  the  Chateau  of 
Wieliczka;  and,  well  supplied  with  kreuzers  for  the  workmen, 
I  changed  my  clothes,  and  announced  myself  ready  for  the 
descent.  There  are  ten  or  twelve  shafts,  but  I  asked  to  enter 
by  the  one  the  miners  generally  used.  This  is  rather  primitive, 
—  material  improvements  having  been  made  in  some  of  the 
others,  —  or  rather  the  means  of  descent  are  primitive.  I  was 
assigned  to  the  charge  of  two  miners,  who  were  as  stout,  and 
hardy,  and  grim-looking  as  if  they  had  toiled  in  the  bowels  of 
the  earth  —  as  no  doubt  they  had  —  nearly  all  their  lives. 
They  were  provided  with  torches,  and  they  handed  me  one,  at 
the  same  time  showing  me  a  place  in  the  cap  I  had  put  on  into 
which  I  could  thrust  the  torch  for  convienence  in  carrying  it. 
At  the  top  of  the  shaft  was  a  kind  of  windlass  for  letting  us 
down,  the  construction  of  which  I  did  not  examine.  A  long 
vertical  iron  bar  was  in  the  centre  of  the  shaft,  and  about  this 
50 


932  DESCENDING   IN  DARKNESS. 

bar  was  a  steel  ring,  to  which  iron  baskets  or  chairs  were 
fastened  by  chains. 

In  these  we  took  our  seats,  our  legs  hanging  down,  while 
we  held  to  the  chains  above.  At  a  given  signal,  the  steel 
ring  slipped  along  the  bar,  and  we  went  smoothly  and  steadily 
down.  The  sensation  very  closely  resembled  that  of  descend- 
ing a  well.  The  darkness  of  the  pit,  which  the  feeble  light 
of  our  torches  made  still  darker,  and  the  flickering  shadows 
lent  a  certain  gloomy  picturesqueness  to  our  perpendicular 
journey. 

I  might  describe  the  anxiety  and  apprehension  which  I  felt 
lest  the  chains  should  break,  or  I  should  be  thrown  out  of  my 
narrow  seat  into  the  great  blackness  below ;  but,  as  I  did  not 
have  any  such  feeling,  and  as  I  question  seriously  if  men  of 
nerve  or  experience  have  it  either,  I  will  not  try  to  render 
myself  the  hero  of  an  imaginary  situation. 

I  had  supposed  we  should  go  to  the  lowest  depths  of  the 
mines,  but  we  stopped  when  we  had  descended  four  or  five 
hundred  feet,  and  got  out.  I  learned  then  that  the  mines 
were  full  of  wooden  bridges  and  staircases  by  which  the  dif- 
ferent levels  were  reached,  and  that  by  these  communication 
was  kept  up  with  distant  quarters.  Some  of  the  other  shafts, 
as  1  was  informed,  are  much  deeper,  requiring  to  be  on  a 
level  with  the  galleries  where  the  excavations  are  working. 
I  had  been  taken  down  that  particular  one  in  order  that  I 
might  see  the  entire  arrangement  and  construction  of  the 
mines. 

My  guides  were  Poles ;  but  I  soon  found  that  they  spoke 
German,  of  which  I  had  sufficient  knowledge  to  ask  ordinary 
questions,  and  understand  the  answers  thereto.  We  set  out 
on  the  second  part  of  our  journey,  one  of  my  conductors  in 
front,  and  one  behind;  each  of  us  carrying  a  torch  in 
the  left  hand,  at  a  forward  point  of  elevation,  so  as  to  furnish 
as  much  light  as  possible.  We  threaded  several  passages 
which  seemed  to  be  veined  with  quartz,  but  which,  on  exami- 
nation, I  discovered  to  be  the  green  salt.  We  went  over 
bridges,  down  staircases,  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  passing 


A  TORTUOUS   ROUTE. 


933 


various  chambers  and  avenues,  until  my  head  became  com- 
pletely turned,  and  I  could  not  have  retraced  my  way  to  save 
my  soul.  I  observed,  however,  that  our  general  course  was 
downward ;  and  finally  we  arrived  at  a  large  chamber,  repre- 
sented to  be  seven  hundred  feet  below  the  surface.  This 
chamber  had  been  abandoned  because  all  the  salt  in  the 
stratum  had  been  obtained ;  but  it  had  been  arranged  like  a 
chapel,  containing  an  altar,  several  crosses,  and  some  images 
of  saints,  all  made  of  rock  salt.  When  the  light  of  the  torches 
was  reflected  on  these  natural  objects,  the  effect  was  superb. 
The  crystals  glittered  like  diamonds,  and  only  a  little  imagi- 
nation was  needed  to  transform  the  rude  vault  into  an  apart- 
ment of  Aladdin's  palace. 

After  I  had  sufficiently  admired  the  chapel,  we  resumed 
our  excursion  over  more  bridges,  down  more  steps,  and 
through  more  passages,  until  we  came  to  what  the  guides 
termed  a  river.  It  was  not  a  very  remarkable  stream,  remind- 
ing me,  in  its  smallness,  of  the  renowned  Kubicon,  or  the 
Manzenares,  when  the  latter  does  not  happen  to  be  altogether 
dry.  Such  as  it  was,  however,  we  stepped  into  a  rude  little 
boat  and  crossed  over,  where  we  were  soon  on  another  bridge, 
and  crawled  down  another  staircase  of  the  most  rickety  and 
tumble-down  description. 

I  was  surprised  that  we  had  met  so  few  workmen,  and  men- 
tioned my  surprise  to  the  stalwart  fellows  with  me.  They 
informed  me  that  the  part  of  the  mine  through  which  we  had 
passed  had  been  worked  out,  and  that  the  miners  had  gone 
farther  down,  following  the  strata  containing  the  salt.  In 
half  an  hour  or  less,  we  encountered  a  number  of  miners  hew- 
ing out  a  new  passage.  They  were  naked  above  the  waist, 
and  some  of  them  wore  the  garb  of  southern  savages,  the 
high  temperature  rendering  clothing  uncomfortable,  if  not 
superfluous.  They  used  picks  and  crowbars,  and,  in  the 
beginning  of  their  excavations,  would  lie  down  on  their  backs, 
and  strike  out  the  salt  with  their  implements,  covering  their 
eyes  with  pieces  of  leather,  to  prevent  injury  from  the  falling 
fragments.  It  is  not  often  that  men  can  work  well  with 


936  CROSSING  UNDERGROUND   RIVERS. 

their  eyes  blinded,  but  there  they  succeeded  better  without 
seeing  than  with  seeing.  As  they  increased  the  cavity  to 
sufficient  height,  they  stood  up  and  labored  in  the  regular 
way. 

There  was  now  no  lack  of  miners,  who  were  visible  on 
every  hand,  delving  hard,  steadily,  and  silently.  Their  toil  is 
excessively  monotonous  and  severe.  As  most  of  them  have 
done  nothing  else,  and  as  they  are  densely  ignorant,  they  are 
not  tortured  by  brighter  memories,  nor  haunted  by  pictures  of 
the  possible.  Their  earnings  are  miserably  small  —  not  more, 
I  believe,  on  an  average,  than  thirty  to  forty  cents  a  day,  and 
working  about  twelve  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four.  Out  of 
these  wages  they  usually  have  families  to  support ;  for  it  is  as 
true  in  Austria  as  in  every  other  land,  that  extreme  poverty 
incites  to  marriage  and  prolific  paternity. 

The  one  so-called  river  which  we  had  crossed  was  an  intro- 
duction to  a  number  of  others,  all  of  them  small,  and  more  like 
pools  than  streams.  The  two  workmen  generally  pushed  a 
little  boat  over  with  poles,  though  they  sometimes  used  oars 
very  much  in  the  same  fashion  as  the  Lethe  and  the  Styx  in 
the  Mammoth  Cave  are  crossed.  These  pools  or  rivers  are 
formed  by  percolations  of  water  through  the  strata,  and  in 
them  the  miners  have  not  unfrequently  been  drowned. 

Our  onward  progress  soon  brought  us  to  a  large  open  space 
—  it  must  have  been  a  hundred  feet  high,  and  nearly  two 
hundred  in  length  and  breadth — called  the  Chamber  of 
Letow  ;  and  about  half  a  mile  farther  is  another  of  still  greater 
dimensions,  known  as  the  Chamber  of  Michelawic.  These 
chambers,  which  were  excavations,  were  decked  out  in  all 
the  splendor  of  rock  salt.  There  were  chairs,  candlesticks, 
chandeliers,  statues,  thrones,  columns,  and  altars  composed 
of  the  chief  staple  ;  and  when  lamps  were  lighted  in  the 
natural  hall,  the  rays  of  light  were  reflected  from  thousands 
of  points,  and  the  whole  interior  shone  in  sparkling  splendor. 
It  recalled  to  my  mind  the  Crystal  Saloon,  as  it  is  styled,  in 
the  New  Palace  at  Potsdam,  when  it  is  illuminated  on  some 
special  occasion. 


A  WONDERFUL  SCENE.  937 

I  had  brought  with  me  from  Cracow  some  small  fireworks, 
such  as  red  lights,  serpents,  and  Catharine  wheels,  for  the 
purpose  of  burning  them  in  the  mines;  and  this  was  evidently 
one  of  the  places  for  their  use.  I  handed  some  of  them  to  the 
guides,  and  in  a  few  seconds  the  cavern,  more  than  eight 
hundred  feet  under  ground,  was  ablaze  with  different  colors, 
and  showers  of  radiance.  To  produce  a  greater  effect,  all  the 
lights  were  extinguished,  and  then  another  pyrotechnic  exhi- 
bition began.  The  result  was  marvellous.  One  would  have 
imagined  that  the  moon,  and  stars,  and  sun,  had  all  burst 
through  the  earth,  that  divided  us  from  the  upper  air,  and 
were  gleaming  and  flashing  under  our  very  eyes.  The  rock 
salt  was  as  so  many  prisms,  revealing  all  the  lines  of  the 
rainbow,  and  coruscating  like  a  vault  studded  with  jewels. 

Such  glorious  radiance  I  had  never  witnessed  underground, 
nor  had  I  deemed  such  radiance  possible  there.  The  extraor- 
dinary contrast  between  the  pitchy  darkness  and  the  mag- 
nificence of  the  illumination  can  hardly  be  expressed  in  words. 
It  was  as  a  sudden  plunge  from  a  Memphian  night  into  a 
tropical  noon,  and  the  first  effect  was  almost  blinding.  I  have 
witnessed,  in  my  time,  numberless  exhibitions  of  fireworks  on 
a  grand  scale,  but  none  of  them  furnished  so  splendid  a 
spectacle  as  the  few  pieces  burned  in  the  depths  ofWieliczka. 
So  much  for  accessories.  Rock  salt  has  its  aesthetic  as  well 
as  material  uses ;  and,  confronted  with  common  lamps  and 
common  fireworks,  it  assumes  the  beauties  of  Dreamland  and 
the  shining  glories  which  theological  rhapsodists  have  associ- 
ated with  the  Celestial  Kingdom. 

The  Chamber  of  Michelawicis  consecrated,  I  was  told,  to  St. 
Anthony,  and  I  think  the  saint  would  show  his  much  boasted 
power,  —  not  to  speak  of  his  kindness,  —  if  he  would  re- 
lieve the  poor  devils  who  so  implicitly  believe  in  him  from 
their  need  of  wasting  toil  in  those  dreary  caverns.  On  the 
3d  of  every  July,  grand  mass  is  celebrated  in  the  chamber, 
• —  then  regarded  as  a  chapel, —  and  is  followed  by  a  banquet,  in 
which  the  principal  officials  of  Cracow  and  the  directors  of  the 
mines  participate.  At  that  date  the  workmen  are  given  a 


938  VISIT   OF   THE  IMPERIAL  FAMILY. 

partial  holiday,  and  receive  trifling  sums  of  money,  that  are 
quite  enough  to  render  them  happy,  and  to  make  them  wish 
that  every  day  of  the  year  were  the  3d  of  July. 

Now  and  then  some  of  the  members  of  the  imperial  family  of 
Austria  make  a  visit  to  the  mines,  the  superintendent  being 
notified  beforehand  of  the  important  event.  Great  prepara- 
tions are  then  made.  The  main  passages  and  different  cham- 
bers of  Wieliczka  are  brilliantly  illuminated ;  the  miners  are 
relieved  from  work ;  festivals  are  held  in  the  villages,  and 
presents  are  given  to  the  people  in  the  name  of  the  House  of 
Hapsburg.  One  of  these  royal  visits  had  been  made  a  few 
weeks  before  mine,  and  many  of  the  peasants  were  still  speak- 
ing of  it  in  terms  approaching  ecstasy.  How  merely  relative 
is  everything  we  give  the  name  of  pleasure  to !  The  poor 
Poles  and  Austrians.,  relieved  from  twelve  hours  of  their 
customary  labor,  and  given  a  few  unexpected  krenzers,  are 
made  happier  than  many  men  would  be  in  the  midst  of  material 
blessings,  and  surrounded  by  the  answered  wishes  of  their 
hearts. 

One  of  the  principal  sights  in  the  mines  is  the  Infernal 
Lake,  a  body  of  water  seven  or  eight  hundred  feet  long,  some 
four  hundred  broad,  and  fifty  deep.  Above  and  around  it  is  a 
vast  cavern,  that  might  be  the  abode  of  the  gnomes  and  gob- 
lins once  supposed  to  inhabit  the  inner  parts  of  the  earth. 
The  atmosphere  of  the  place  is  oppressive,  and  its  every  sug- 
gestion superlatively  dismal.  It  is  infernal  in  seeming  as 
well  as  in  name  ;  and  if  the  Hahnemannic  principle  be  true, 
that  "  like  cures  like,"  melancholy  spirits,  after  a  visit  there, 
would  be  converted  to  cheerfulness  and  content.  The  deep 
gloom  of  the  vault  at  once  prompted  the  benefit  it  would 
derive  from  fireworks ;  and  so  I  sent  a  number  of  serpents 
whizzing  through  the  thick  air,  and  ignited  blue  and  red 
lights,  until  I  had  wrought  a  perfect  transformation.  The 
scene  was  strikingly  theatrical,  only  far  more  vivid  and 
impressive  than  anything  could  be  on  the  stage.  If  I  had 
heard  a  chorus  of  imps,  or  had  seen  blue,  yellow,  and  green 
devils,  of  the  most  improved  spectacular  pattern,  dancing  in 


THE  INFEKNAL   LAKE.  939 

horrid  measures  on  empty  space,  I  do  not  think  I  should 
have  been  surprised.  Assuredly  there  could  be  no  evil  spirits 
anywhere  if  they  were  not  there.  Never  could  they  find  a 
more  inviting  region  for  the  display  of  their  malignity,  or  a 
more  attractive  rendezvous  for  the  perfection  of  their  schemes 
against  the  human  kind. 

A  boat  was  ready  for  our  embarkation  upon  the  inky  bosom 
of  the  lake,  and  we  rowed  out  upon  it  with  our  gleaming 
torches,  and  our  voices  returning  to  us  in  the  dreariest  echoes. 
I  was  still  thinking  of  the  charms  of  the  demons,  when,  of  a 
sudden,  the  strongest  and  wildest  sounds  burst  from  the  cav- 
ern. I  strained  my  eyes,  but  in  the  thickness  of  the  darkness 
I  could  descry  no  forms. 

Groans,  and  shrieks,  and  horrid  laughter  rose,  and  reverber- 
ated through  the  vault,  until  —  had  I  been  the  least  supersti- 
tious—  I  should  have  become  convinced  that  I  had  reached 
the  Orthodox  Tophet  at  last.  The  sounds  were  as  weird  as 
mysterious ;  but  I  concluded  that  it  must  be  part  of  the  ex- 
hibition, for  which  I  was  expected  to  pay  at  the  usual  rate, 
and  I  soon  discovered  that  I  was  right. 

It  is  the  habit  of  the  workmen,  when  strangers  make  a  visit 
to  the  Infernal  Lake,  to  go  out  in  boats,  distribute  themselves 
at  different  points,  and  set  up  this  diabolical  yelling,  that  a 
proper  impression  may  be  made  upon  the  visitors.  That  they 
acquitted  themselves  handsomely  of  their  task  I  can  testify ; 
for  a  more  discordant  and  abominable  sound  it  has  never  been 
my  fortune  to  hear. 

The  howls  of  the  miners  finally  lessened  in  volume,  —  prob- 
ably from  exhaustion,  —  and  I  could  distinguish,  at  the  end 
of  the  wild  refrain,  the  words  "  Gluck  Aufl  Gluck  Auf! " 
(Welcome  !  Welcome  ! )  There  was  something  singularly 
sardonic  in  the  idea  of  being  welcomed  to  that  dreary  depth. 
Such  a  welcome  the  demons  of  the  fabled  Pit  would  extend, 
I  should  suppose,  to  the  doomed  and  damned.  The  effect  of 
the  cheery  words  was  more  dispiriting  than  if  they  had  been 
of  evil  omen. 

While  we  were  rowing  grimly  about  on  the  lake,  "  Gluck 


942  CHOKUS   OP  DEMONS. 

Auf"  assumed  a  fiery  form  in  letters  of  flame,  about  a  hun- 
dred feet  in  front  of  us.  This  seemed  to  be  done  by  magic  j 
but  a  little  reflection  taught  me  that  lamps  must  have  been 
hung  in  the  shape  of  an  arch  over  a  narrow  part  of  the  cave, 
arid  thatj  while  we  were  otherwise  occupied,  the  workmen 
had  lighted  the  lamps.  The  very  moment  the  illumination 
was  made,  the  harsh  chorus  began  again,  louder  and  more  lu- 
gubrious than  ever.  I  set  off  the  last  of  my  stock  of  fireworks, 
and  amid  the  sulphurous  blaze  and  the  infernal  din  we  floated 
back  to  the  shore,  when  I  was  informed  that  the  entertain- 
ment was  over. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  chorus  of  demons  appeared  in  the 
shape  of  hard-featured,  muscular,  ill-looking  miners,  asking 
for  kreuzers,  in  consideration  of  the  efficient  aid  they  had  lent 
to  the  depressing  performance.  As  I  have  said,  I  was  well 
supplied,  and  I  could  play  the  part  of  My  Lord  Bountiful 
with  very  little  expense.  Three  or  four  kreuzers  were  enough 
to  make  the  stolid  faces  of  the  miners  brighten  as  if  they  had 
fallen  into  the  possession  of  pecuniary  independence.  What 
they  could  purchase  with  such  a  trifle,  I  could  not  compre- 
hend, for  I  felt  that  I  should  be  no  better  off,  in  my  own  judg- 
ment, with  fifty  times  the  amount  I  had  bestowed  as  gratuities 
upon  the  gnomes  of  Wieliczka. 

My  two  guides  denounced  the  begging  unfortunates  for 
their  mercenary  conduct  in  a  vile  Polish  patois,  which  must 
have  consisted  chiefly  of  curses.  I  am  sure  they  mentioned 
mercenary  conduct,  which  must  have  been  an  ironical  expres- 
sion, since  none  of  the  wretches,  in  asking  for  trinkgeld,  re- 
ceived, at  the  highest,  more  than  four  or  five  cents.  The 
rebuke  reminded  me  of  the  familiar  instance  of  the  parsimo- 
nious father  who  handed  his  boy  a  penny,  accompanied  by 
the  precaution  that  he  should  not  make  a  beast  of  himself,  or 
of  the  over-thrifty  husband,  who,  having  been  asked  for  a  lit- 
tle money  by  his  wife,  wished  to  know  what  had  become  of 
the  dollar  and  a  half  he  had  given  her  a  month  before. 

The  majority  of  the  miners  are  Poles,  unable  either  to  read 
or  write,  to  whom  labor  in  the  mines  has  been  an  inheritance 


SALT    DIGGINfl. 


IN  THE  WIELICZKA  SALT  MINES. 


STOLIDITY  OP  THE  MINERS.  943 

—  their  sole  one,  indeed.  Many  of  them  have  never  been  five 
miles  from  home,  nor  do  they  expect  to  be.  They  are  rooted 
to  the  spot  by  the  necessity  of  toil  and  their  narrow  circum- 
stances. Some  of  the  workmen  are  Austrians,  and  they  are 
usually  more  intelligent,  or  rather  less  ignorant,  than  the  oth- 
ers. After  a  few  years  of  service,  they  often  leave  Wieliczka, 
seek  a  larger  field  of  labor  and  a  better  kind  of  employment. 
But  the  Poles,  possessing  a  certain  kind  of  stupid  content- 
ment, appear  to  have  no  ambition,  and  no  future.  I  ascribe 
this  partially  to  their  loss  of  nationality,  than  which  no  greater 
calamity  can  befall  a  people.  It  robs  them  of  their  individu- 
ality, impairs  their  energy,  and  depreciates  their  self-esteem. 
They  feel  that  they  are  deprived  of  what  they  have  a  right  to 
enjoy,  and  that  they  are  likely  to  be  despised  lor  a  misfortune 
for  which  they  are  not  directly  responsible. 

Nearly  all  the  miners  reveal  in  their  features  and  expres- 
sion the  hard  fate  that  has  attended  them.  They  have  all  the 
marks  of  undevelopment,  all  the  traces  of  an  animal  and  un- 
disciplined nature.  Mind,  in  the  strict  sense,  is  omitted  in 
their  composition.  They  are  merely  machines  of  flesh  and 
blood,  obeying  physical  instincts,  and  impelled  by  the  law  of 
self-preservation. 

Years  ago,  the  Austrian  government  used  to  condemn  polit- 
ical prisoners  to  a  term  of  service  in  the  mines,  sometimes 
extending  through  life;  but  of  late  this  practice  has  been 
abandoned,  and  now  all  who  work  are  regularly  paid,  and  free 
to  go  or  stay,  as  they  like. 

Going  out  of  the  mines,  I  followed  almost  the  same  course 
that  I  had  coming  in.  Altogether  I  spent  some  six  hours  under 
ground,  and  might  have  spent  weeks  there,  had  I  been  in- 
clined to  exercise,  since  the  combined  length  of  its  excava- 
tions and  passages  is  said  to  exceed  three  hundred  miles. 

Accidents  are  uncommon  in  the  mines,  not  averaging  more 
than  thirty  a  year,  and  few  of  these  are  fatal.  They  occur 
either  from  falls,  or  from  being  run  over  by  the  cars  drawn  to 
and  fro  by  horses.  These  cars  run  on  tracks  from  the  place 
where  the  salt  is  dug  out,  to  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  and 


944  THE  MIRACULOUS  SIGN. 

thence  the  salt  is  drawn  up  by  machinery  to  the  surface  of 
the  earth.  I  had  made  my  entrance  through  the  parts  that 
had  been  excavated  and  abandoned,  that  way  having  been 
selected  to  give  me  a  clear  idea  of  the  progress  of  the  work, 
and  the  gradual  deepening  of  the  mines.  I  observed  after- 
wards, at  the  lower  levels,  where  hundreds  of  men  were  ac- 
tively employed,  how  the  salt  was  thrown  into  the  cars,  and 
then  carried  by  the  railway  to  the  principal  shafts. 

Wieliczka  is  impregnated  with  tales  and  traditions,  natural 
and  supernatural.  Of  the  latter  the  peasants  relate  many,  and 
believe  them  sincerely. 

One  of  these  is,  that  a  miner,  who  had  been  sent  to  Cracow, 
found,  on  his  return,  an  image  of  the  Virgin,  which,  as  the  nar- 
rative runs,  ha'cl  been  stolen  by  the  devil  from  the  cathedral 
of  that  city,  and  dropped  by  the  wayside ;  St.  Paul,  or  some 
other  saint,  having  detected  the  theft,  started  in  pursuit 
of  the  diabolical  thief.  A  poor  workman  picked  up  the  im- 
age, which  was  of  wood,  and  knowing  it  to  be  sacred,  carried 
it  back  to  the  church  in  the  midst  of  a  storm.  When  he  had 
reached  the  edifice,  summoned  the  priest,  and  given  it  into 
the  holy  man's  hands,  the  inanimate  image  suddenly  shone 
with  celestial  light,  sped  through  the  air,  and  took  its  accus- 
tomed place  at  the  altar.  The  awe-struck  priest  and  peasant 
fell  upon  their  knees  in  prayer,  and  when  the  latter  arose, 
there  was  an  illuminated  cross  on  his  forehead.  By  inspira- 
tion he  understood  that  whenever  this  symbol  was  visible,  it 
was  to  indicate  good  fortune  ;  and  going  back  to  the  mines,  the 
cross  proved  to  be  very  beneficial  in  pointing  out  the  richest 
veins  of  salt.  The  man  walked  under  ground,  and  whenever 
his  forehead  kindled  with  the  divine  token,  it  was  a  certain 
sign  that  the  spot  on  which  he  stood  would  yield  richly.  He 
received  handsome  presents,  and  numerous  sums  of  money 
from  the  government,  and  so  excited  the  envy  of  his  former 
fellow-workmen,  that  they  entered  his  cabin  one  night,  and 
knocked  out  his  brains.  His  murderers  disappeared  mysteri- 
ously the  next  day,  and  it  was  supposed,  in  the  Galician  vil- 
lage, that  they  were  carried  off  by  demons. 


STORY  OF  A  POLISH  EEBEL.  945 

The  image  in  the  cathedral  was  heard  to  wail  at  the  time 
the  crime  was  committed,  which  was  probably  intended  as  a 
warning,  though  it  did  not  do  any  good  to  the  victim,  at  least 
in  this  world,  however  much  it  may  have  benefited  him  in  the 
next. 

I  cannot  see  the  moral  of  this  monkish  story,  unless  it  be 
that  persons  who  find  things  should  not  return  them.  If  the 
miner  had  taken  the  image  home,  and  split  into  kindling-wood, 
he  might  have  lived  much  longer,  and  died  peaceably  in  bed 
at  a  ripe  old  age. 

During  one  of  the  periodic  Polish  revolutions  in  Warsaw,  a 
prominent  nobleman,  resident  in  the  city,  and  the  leader  of 
the  insurrection,  had  volunteered  to  proceed  to  St.  Peters- 
burg, and  assassinate  the  czar.  The  government  spies  de- 
tected the  plot  before  it  was  mature,  and  went  to  the  dwell- 
ing of  the  Polish  conspirator  to  arrest  him.  He  had  been 
apprised  of  the  discovery,  and  knowing  that  he  would  instant- 
ly be  executed,  he  had  been  wise  enough  to  flee  from  the 
town.  He  was  sought  for  everywhere,  for  the  authorities 
considered  him  extremely  dangerous,  and  felt  confident,  from 
his  character,  that  the  emperor  would  not  be  safe  while  the 
desperate  noble  lived.  All  the  subtle  detective  machinery  of 
Eussia  was  set  in  motion  to  hunt  up  the  fugitive  Pole,  but 
all  to  no  purpose  ;  and  the  emissaries  of  the  government,  after 
a  year  of  unexampled  activity,  abandoned  further  effort.  Pot- 
zoporousky,  the  name  of  the  arch  rebel,  feeling  that  he  would 
not  be  secure  anywhere  on  the  surface  of  the  continent,  con- 
ceived the  happy  idea  of  going  below  it.  He  proceeded  in 
disguise  to  Wieliczka,  claimed  to  be  a  native  of  Vienna,  and 
was  hired  as  a  miner,  at  thirty  kreuzers  a  day.  He  labored 
most  faithfully,  and  was  considered  an  excellent  workman, 
strangely  preferring,  as  was  thought,  to  remain  in  the  mines, 
even  when  he  might  have  been  enjoying  the  sunlight.  No- 
body ever  dreamed  of  looking  for  Potzoporousky  a  thousand 
feet  under  ground  ;  and  there  he  remained  for  fifteen  months. 
Then  he  applied  for  his  last  week's  pay,  saying  he  had  met 
with  an  injury  that  would  prevent  him  from  working  for  a  lit- 


MURDER   OF   A   SUPERINTENDENT. 

tie  while,  hurried  to  Vienna,  thence  to  Constantinople,  and 
finally  to  Smyrna.  There  he  resumed  his  correspondence 
with  some  of  the  former  conspirators,  and  had  perfected  a 
plan  for  a  new  revolution,  when  he  was  seized  with  cholera, 
and  died. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a  scien- 
tist of  Radour  was  implicated  in  a  conspiracy  to  defraud  the 
Eussian  government  of  several  millions  of  roubles  by  means 
of  forged  army  orders,  and  sentenced  to  ten  years'  exile  in 
Siberia.  He  asked,  as  a  special  favor,  that  he  might  be 
sent,  instead,  to  Wieliczka,  where,  he  affirmed,  his  scientific 
knowledge  would  be  of  use  in  separating  the  green  salt  from 
the  clay,  with  which  the  directors  of  the  mines  were  then 
having  considerable  trouble.  Prompted  by  interest,  the  gov- 
ernment granted  his  request,  and,  the  fifth  day  after  he  had 
entered  upon  the  service,  he  induced  one  of  the  superintend- 
ents to  visit  a  new  passage  in  process  of  excavation,  crushed 
his  skull  with  a  lump  of  rock  salt,  put  on  his  garments,  and 
escaped.  He  had  always  been  regarded  as  a  purely  intellec- 
tual man,  absorbed  in  his  studies,  and  his  deliberate  taking  of 
another  man's  life  only  shows  how  sweet  liberty  is  to  all  of 
us,  and  of  what  desperate  deeds  we  may  be  guilty  to  regain 
the  freedom  we  have  lost. 

From  1825  to  1851,  one  of  the  most  vigorous  and  enduring 
miners  was  Johann  Gerbreitz,  a  German,  who,  in  all  that  time,  is 
said  never  to  have  missed  a  single  day's  work.  He  was  a  great 
favorite,  on  account  of  his  kindness  of  heart  and  uniform  good 
temper,  especially  with  the  women  of  the  village,  who,  wheth- 
er young  or  old,  manifested  a  great  dealfof  fondness  for  him. 
When  in  his  thirtieth  year  he  married  Elisa  Dosbrinski,  a  cob- 
bler's daughter,  regarded  as  one  of  the  prettiest  girls  in  the 
town.  They  lived  together  so  very  happily  that  they  were 
considered  a  model  pair.  They  were  never  known  to  have 
even  those  slight  differences  which  are  not  uncommon  to  the 
most  sympathetic  and  harmonious  couples.  They  seemed 
wholly  devoted  to  each  other,  and  though  Johann  had  been 
something  of  a  flirt  before  he  became  a  Benedick,  nothing 


HOW  A  WOMAN   KEPT  A  SECRET.  947 

of  the  kind  could  be  charged  upon  him  afterwards.  Every- 
body declared  he  was  a  marily  and  noble  fellow,  and  that  his 
serenity  could  not  be  ruffled. 

In  his  fortieth  year  a  fragment  of  rock  fell  upon  him,  and 
killed  him  instantly.  His  wife  was  wild  with  grief  at  her  be- 
reavement, and  all  her  neighbors  lamented,  sorely  too,  because 
Johann  was  a  loss  to  the  village  that  could  not  be  supplied. 
The  children  of  Wieliczka  had  learned  to  look  for  his  smile, 
and  little  acts  of  kindness,  —  he  was  a  Rip  Van  Winkle  of 
Austria,  without  Rip's  infirmities,  —  and  literally  cried  for  him 
when  he  appeared  in  the  streets. 

After  the  poor  fellow's  corpse  had  been  brought  to  the 
stricken  homo,  it  was  discovered,  to  the  amazement  of  the 
whole  town,  that  Johann  was  a  woman ;  and  it  is  to  be  pre- 
sumed that  he  had  never  been  anything  else.  The  secret 
of  his  sex  had  been  most  carefully  preserved,  and  it  would 
never  have  been  thought,  from  any  outward  indication,  that  it 
had  been  shared  even  by  his  spouse.  This  is  an  excellent 
proof,  if  proof  were  wanting,  that  women  can  keep  a  secret, 
and  that  there  are  some  things  which  even  the  busybodies  of  a 
village  cannot  find  out.  The  story  of  the  man-woman  Johann 
Gerbreitz  is  still  told  at  Wieliczka,  along  with  many  other 
curious  histories,  of  which  specimens  have  already  been 
given. 

Like  the  great  capitals,  the  mining  town  of  Galicia  has  its 
comedies  and  tragedies,  its  lyrics  and  its  epics,  perhaps  tri- 
fling in  themselves,  but  of  wondrous  moment  in  its  too  par- 
tial eyes. 


LXVII. 

EXPLOSIONS    IN    MINES. 

THICKNESS  OF  COAL  SEAMS.  —  STUPIDITY  OP  A  TURKISH  MINING  SUPERINTEN- 
DENT. —  THE  RESULT.  — BLASTING  IN  MINES.  —  HOW  IT  IS  DONE.  —  TERRIBLE 
ACCIDENTS.  —  MINES  ON  FIRE.  —  SCENES  OF  DEVASTATION.  —  EFFECT  OF 
SUBTERRANEAN  FIRE.  — EXPLOSIONS  OF  FIRE-DAMP.  — HORRIBLE  ACCIDENTS. 

—  STORIES  OF  SURVIVORS.  —  LOSS  OF  LIFE.  —  SCENE    IN    A    WELSH    MINE.  — 
EXPLOSIONS    IN    ENGLISH     AND    AMERICAN    MINES.  —  MODES      OF    RELIEF.  — 
STORY  OF  TWO  BROTHERS.  —  HOW  THEY  WERE  SAVED.  —  THE    SAFETY-LAMP. 

—  ITS  CONSTRUCTION.  —  THE   FIRE-WALLS    OF    CHINA.  —  THE    PENITENT    AND 
CANNONEER. 

AFTER  the  shafts  have  been  completed  and  the  levels 
opened  in  the  mines,  the  work  may  be  said  to  be  fairly  under 
way.  The  seams  of  coal  are  of  varied  thickness.  Sometimes, 
though  rarely,  there  will  be  found  a  coal  seam  of  thirty  feet 
in  depth,  sometimes  one  of  twenty,  and  so  on  down  to  two 
and  thrvee  feet.  A  seam  of  three  feet  in  thickness  is  con- 
sidered a  valuable  discovery,  and  oftentimes  the  seams  do  not 
exceed  twenty  inches.  In  the  deep  coal  seams  the  work  is 
comparatively  easy,  as  the  space  in  the  level  can  be  hollowed 
out  the  full  depth  of  the  seam,  and  all  that  is  necessary  for 
supporting  the  roof  is  to  leave  a  sufficient  number  'of  pillars 
standing. 

There  is  a  coal  mine  in  Turkey  where  the  seam  is  about  ten 
feet  thick.  A  superintendent,  entirely  ignorant  of  the  busi- 
ness, was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  mine.  On  his  first  visit 
to  the  mine  the  men  were  below.  He  observed  the  pillars 
which  were  left  to  support  the  roof  above.  He  gave  one 
glance  at  them,  and  then  turned  to  the  workmen  and  said, — 
"  Remove  those  blocks  of  coal  instantly :  this  mine  has  not 
been  worked  properly." 

With  that  blind  obedience   peculiar  to  the   Orientals,  the 


DANGERS   IN  A   COAL  SEAM.  949 

men  immediately  knocked  away  the  pillars,  when  down  came 
the  rock,  killing  half  the  men  in  the  mine,  and  among  them 
the  stupid  superintendent,  who  had  ordered  the  removal  of  the 
supports. 

There  are  many  dangers  and  difficulties  to  be  encountered 
in  opening  a  coal  seam.  The  ordinary  mode  is  to  dig  away 
the  coal  from  the  lower  part  of  the  seam,  and  allow  the 
substance  to  fall  down  in  large  blocks.  To  perform  this 
work  the  miner  must  lie  on  his  side,  frequently  in  a  hot  tem- 
perature, and  in  this  position  he  digs  away  with  his  tools. 
It  is  not  unusual  for  the  coal  to  fall  upon  him,  sometimes 
injuring  him  seriously,  and  sometimes  killing  him.  In  his 
work  the  miner  is  frequently  stripped  to  his  trousers  and 
shoes,  and  sometimes  he  works  entirely  nude.  The  perspi- 
ration streams  from  his  face  and  from  his  entire  body,  and  he 
is  unable  to  continue  his  labors  for  any  extended  period 
of  time. 

Sometimes  the  coal  can  be  removed  by  means  of  tools,  with- 
out the  necessity  of  blasting,  but  very  often  it  is  necessary  to 
employ  the  force  of  gunpowder.  The  rock  is  drilled,  and  then 
the  charge  must  be  placed  in  the  hole.  There  is  always  more 
or  less  danger  of  premature  ignition  of  a  charge,  and  in 
consequence  of  such  ignition,  men  are  frequently  killed. 

The  most  dangerous  place  for  blasting  operations  is  in  the 
ehaft.  The  men  can  only  retire  after  the  charge  is  lighted, 
and  when  this  is  done  it  is  imperatively  necessary  that  they 
should  be  drawn  up  with  all  speed. 

One  day,  at  a  mine  in  Pennsylvania  where  a  shaft  was  being 
sunk,  the  men  had  lighted  the  fuse  and  given  the  signal  to  be 
drawn  up.  Somehow,  just  as  the  bucket  was  started,  some 
of  the  machinery  gave  way,  and  the  men  remained  at  the 
bottom  of  the  shaft.  The  fuse  was  slowly  but  steadily  burn- 
ing, and  there  was  no  time  to  be  lost.  One  of  the  men  jumped 
from  the  bucket  and  cut  off  the  fuse  when  it  had  burned  to 
such  a  point  that  another  moment  would  have  rendered  the 
explosion  inevitable. 

A  safer  way  than  using  the  ordinary  fuse,  is  to  fire   the 


950  UNDERGROUND   FIRES. 

charges  by  means  of  electricity.  This  method,  however,  is 
not  always  practicable,  owing  to  the  expense  and  the  difficulty 
of  employing  it  in  small  operations. 

Nitro-glycerine,  which  was  invented  in  1847,  has  been  found 
to  possess  many  advantages  over  gunpowder,  and  the  day  is 
not  far  distant  when  it  will  be  used  for  all  blasting  operations 
on  an  extensive  scale. 

The  firing  of  gunpowder  and  nitro-glycerine  is  not  the  only 
source  of  danger  which  threatens  the  miners  by  fire.  There 
is  frequently  in  coal  mines  a  spontaneous  combustion,  pro- 
duced by  the  heating  of  fragments  of  coal  from  the  decompo- 
sition of  iron  pyrites  in  contact  with  moisture.  When  the 
small  coal  of  certain  mines  is  left  in  heaps  within  the  mines, 
they  speedily  undergo  this  decomposition,  especially  in  a 
moist  atmosphere,  which  is  accompanied  by  a  great  develop- 
ment of  heat. 

In  such  cases  walls  of  clay  are  built  up  to  shut  off  the  fire. 
When  these  are  constructed  perfectly  tight,  and  the  atmos- 
phere is  carefully  excluded,  the  fire  goes  out ;  but  for  some 
time  the  temperature  in  these  parts  of  the  mine  will  be  very 
great,  and  the  miners  find  much  difficulty  in  working  there. 
The  work  of  building  up  the  walls -in  such  a  case  is  very 
serious.  The  walls  become  very  hot,  and  men  are  frequently 
rendered  insensible.  Sometimes  carbonic  acid  gas  has  been 
used  to  extinguish  fires  created  in  this  way.  The  portable 
apparatus  known  as  the  Fire  Extinguisher  has  frequently 
been  found  very  useful. 

Sometimes,  however,  it  is  impossible  to  extinguish  these 
fires ;  and  in  such  cases  the  place  is  abandoned.  In  this 
country,  and  in  England  and  Scotland,  there  are  mines  now 
burning  which  have  been  on  fire  for  several,  and  some  of 
them  for  many,  years.  One  mine  in  Scotland  took  fire  nearly 
forty  years  ago,  and  is  still  burning.  The  ground  is  black, 
baked,  and  scorched.  The  trees,  and  grass,  and  all  kinds  of 
vegetation  have  died,  and  there  is  a  general  appearance 
of  sterility  throughout  the  region. 

In  several  instances,  where  a  fire  cannot  be  extinguished  by 


EFFECT   OF  UNDERGROUND   FIRES.  9£1 

closing  the  mines,  it  has  been  found  useful  to  flood  the  works. 
In  France,  about  twenty  years  ago,  an  entire  river  was  turned 
into  a  burning  mine,  and  allowed  to  flow  through  it  for  nearly 
three  months.  A  mine  in  Pennsylvania  took  fire,  and  was  filled 
with  water,  remaining  so  filled  for  nearly  half  a  year  before 
the  fire  went  out. 

At  Brule,  St.  Etienne,  there  is  a  coal  mine  which  has  been 
on  fire  nearly  two  hundred  years.  Hot  vapors  are  constantly 
arising;  sulphur,  alum,  and  other  natural  productions  are 
deposited,  and  one  might  suppose  that  it  was  the  burning 
of  the  accursed  cities  formerly  consumed  by.  the  fires  of 
heaven  and  earth.  An  irreverent  American,  who  visited  this 
region,  said  that  it  looked  like  hell  with  the  fires  going  out. 

In  the  western  part  of  England  there  was  formerly  a  coal 
mine  on  fire.  Snow  melted  as  soon  as  it  touched  the  ground. 
The  gardens  were  very  beautiful  and  fertile,  and  produced 
three  crops  in  a  year.  Many  hot-house  plants  were  cultivated, 
and  an  eternal  spring  prevailed.  It  was  the  same  principle,  on 
a  grand  scale,  by  which  plants  are  grown  in  hot-houses  by 
running  pipes  of  hot  water  through  the  ground.  The  people 
of  this  region  imported  tropical  plants  at  a  heavy  cost,  and 
cultivated  them  in  the  open  air ;  but  one  day  the  fire  went 
out ;  the  place  gradually  resumed  its  usual  temperature,  and 
the  tropical  plants  died. 

In  many  coal  mines  there  is  great  danger  from  what  the 
miners  call  "  fire-damp  "  —  an  inflammable  gas  produced  from 
the  coal.  It  is  identical  with  the  streams  of  natural  gas, 
which  burn  readily,  and  not  unlike  the  coal  gas  artificially 
produced  in  cities.  Certain  kinds  of  coal  throw  off  this  fire- 
damp in  considerable  quantities.  The  gas  is  a  combination 
of  hydrogen  and  carbon.  Sometimes  its  presence  is  not 
noticed  until  an  explosion,  but  in  such  cases  the  explosions 
are  not  very  dangerous.  Those  who  have  been  accustomed 
to  this  explosive  material  have  received  a  vivid  experience  of 
underground  life.  No  meteor,  however  terrible  it  may  be 
supposed  to  be,  can  be  compared  to  an  explosion  of  fire- 
damp. A  thunderbolt,  a  hurricane,  a  typhoon,  a  cyclone,  or  a 
51 


952  EXPLOSIONS   OF   FIRE-DAMP. 

whirlwind,  is  not  more  terrible  in  its  effects  than  a  fire-damp 
explosion.  Imagine  a  discharge  of  a  hundred  cannon  loaded 
with  canister  shot,  the  simultaneous  explosion  of  a  number  of 
powder  magazines,  or  the  bursting  of  the  boilers  of  a  steam 
engine,  and  the  effect  will  not  be  more  terrible  than  an  ex- 
plosion of  fire-damp  in  a  coal  mine. 

The  moment  the  gas  comes  in  contact  with  the  flame  of  a 
lamp,  its  tremendous  explosive  force  is  revealed,  and  it  pene- 
trates into  every  quarter  of  the  mine.  In  an  explosion  of 
this  kind  everything  is  shattered  far  and  near.  Horses,  men, 
doors,  machinery,  and  everything  else  lying  in  its  course  is 
overthrown,  and  sometimes  heavy  machinery  at  the  top  of  the 
mine  is  blown  away.  Dense  clouds  of  smoke,  and  frequently 
masses  of  coal,  stone,  and  timber,  are  sent  flying  from  the 
shaft  high  into  the  air.  The  very  ground  shakes  as  if  moved 
by  an  earthquake,  and  the  general  appearance  of  the  shaft  is 
not  unlike  that  of  a  volcano  in  a  state  of  eruption.  Streams 
of  water  are  sent  into  the  air,  and  not  a  pane  of  glass  for  a 
long  distance  around  remains  unbroken;  and  to  these  horrors 
must  be  added  the  great  confusion  and  alarm  of  the  people, 
the  wailing  of  the  women  and  children  whose  nearest  friends 
have  perished,  and  even  then  the  terrible  picture  is  incomplete. 

The  stories  of  these  explosions  would  fill  volumes.  In  one 
mine  three  hundred  and  sixty  men  at  one  time  were  killed,  in 
another  two  hundred,  in  another  one  hundred,  in  another 
fifty,  in  another  twenty,  in  another  sixty,  eighty,  and  so  on, 
through  mine  after  mine,  till  the  deaths  from  fire-damp  could 
be  numbered  by  thousands.  Not  those  alone  who  are  in  the 
wreck  of  the  explosion  are  the  victims. 

At  a  Pennsylvania  mine  a  few  years  ago,  a  dozen  men  were 
at  work  in  one  of  the  galleries,  and  heard  an  explosion  in  a 
portion  of  the  mine  some  distance  away.  They  rushed  to  the 
shaft,  and  attempted  to  escape.  Before  the  bucket  was  low- 
ered to  remove  them,  the  choke-damp,  developed  by  the  ex- 
plosion, overtook  them,  and  the  whole  party  were  suffocated. 
Hundreds  of  stories  might  be  related  of  explosions  in  coal 
mines.  One  of  them  will  be  sufficient  for  the  present. 


STORY   OF  AN  EXPLOSION.  955 

At  one  time,  in  one  of  the  English  mines,  forty  men  were  at 
work.  At  the  mouth  of  the  shaft  there  were  a  dozen  or  twenty 
men,  when  suddenly  there  was  a  loud  report,  like  an  explo- 
sion. It  was  at  first  supposed  to  be  the  bursting  of  the  boiler ; 
but  a  moment's  observation  showed  that  the  fire-damp  had 
become  ignited.  The  masonry  at  the  mouth  of  the  mine,  and 
all  the  machinery  above  it,  were  blown  away.  At  the  moment 
of  the  explosion,  a  tub  filled  with  coal  was  being  hoisted  up. 
It  was  a  hundred  feet  or  more  from  the  surface,  and  it  was 
blown  into  the  air  as  if  it  were  a  bullet  fired  from  a  gun. 
The  fragments  fell  around  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  injuring 
several  of  the  men  who  were  there. 

When  an  explosion  occurs,  the  miners,  and  all  attached  to 
the  establishment  who  may  be  above  ground  at  the  time,  are 
ready  to  go  to  the  relief  of  their  comrades.  In  the  present 
instance  a  relief  party  was  organized  at  once.  A  pulley  was 
rigged  over  the  mouth  of  the  shaft,  and  two  men  entered  a 
bucket  to  be  lowered  down.  They  had  not  descended  fifty 
feet  before  their  lights  were  extinguished,  and  very  soon  they 
made  a  signal  to  be  drawn  to  the  surface,  both  of  them  being  in 
a  condition  bordering  on  suffocation.  They  were  ill  through 
the  night,  and  one  of  them  did  not  recover  his  strength  for 
several  days.  A  second  attempt  was  made,  and  resulted  in 
nearly  the  same  way.  The  lights  were  extinguished,  and  the 
men  drawn  up  in  a  suffocating  condition.  The  galleries 
seemed  to  be  full  of  choke-damp,  and  it  was  almost  certain 
that  no  one  could  be  alive  in  the  mine.  A  hose  was  lowered, 
and  pure  air  was  pumped  into  the  mine.  This  work  lasted 
three  or  four  hours,  and  then  two  others  descended  and  suc- 
ceeded in  reaching  the  bodies  of  some  of  their  companions; 
but  in  the  attempt  one  of  the  rescuers  fell  dead,  and  the  oth- 
er was  nearly  suffocated. 

More  air  was  poured  into  the  mine,  and  it  was  then  twenty- 
four  hours  from  the  time  of  the  explosion  before  the  explorers 
thought  it  safe  to  enter.  Every  man  who  was  below  at  the 
time  of  the  explosion  was  killed.  At  the  stables  near  the 
foot  of  the  shaft  a  horrible  scene  was  presented.  According 


956  HEART-RENDING  SCENES. 

to  the  indications,  three  of  the  men  were  in  the  stables,  taking 
care  of  the  horses,  at  the  moment  of  the  explosion.  The  sta- 
bles were  thrown  down,  the  men  and  horses  were  covered 
with  the  fallen  debris,  and  death  by  suffocation  seemed  to 
have  ensued  in  a  very  short  time. 

At  the  end  of  the  gallery,  where  the  explosion  had  taken 
place,  the  bodies  of  the  men  were  found  in  some  cases  hardly 
scorched,  while  in  others  every  particle  of  clothing  had  been 
burned  away.  In  some  instances  the  bodies  were  so  baked 
that  they  could  not  be  recognized. 

Around  the  mouth  of  the  pit  the  families  of  the  miners  were 
congregated.  As.  each  body  was  brought  to  the  surface,  there 
were  shrieks  and  loud  lamentations  that  could  be  heard  for  a 
long  distance.  A  more  terrible  sight  cannot  be  seen  in  the 
whole  world,  than  at  th&  mouth  of  a  mine  shaft  after  an  acci- 
dent of  this  kind. 

A  story  is  told  of  an  explosion,  in  one  of  the  Welsh  mining 
districts,  which  caused  the  death  of  forty-seven  men.  Only 
two  men  that  were  below  at  the  time  escaped  with  their  lives. 
These  men  were  brothers.  When  the  explosion  was  heard, 
one  of  the  brothers  rushed  towards  the  other,  who  was  a  short 
distance  away.  A  second  explosion  followed,  more  severe 
than  the  first,  and  threw  the  men  down.  Both  were  stunned, 
but  they  gradually  recovered  their  senses,  and  were  able  to 
move.  The  air  was  thick  and  hot,  and  they  could  only  move 
with  great  difficulty.  The  older  brother  had  his  can  of  tea, 
and  bathed  their  faces  with  the  liquid,  so  that  they  revived. 
Supporting  each  other,  they  tried  to  reach  the  entrance  to 
the  mine.  They  crawled  on  their  hands  and  knees  in  the 
midst  of  darkness,  over  the  bodies  of  their  late  companions, 
some  of  whom  were  still  breathing,  while  the  rest  were  silent 
and  dead.  After  many  narrow  escapes,  they  reached  the  end 
of  the  gallery,  near  the  shaft,  and  were  saved. 

An  apparatus  has  been  invented  by  which  a  man  can  enter 
places  filled  with  choke-damp,  either  to  carry  aid  to  suffering 
men  after  an  explosion,  or  to  make  explorations.  A  bag,  or 
case  of  leather,  or  metal,  is  carried  on  the  back,  into  which 


AN  INGENIOUS  APPARATUS.  %  957 

air  has  been  driven  under  a  heavy  pressure.  A  rubber  tube 
extends  from  the  bag,  and  is  fastened  to  the  mouth  and  noee. 
It  is  furnished  with  two  valves,  one  opening  inward,  to  carry 
the  air  to  the  lungs,  and  the  other  outward,  to  carry  off  the 
air  after  it  has  been  breathed.  For  long  journeys  extra  bags 
filled  with  air  may  be  taken.  Some  of  these  reservoirs,  made 
of  sheet  iron,  will  resist  a  pressure  of  thirty  or  forty  atmos- 
pheres. Another  apparatus,  fastened  to  the  back,  like  a  sol- 
dier's knapsack,  has  a  kind  of  valve,  placed  above  the  reser- 
voir, allowing  the  air  to  enter  the  lungs  at  the  ordinary  pres- 
sure only. 

A  similar  apparatus  is  made  by  filling  an  air-tight  goat-skin 
with  air.  The  same  kind  of  tubes  are  employed,  and  sun> 
cient  air  can  be  carried  to  last  the  bearer  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes. 

To  guard  against  gas  explosions,  Sir  Humphry  Davy  in- 
vented a  safety  lamp.  He  protected  the  flame  with  wire  gauze, 
on  the  principle  that  flame  cannot  be  made  to  pass  through 
a  tube,  however  short,  unless  it  is  driven  through.  The  wire 
gauze  is  in  fact  a  number  of  short  tubes  close  together,  and 
thus,  while  the  explosive  gas  may  pass  through,  the  flame  can- 
not do  so. 

An  improved  lamp  of  this  class  has  a  glass  cylinder  around 
the  flame,  with  gauze  at  the  top  and  below.  The  glass  is  pro- 
tected by  stout  wires.  A  great  many  forms  of  these  lamps  are 
in  use  in  mines,  but  all  are  constructed  on  the  same  principle. 
By  the  use  of  this  safety  lamp,  many  mines  that  had  been 
abandoned  were  reopened  ;  and  Sir  Humphry  Davy  is  regard- 
ed as  one  of  the  greatest  benefactors  of  this  age.  His  lamp 
might  well  be  called,  like  Aladdin's,  the  Wonderful  Lamp. 

Sometimes,  when  fire-damp  is  very  abundant,  and  is  steadily 
given  out,  it  is  utilized  for  lighting  purposes ;  the  gas  is  col- 
lected, and  by  means  of  a  pump  a  jet  of  gas  is  poured  from 
a  tube  and  is  ignited.  One  of  these  jets  has  been  burning  for 
more  than  twenty  years  in  an  English  coal  mine.  In  the  same 
mine  the  gas  was  collected  in  pipes,  and  carried  outside,  wbere 
it  was  used  to  run  a  steam  engine. 


958  CHINESE   FIRE-WELLS. 

A  French  traveller  has  given  a  vivid  description  of  the  fa- 
mous fire-wells  of  China.  He  says  that  where  the  air  escapes 
it  is  very  inflammable,  and  if  a  match  is  presented  at  the 
mouth  of  the  shaft,  the  gas  explodes  like  gunpowder,  and 
forms  a  great  column  of  fire  twenty  or  thirty  feet  high. 

He  says  the  largest  fire-wells  are  situated  in  the  mountains 
about  one  hundred  miles  from  Wutung.  They  are  in  a  val- 
ley, where  pits  were  sunk  in  the  hope  of  finding  salt  water. 
The  water  was  not  found;  but  suddenly  a  column  of  gas  rushed 
out,  bringing  masses  of  earth  and  stones.  The  noise  was  ter- 
rific, and  was  heard  a  long  distance.  The  mouth  of  the  pit 
was  surrounded  by  a  stone  wall  six  or  seven  feet  high.  As 
soon  as  the  fire  reached  the  mouth  of  the  well  it  caused  a  ter- 
rible explosion,  something  like  an  earthquake.  The  flame 
was  several  feet  high,  and  the  force  was  sufficient  to  throw 
down  some  of  the  stones  composing  the  wall.  Several  men 
carried  a  large  flat  stone  to  the  pit,  and  placed  it  over  the 
mouth.  It  was  immediately  thrown  into  the  air,  and  some  of 
the  men  were  badly  injured. 

Neither  water,  stone,  nor  earth  would  extinguish  the  fire. 
After  two  weeks  of  hard  work  a  quantity  of  water  was  brought 
over  the  mountains  from  a  small  river,  and  a  lake  was  formed. 
The  water  being  suddenly  turned  into  the  well,  the  fire  was 
extinguished. 

In  some  mines  it  is  the  custom,  where  the  accumulation  of 
fire-damp  is  gradual,  to  light  it  every  night,  so  that  the  works 
may  be  always  accessible  in  the  daytime.  The  man  whose 
duty  it  is  to  light  the  fire-damp  wraps  himself  in  a  thick 
blanket,  covering  his  face  with  a  mask,  and  with  his  head  en- 
veloped in  a  hood  like  a  monk's.  The  fire-damp  is  lighter  than 
the  atmosphere,  and  always  rises  to  the  upper  part  of  the  level. 
Consequently  the  man  crawls  upon  the  ground  in  order  to  put 
himself  in  the  best  position  for  breathing.  In  one  hand  he 
holds  a  long  stick,  with  a  lighted  candle  fixed  at  the  end. 

He  pushes  the  stick  to  its  full  length,  and  creeps  along, 
firing  the  gas ;  and  as  soon  as  he  has  fired  it  he  changes  his 
position,  and  walks  upright,  since  the  fire-damp  is  always  fol- 


THE  PENITENT.  959 

lowed  by  the  choke-damp,  which  is  heavier  than  air,  and  sinks 
to  the  bottom. 

In  the  French  mine  this  man  is  called  a  penitent,  on  account 
of  his  dress  resembling  that  worn  by  some  of  the  orders  of 
the  Catholic  church.  His  name  sometimes  would  seem  to  be 
a  cruel  jest,  as  he  is  liable  to  be  blown  away  by  an  explosion, 
and  never  return  alive.  In  other  mines  he  is  called  the  can- 
noneer, and  when  the  fire-damp  kills  him  he  is  said  to  have  died 
at  his  post. 


LXVIII. 

MYSTERIES  OF  THE  GRAND  JURY. 

SITTING  ON  A  GRAND  JURY.  —  HOW  IT  IS  COMPOSED.  —  PECULIARITIES  OF 
MODERN  JUSTICE.  —  HOW  TO  SELECT  BLOCKHEADS.  —  A  DISHONEST  BAG- 
GAGE-MAN. —  CHARITY  AND  MERCY.  —  AN  AFFECTING  INCIDENT.  —  SAVING  A 
YOUTHFUL  OFFENDER.  —  A  GENEROUS  WOMAN.  —  CURIOUS  PHASES  OF  HUMAN 
NATURE.^ —  CELT  AND  AFRICAN.  —  STORIES  OF  THE  DETECTIVES.  —  A  GAR- 
RULOUS IRISH  WOMAN. —FAMILY  TROUBLES.  — THE  HORSE  AND  CART  STORY. 
—  HOW  A  PRETTY  WOMAN  CAPTURED  THE  JURY. 

IT  was  the  fortune  or  misfortune  of  the  writer  to  be  called  to 
sit  on  the  grand  jury  of  the  Court  of  General  Sessions  in  New 
York,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1871.  Like  most  of  my  fel- 
low-men, T  had  no  great  fondness  for  jury  duty,  and  made  efforts 
to  be  released.  I  was  politely  informed  that  there  was  no  es- 
cape, and  that  I  had  better  do  cheerfully  what  I  could  not  avoid. 
And  so  I  did  it.  I  sat  on  that  jury,  or  rather  in  a  cane-seated 
chair  in  the  jury-room,  for  fifty-eight  days,  some  of  them  pretty 
long  ones.  It  was  my  first  experience  of  the  sort,  an'd  I 
learned  more  about  criminal  matters  than  I  had  ever  known 
before.  A  man  who  sits  a  month  or  two  on  a  grand  jury  can 
have  a  reasonable  excuse  for  accepting  the  doctrine  of  the 
total  depravity  of  the  human  race,  or,  at  all  events,  of  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  it. 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  grand  jury  and  a  petit 
jury?  To  many  persons,  and  probably  to  most,  this  question 
would  be  an  insoluble  riddle.  Everybody  who  knows  any- 
thing worth  mentioning  is  aware  that  a  petit  jury,  in  a  crimi- 
nal court,  consists  of  twelve  men,  who  are  sworn  to  well  and 
truly  judge  of  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  accused  tried  be- 
fore them.  They  are  to  weigh  the  evidence  given  in  open 
court  in  presence  of  the  accused,  and  when  they  agree  upon 


GRAND   AND   PETIT  JURIES.  961 

a  verdict,  and  are  ready  to  return  it,  they  stand  and  look  upon 
the  prisoner,  who  is  instructed  to  stand  and  look  upon  them. 
To  find  a  verdict,  the  twelve  must  be  agreed ;  and  thus  it 
often  happens  that  an  obstinate  man  can  "  hang  the  jury,"  and 
prevent  the  rendition  of  a  verdict.  Obstinacy  may  arise  from 
various  causes  and  motives,  generally  honest,  but  not  always 
so.  Sometimes  the  jury  is  equally  divided  in  opinion  — six 
men  being  of  one  mind,  and  six  of  another;  sometimes  a  ver- 
dict is  the  result  of  a  compromise,  which  includes  a  rec- 
ommendation to  mercy,  or  a  verdict  for  a  lower  degree  of 
criminality  than  is  charged  in  the  indictment.  In  civil  suits, 
where  a  question  of  damages  or  compensation  arises,  the  re- 
sult is  often  obtained  by  taking  the  figures  proposed  by  each 
man,  adding  them  together,  and  dividing  the  amount  by 
twelve.  But  in  criminal  cases  no  such  system  of  average  can 
be  employed.  Very  often  the  persistence  of  a  single  juror  will 
save  an  offender  from  immediate  punishment,  and  allow  him  a 
new  trial  —  which  frequently  means  no  new  trial,  but  a  dis- 
charge on  his  own  recognizance.  And  sometimes  the  obsti- 
nate juror  attributes  to  his  comrades  the  inability  to  find  a 
verdict.  The  story  of  a  western  juror  is  frequently  used 
to  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale.  "  I  was  all  right,"  he  says, 
"  and  we  might  have  settled  the  thing  straight  off,  if  the  other 
eleven  hadn't  been  the  most  pig-headed  fellows  you  ever  saw." 
One  requirement  of  the  practice  in  our  courts  is,  that  in  a 
criminal  case  no  member  of  a  petit  jury  shall  have  formed  an 
opinion  as  to  the  guilt  or  innocence  of  the  accused.  In  cases 
that  have  not  acquired  notoriety,  this  does  not  materially  in- 
terfere with  the  selection  of  a  jury  ;  but  in  a  case  that  has  at- 
tracted general  attention,  like  that  of  Foster,  or  the  assassins 
of  President  Lincoln,  several  days  may  be  spent  in  finding 
twelve  men  without  opinions.  The  rule  was  adopted  long 
ago,  when  there  was  no  general  diffusion  of  knowledge,  and 
when  there  was  no  daily  chronicle  of  events  accessible  to 
everybody.  On  a  matter  of  great  importance  and  general 
newspaper  discussion,  it  is  next  to  impossible  in  these  days 
that  an  intelligent  man  should  have  no  knowledge  or  opinion ; 


962  DEFECTS  OF  JURY  TRIALS. 

to  demand  an  opinionless  jury  in  such  a  case  is  practically 
to  demand  a  jury  of  blockheads.  It  may  well  be  doubted 
whether,  in  this  country  of  electric  telegraphs  and  lightning 
presses,  the  old  practice  is  the  best.  The  object  of  trials  by 
jury  is  to  protect  the  innocent  and  punish  the  guilty.  I  think 
I  utter  the  sentiment  of  most  thinking  men,  in  saying  that  for 
my  part  I  would  rather,  if  wrongfully  accused  of  a  crime,  be 
tried  before  twelve  honest,  intelligent  men,  who  believed  me 
guilty,  but  whose  opinion  could  be  changed  by  evidence,  than 
before  twelve  ignorant  men  who  had  formed  no  opinion  about 
me.  But  if  I  were  guilty,  and  desired,  as  most  criminals 
desire,  to  escape  justice,  I  should  clamor  for  a  jury  of  such  of 
my  fellow-men  as  could  not  entertain  an  idea  without  having 
it  thrust  into  their  heads  with  an  auger.  Many  a  scoundrel 
has  evaded  his  just  deserts  by  means  of  a  jury  of  "  twelve 
good  men  and  true,"  whose  intellects  were  hardly  equal  to 
those  of  an  educated  horse. 

But  a  grand  jury  encounters  none  of  the  difficulties  that 
beset  a  petit  jury.  The  law  requires  that  it  shall  be  com- 
posed of "  intelligent  citizens  of  good  character,"  who  shall 
be  qualified  to  serve  as,  and  not  exempt  as,  petit  jurors. 
Their  names  are  selected  by  lot,  the  same  as  employed  for  the 
selection  of  petit  jurors,  and  each  man  selected  is  notified  by  the 
sheriff  of  the  county.  A  grand  jury  is  composed  of  sixteen 
as  the  minimum,  and  twenty-three  as  the  maximum  number. 
Twelve  must  concur  to  find  a  bill  or  to  dismiss  a  complaint. 
No  vote  can  be  taken  unless  there  are  sixteen  grand  jurors 
present ;  whether  there  are  sixteen  or  twenty-three  present,  or 
any  number  between  the  minimum  and  maximum,  there  must 
be,  as  before  stated,  twelve  to  concur  in  determining  the  order- 
ing or  rejection  of  an  indictment.  Other  votes,  such  as  for 
adjournment  and  the  like,  are  taken  by  majorities,  in  the  same 
way  as  in  other  deliberative  bodies.  The  accused  never  ap- 
pears before  the  grand  jury,  and  only  one  witness  can  be  called 
into  the  room  at  the  same  time.  The  district  attorney  may 
be  present  during  an  examination,  and  at  the  request  of  the 
foreman  may  conduct  it,  but  he  cannot  be  present  when  a 
vote  is  being  taken. 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  GRAND  JURY.  963 

The  grand  jury  is  of  Saxon  origin,  and  its  existence  maybe 
traced  as  far  back  as  the  tenth  century.  Its  object  is  one  of 
inquiry  rather  than  of  trial,  and  for  this  reason  it  is  frequently 
called  a  "  grand  inquest."  Under  the  old  practice  the  grand 
jury  originated  inquiry  without  the  intervention  of  any  public 
officer,  and  any  citizen  was  at  liberty  to  appear  before  it,  state 
his  own  wrongs  or  the  offences  of  others,  or  make  complaints 
against  public  evils  of  any  kind.  It  partook  of  the  nature  of 
a  legislature  or  common  council,  to  which  any  citizen  may 
submit  a  petition.  Any  member  of  the  grand  jury  who  hap- 
pened to  know  or  learn  of  an  infraction  of  the  law  could  lay 
the  matter  before  his  associates  for  their  action.  I  am  in- 
formed by  good  legal  authority  that  this  is  still  the  practice 
in  England  and  in  parts  of  the  United  States.  But  the 
practice  of  New  York,  so  far  as  the  city  is  concerned,  has  of 
late  been  for  the  grand  jury  to  consider  nothing  that  was  not 
submitted  to  it  by  the  district  attorney,  and  for  that  official 
to  submit  nothing  that  had  not  reached  him  from  a  commit- 
ting magistrate.  There  is  both  good  and  evil  in  the  practice, 
and  on  the  whole,  much  more  evil  than  good.  A  great  many 
offenders  have  gone  unwhipped  of  justice  in  consequence  of 
this  system.  Men  who  have  just  cause  of  complaint  against 
other  men  high  in  power  have  sought  in  vain  to  bring  their 
cases  before  a  committing  magistrate,  for  the  reason  that  the 
latter  was  the  friend  or  dependant  of  the  accused,  and  would 
use  his  official  position  to  protect  him. 

Several  cases  of  this  kind  were  brought  to  my  notice  while 
I  was  sitting  on  the  grand  jury.  For  example,  a  man  one  day 
came  to  me  with  a  request  that  I  would  bring  to  the  notice 
of  the  grand  jury  a  certain  case  which  he  explained.  I  asked 
him  why  he  did  not  go  before  a  committing  magistrate  with 
it.  "  Why,"  he  replied, "  because  the  committing  magistrates 
are  all  friends  of  this  man,  and  would  do  anything  he  wants. 
He  can  get  any  kind  of  'justice '  he  desires,  and  nobody  can 
do  anything  against  him."  I  am  satisfied  that  his  opinion  of 
police  magistrates  in  New  York  city  was  not  altogether  base- 
less, and,  if  I  am  not  mistaken,  other  testimony  could  be  found 


964  WHAT   A   GRAND   JURY  DOES. 

to  the  same  effect.  With  the  reputation  or  lack  of  it  that  be- 
longs to  our  local  judiciary,  it  is  eminently  necessary  that  all 
grand  juries  should  be  clothed  with  the  power  that  makes 
them  grand  in  quests,  and  enables  them  to  investigate  any 
charge  of  wrong-doing  without  waiting  for  its  submission  by 
a  police  magistrate.  I  am  satisfied  that  there  are  many 
scoundrels  whose  career  of  wickedness  would  be  materially 
curtailed  if  they  knew  there  was  full  opportunity  for  their 
accusers  to  go  before  a  grand  jury  and  furnish  the  proper 
information  for  a  criminal  indictment. 

The  testimony  before  a  grand  jury  is  of  an  ex  parte  char- 
acter. Blackstone  says,  "  They  are  only  to  hear  evidence  on 
behalf  of  the  prosecution.  For  the  finding  of  an  indictment  is 
only  in  the  nature  of  an  inquiry  or  accusation,  which  is  after- 
wards to  be  tried  and  determined ;  and  the  grand  jury  are 
only  to  inquire  upon  their  oaths  whether  there  be  sufficient 
cause  to  call  upon  the  party  to  answer  it.  A  grand  jury, 
however,  ought  to  be  thoroughly  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  an 
indictment,  so  far  as  their  evidence  goes,  and  not  to  rest  satis- 
fied with  remote  probabilities  —  a  doctrine  that  might  be  ap- 
plied to  very  oppressive  purposes."  The  petit  jury  gives  the 
accused  the  opportunity  to  sift  the  ex  parte  evidence  on  which 
he  has  been  indicted,  and  of  explaining  or  contradicting  it. 
The  general  rule  for  the  guidance  of  a  grand  jury  is,  that  they 
must  be  as  well  satisfied  of  the  guilt  of  the  accused,  in  order 
to  find  an  indictment,  as  they  would  be  to  convict  as  petit 
jurors  in  case  none  of  the  evidence  before  them  was  ex- 
plained or  contradicted.  It  often  happens  that  complaints  are 
presented  of  an  avaricious  or  malicious  nature,  or  with  some 
other  motive  than  the  proper  enforcement  of  the  law.  Such 
cases  require  careful  inquiry  and  cautious  action. 

Early  in  the  session  of  the  grand  jury  of  which  I  was  an  in- 
tegral part,  a  complaint  was  made  against  a  baggage  agent 
of  a  steamboat  company  for  taking  money  for  extra  baggage, 
and  neglecting  to  pay  it  over  to  the  authorized  agent  of  the 
company.  At  its  commencement  the  case  appeared  reasonably 
clear,  but  a  suspicion  arose  that  the  complaint  was  malicious, 


SECRETS  OF  THE  JURY  ROOM.  965 

and  more  evidence  was  called  for.  Each  additional  witness 
confirmed  the  suspicion,  and  it  finally  came  out  that  the 
principal  accuser  had  long  desired  the  situation  of  the 
accused,  and  had  been  appointed  to  it  after  the  removal 
of  the  latter.  Here  was  a  motive  in  which  malice  and  ava- 
rice were  evidently  the  principal  elements,  and  when  the 
matter  was  put  to  a  vote  the  jury  promptly  dismissed  the  bill. 
The  testimony  of  the  complainant  was  not  fully  sustained  by 
that  of  the  other  witnesses ;  and  even  had  there  been  no 
display  of  malice,  the  evidence  was  not  sufficient  to  secure 
conviction  before  a  petit  jury. 

I  wish  to  remark,  en  passant,  that  where  I  mention  cases 
that  were  before  us,  without  giving  names  and  localities,  I 
shall  purposely,  in  most  instances,  change  the  story  in  such  a 
way  that  the  outside  public  cannot  trace  it,  even  with  a  care- 
ful research  into  the  records  of  the  police  or  other  courts. 
My  brother  jurors  will  recognize  each  case  described,  but  the 
veil  of  secrecy  thrown  around  the  grand  jury  room  will  not 
permit  me  to  be  rigidly  precise.  Great  injustice  might  be 
done,  in  many  instances,  by  a  complete  revelation,  and  there- 
fore the  reader  must  be  left  in  the  dark  to  a  certain  extent. 
He  may  look  upon  the  cases  I  give  him  as  exact  parallels,  and 
nothing  more.  Wtftn  I  say  a  man  was  charged  with  stealing 
a  horse,  you  may  know  that  he  was  charged  with  stealing 
something,  but  whether  horse,  cow,  or  cooking-stove,  it  is  not 
necessary  to  explain  in  describing  the  work  of  the  jury.  And 
with  this  apology  for  harmless  but  very  necessary  fiction,  I 
proceed. 

It  is  not  at  all  times  proper  to  dismiss  a  complaint  when 
caused  by  malice.  One  day  a  man  came  before  us,  who  swore 
that  another  man  had  swindled  a  large  establishment  out  of 
considerable  money ;  he  did  not  make  the  complaint  on 
behalf  of  the  parties  defrauded,  but  in  the  interests  of  jus- 
tice. His  malice  was  evident ;  he  made  no  attempt  at  con- 
cealing it ;  but  he  sustained  his  testimony  with  documentary 
evidence  and  the  sworn  statements  of  other  witnesses.  The 
jury  doubted  about  the  propriety  of  ordering  an  indictment 


9G6  A  SYMPATHETIC   COMPLAINANT. 

under  the  circumstances ;  some  of  them  argued,  that  had  no 
quarrel  occurred  between  the  parties,  the  case  would  have 
slumbered,  and  therefore  the  complaint  should  be  dismissed. 
There  was  such  a  divergence  of  opinion  that  the  district 
attorney  was  called  to  tell  us  what  to  do.  We  explained, 
through  our  foreman,  the  nature  of  the  case.  The  district 
attorney,  who  is  at  all  times  the  legal  adviser  and  instructor 
of  the  grand  jury,  listened,  and  then  said,  substantially,  — 

"  Where  you  find  that  a  complainant  is  acting  through 
malicious  motives,  and  there  are  no  other  witnesses,  or,  if  any, 
that  they  do  not  substantiate  the  complaint,  you  had  better 
dismiss  it.  But  where  the  complaint,  however  maliciously 
made,  is  shown  by  other  evidence  than  that  of  the  complain- 
ant to  be  true,  you  must  order  an  indictment." 

And  consequently  we  ordered  an  indictment  against  the 
alleged  swindler. 

Not  many  days  after  we  were  convened,  a  case  that  touched 
the  heart  of  every  man  in  the  room  was  brought  before  us. 
A  young  girl  had  been  accused  of  theft ;  a  few  dollars  in 
money  had  been  stolen ;  it  was  found  in  her  possession,  and 
she  had  made  partial  confession.  The  complainant  was  a 
woman,  and  the  accused  had  been  in  her  employ.  When  the 
case  was  called,  the  woman  entered  the  jury-room,  and  was 
sworn  by  the  foreman.  She  took  the  chair  assigned  to  wit- 
nesses, and  the  foreman  questioned  her. 

"  Did  you  lose  some  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  When  did  you  lose  it  ?  " 

"  On  the  first  day  of  December  ?  " 

"  Who  took  it  ?  " 

"  The  girl  named  in  the  complaint." 

"  How  do  you  know  she  took  it?  " 

"  I  found  it  in  her  possession,  and  she  confessed  tak- 
ing it." 

"  That  will  do  ;  you  can  go." 

But  the  woman  kept  her  seat,  and  moved  her  hands 
uneasily.  "  You  can  go,"  said  the  foreman  again ;  but  she 


A   PLEA  FOR  MERCY.  967 

did  not  start.  A  juror  sitting  near  the  door  rose  to  show  her 
out,  and  as  he  did  so  the  woman  said,  — 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  press  the  complaint.  I  want  to  withdraw 
it,  and  have  the  girl  released." 

"  Why  so  ?  ??  asked  the  foreman. 

"  Because/' — and  her  voice  began  to  choke, — "because  the 
girl  is  young,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  ruin  her.  Somebody  else 
urged  her  to  steal  the  money,  and  I  think  she  will  do  better 
in  future.  If  I  send  her  to  prison  she  may  become  a  profes- 
sional thief,  but  if  I  give  her  a  chance  she  will  be  a  good 
girl.  She  is  an  orphan  and  has  no  friends,  and  I  want  to  be 
her  friend.  1  know  she  is  guilty,  but  I  want  to  be  merciful, 
and  I  beg  you  to  be  merciful,  gentlemen." 

Half  her  utterance  was  drowned  with  tears,  which  flowed 
rapidly  down  her  face.  The  foreman  told  her  to  step  outside 
and  he  would  call  her  again  in  a  few  moments,  and  inform  her 
of  the  result  of  her  eloquent  appeal.  "  Be  merciful,  gentle- 
men," were  her  last  words  as  she  closed  the  door. 

It  was  voted  to  dismiss  the  complaint ;  and  when  the  foreman 
called  her  to  the  room,  told  her  of  the  result  of  the  vote,  and 
commended  her  for  her  kindness  of  heart,  her  tears  flowed 
afresh,  and  she  thanked  us  through  broken  sobs.  I  know 
that  in  that  room  more  eyes  than  hers  were  wet — eyes  not 
accustomed  to  tears. 

But  soon  a  discussion  arose  as  to  the  propriety  of  our 
action.  When  the  grand  jury  was  impanelled,  the  following 
oath  was  administered  to  the  foreman  :  — 

"  You  -  — ,  as  foreman  of  this  grand  inquest,  shall 

diligently  inquire,  and  true  presentment  make,  of  all  such 
matters  and  things  as  shall  be  given  you  in  charge ;  the 
counsel  for  the  people  of  this  state,  your  fellows,  and  your 
own,  you  shall  keep  secret ;  you  shall  present  no  one  from 
envy,  hatred,  or  malice  ;  nor  shall  you  leave  any  one  unpre- 
sented  through  fear,  favor,  affection,  or  hope  of  reward  ;  but 
you  shall  present  all  things  truly  as  they  come  to  your 
knowledge,  according  to  your  understanding.  So  help  you 
God  ! » 


968  NATURE  OF  A  JURYMAN'S  OATH. 

And  to  the  other  members  the  following  oath  was  admin- 
istered :  — 

"  The  same  oath  which  your  foreman  has  taken  on  his  part, 
you,  and  each  of  you,  shall  well  and  truly  observe  and  keep 
on  your  part.  So -help  you  God  !  " 

Some  of  the  jurors  thought  we  had  no  right,  under  our 
oath,  to  show  favor,  no  matter  how  strong  might  be  the 
appeal  to  our  sympathies.  Every  man  in  the  room  wished  to 
be  lenient,  but  at  the  same  time,  above  all  other  things, 
wished  to  do  his  duty.  The  discussion  resulted  in  our  send- 
ing for  the  district  attorney  and  asking  his  advice. 

After  hearing  the  case,  he  said  there  was  a  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  power  of  a  grand  jury.  "  You  can  undoubt- 
edly," he  continued,  "  exercise  your  discretion  in  certain 
cases,  and  act  as  you  think  is  for  the  best  interests  of  society. 
It  is  both  right  and  proper  that  the  grand  jury,  and  also  the 
district  attorney,  should  be  clothed  with  a  discretionary 
power,  as  it  frequently  happens  that  they  can  do  more  good 
by  exercising  it  than  by  following  the  strict  letter  of  the 
law.  I  will  give  you  an  illustration:  Some  years  ago,  the 
case  of  a  young  man  charged  with  embezzlement  was  placed 
in  my  hands  to  prosecute.  His  employer  was  determined  to 
push  the  case ;  he  was  rather  ugly  about  it,  and  there  seemed 
no  other  course  than  to  prosecute.  The  young  man  was  out 
•on  bail,  and  came  to  me  to  beg  to  be  let  off.  He  said  he  was 
guilty,  and  should  so  plead  ;  that  he  had  an  invalid  sister,  and 
with  the  utmost  economy  on  his  small  salary  he  was  unable 
to  support  himself.  He  knew  that  this  was  no  excuse  for  his 
theft,  but  he  took  the  money  under  great  temptation,  and  did 
not  realize  the  enormity  of  his  offence  until  after  he  had  com- 
mitted it.  '  You  can  send  me  to  the  penitentiary/  he  said, 
1  and  nobody  can  blame  you  ;  but  you  will  ruin  me  for  life,  and 
bring  disgrace  upon  my  parents  and  sister,  who  do  not  know 
that  I  am  charged  with  crime.  If  I  can  be  released  and  the 
matter  hushed  up,  I  will  faithfully  promise  to  do  better  in 
future,  and  I  think  this  will  be  a  life-long  lesson  to  me/  He 
pleaded  so  earnestly  that  I  promised  to  do  what  I  could  for 


REFORMING  YOUNG  OFFENDERS.  969 

him.  I  sent  for  his  accuser,  and  urged  him  to  withdraw  the 
charge.  At  first  he  refused,  but  I  laid  the  case  before  him  in 
such  a  light  that  he  at  last  consented.  And  I  then  urged  him 
to  take  the  young  man  back  and  give  him  a  new  trial,  and 
after  much  talk  I  succeeded.  The  complaint  was  withdrawn, 
the  young  man  was  restored  to  his  position ;  in  a  little  time 
his  salary  was  increased ;  by  and  by  the  firm  dissolved  in 
consequence  of  the  death  of  one  of  its  members  ;  the  young 
man  went  to  another  house,  proved  himself  worthy  of  confi- 
dence, and  to-day  he  is  a  member  of  that  house,  and  as  hon- 
orable and  upright  as  any  business  man  in  New  York.  He 
has  never  forgotten,  and  never  will  forget,  that  lesson.  If  he 
had  gone  to  the  penitentiary,  his  worst  fears  would  have  been 
realized.  When  an  offender  is  young,  the  offence  is  a  first 
one,  and  the  offender  appears  penitent,  it  is  entirely  proper 
for  you  to  exercise  leniency  by  dismissing  the  complaint ; 
and  in  the  case  now  before  you,  gentlemen,  you  have  been 
entirely  right  in  your  action." 

As  the  district  attorney  ended  his  remarks,  there  was  a  round 
of  applause,  in  which  I  am  very  certain  every  member  of  the 
jury  participated.  Those  who  had  been  most  doubtful  of  the 
propriety  of  our  action  were  heartily  glad  that  their  doubts 
were  not  well  founded. 

During  our  session  there  were  several  cases  in  which  the 
accusers  wished  to  withdraw  the  complaints.  Where  the 
reason  for  the  withdrawal  was  the  youth  and  penitence  of  the 
accused,  the  request  was  generally  granted.  In  one  case  a 
family  quarrel  had  gone  before  a  magistrate  while  the  temper 
oC  all  parties  concerned  was  at  fever-heat ;  passion  had  sub- 
sided in  the  time  required  to  bring  the  case  to  the  grand  jury, 
and  the  complainant  was  anxious  to  make  terms  of  peace  with 
his  antagonist.  There  was  another  pleasant  little  affair,  in 
which  a  nose  had  been  bitten  off  in  a  discussion  that  evidently 
had  whiskey  in  it.  The  biter  was  the  cousin  of  the  bitten,  and 
on  account  of  the  relationship  the  latter  wished  to  be  mild. 
His  cousin  was  not  a  professional  biter,  and  should  he  go  to 
prison  it  would  not  restore  the  central  ornament  of  the 
52 


970  WITHDRAWING   COMPLAINTS. 

complainant's  face.  The  offender  had  promised  not  to  do  so 
again  j  and  besides,  he  had  not  bitten  off  much  of  the  nose, 
any  way.  The  appeal  was  heard,  and  the  complaint  against 
the  rnordacious  relative  was  dismissed.  As  he  had  been  a 
month  in  prison,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  took  solemn  warn- 
ing, and  will  hereafter  confine  his  dental  exercise  to  the  ordi- 
nary articles  of  diet. 

In  some  instances  the  complainant  wished  to  withdraw  the 
charge,  for  the  reason  that  he  had  already  lost  time  in  making 
the  prosecution,  and  did  not  wish  to  lose  more.  Sometimes, 
in  cases  of  robbery,  the  friends  of  the  accused  had  offered  to 
restore  the  stolen  property  on  condition  that  there  should  be 
no  prosecution,  and  very  naturally  the  complainant  was  will- 
ing to  make  such  a  compromise.  But  it  was  out  of  his  power 
to  do  so  after  having  once  made  his  complaint  before  the 
magistrate,  and  his  appeal  to  the  grand  jury  was  generally 
of  no  avail.  The  well-being  of  society,  in  cases  of  profes- 
sional thieves  and  the  like,  was  held  to  be  paramount  to  the 
desires  of  complainants,  and  if  the  testimony  was  clear  there 
was  no  delay  in  ordering  indictments.  In  one  instance  a  man 
who  had  been  robbed,  in  a  house  whose  character  was  not  at 
all  doubtful,  asked  to  withdraw  the  complaint  because  he  had 
already  lost  too  much  time  in  following  it.  He  did  not  think 
the  accused  was  either  young  or  penitent,  but  he  could  not 
afford  the  time  he  was  devoting  to  the  case.  He  had  evi- 
dently been  instructed  what  to  do,  as  his  testimony  before  the 
grand  jury  was  quite  different  from  that  in  his  complaint 
sworn  to  before  the  magistrate.  In  his  complaint  he  said  he 
knew  that  the  prisoner  took  the  money,  but  when  in  our 
presence  he  was  uncertain  on  the  subject.  He  didn't  know, 
couldn't  tell,  didn't  remember,  was  excited  at  the  time,  and 
so  on,  until  we  found  that  he  was  determined  to  say  and  know 
nothing.  As  there  were  no  other  witnesses,  we  were  forced 
to  dismiss  the  charge,  though  morally  convinced  of  the  guilt 
of  the  accused.  The  complainant  had  determined  to  have  the 
case  abandoned,  and  as  the  prejudices  of  the  nineteenth 
century  are  opposed  to  the  use  of  the  rack  and  thumb-screws 


CURIOUS  PHASES  OP  HUMAN  NATURE.          971 

in  the  grand  jury  room,  we  bad  no  means  of  compelling  the 
witness  to  adhere  to  his  original  story.  Mind  you;  he  had  not 
varied  it  so  as  to  make  him  liable  to  the  charge  of  perjury,  in 
one  case  or  the  other ;  he  had  only  substituted  uncertainty 
for  certainty. 

Another  instance  of  the  withdrawal  of  a  complaint  through 
motives  of  kindness,  was  in  the  case  of  a  woman  who  had  lost 
a  few  articles  from  her  room  while  her  door  was  left  open. 
The  thieves  were  some  young  boys,  whose  parents  were  re- 
spectable ;  and  as  soon  as  the  theft  was  traced  to  the  culprits, 
the  property  was  at  once  returned.  "  I  don't  want  to  make 
felons  of  them,"  said  the  woman;  "I  think  they  took  the 
things  out  of  a  spirit  of  mischief,  and  that  they  will  be  good 
boys  in  future.  The  mother  of  one  of  them  has  talked  to  me 
about  it,  and  I  have  promised  to  withdraw  the  charge."  Her 
appeal  was  earnest,  and  before  its  close  it  was  eloquent. 
When  she  left  the  room  it  was  voted  to  dismiss  the  case.  The 
foreman  then  sent  for  her,  told  her  that  she  had  displayed 
much  kindness  of  heart;  that  the  jury  appreciated  her  mo- 
tives, and  had  complied  with  her  request.  Her  thanks,  like 
those  of  the  woman  mentioned  heretofore,  were  given  through 
tears,  and  she  rushed  outside  to  congratulate  the  anxious 
mother  of  the  boy  whom  she  had  released. 

Many  phases  of  human  nature  can  be  studied  in  the  grand 
jury  room.  The  hatred  which  the  natives  of  green  Erin  bear 
towards  our  citizens  of  African  descent  is  frequently  seen 
where  the  accused  is  of  negro  blood,  and  the  witness  is  of  the 
race  that  boasts  the  Blarney  Stone,  and  grows  indignant  at 
mention  of  Boyne  water.  Given  such  a  case,  and  the  chances 
are  more  than  even  that  the  witness  will  tell  a  story  in  which 
indictment  is  the  primary,  and  truth  the  secondary  considera- 
tion. If  you  have  two  or  more  witnesses  of  the  loquacious 
nationality,  and  take  the  pains  to  question  them  closely,  you 
will  be  likely  to  find  a  conspicuous  inharmony  in  their  testi- 
mony. They  seem  to  consider  themselves  called  to  "  swear 
agin'  the  nagur,"  and  they  generally  do  it.  And  it  is  possible 
that,  with  the  case  reversed,  —  an  accused  Celt  and  a  testify- 


972 

ing  Ethiopian,  —  the  evidence  might  be  equally  energetic. 
But,  for  some  reason,  we  did  not  have  a  fair  opportunity  to 
settle  this  momentous  question,  and  I  must  therefore  leave  it 
for  the  consideration  of  some  grand  jury  of  the  future. 

The  detective  officer  shines  brilliantly  before  the  grand 
jury.  There  was,  now  and  then,  a  man  of  this  profession  who 
was  quiet  and  unpretending,  but  he  formed  an  exception  to 
the  rule.  The  detective  had  generally  done  wonderful  things 
in  the  discovery  of  crimes  already  committed,  or  in  the  pre- 
vention of  crimes  contemplated  or  progressing.  Some  detec- 
tives told  their  stories  with  admirable  directness,  while  others 
were  evidently  desirous  of  giving  condensed  histories  of  their 
professional  careers.  "  Did  you  arrest  John  Jones  ?  "  asks  the 
foreman  when  a  detective  is  called  in.  "  Yes,  sir,"  is  the 
reply.  "Why  did  you  arrest  him?"  "Because  I  heard  he 
had  robbed  Brown's  store."  "  Did  you  find  anything  in  his 
possession?"  "Yes,  sir."  "What  did  you  find?"  "The 
articles  named  in  the  complaint."  "  That  will  do,  officer ;  you 
can  go ; "  and  the  officer  bows,  and  departs. 

This  is  all  that  the  jury  wants  to  know  from  the  officer  in 
regard  to  the  performance  of  John  Jones,  who  is  charged, 
on  complaint  of  Brown,  with  burglary  in  the  first  degree. 
But  the  probabilities  are  two  to  one  that  when  the  foreman 
asks,  "  Did  you  arrest  John  Jones  ?  "  the  officer  will  say,  "  I 
was  walking  along  Broadway,  and  saw  Brown,  who  looked  as 
if  he  had  been  robbed.  I  went  to  his  store,  and  saw  the  mark 
of  a  chisel  near  the  lock,  and  asked  Brown  if  he  had  lost  any- 
thing. Brown  told  me  he  had,  but  did  not  know  who  had 
robbed  him.  I  looked  at  the  chisel-mark,  and  thought  it  was 
Jones's  work.  Then  I  went  down  Canal  Street,  and  saw  Jones 
standing  talking  with  two  men,  one  of  whom  I  remembered 
seeing  seven  years  ago  at  the  California  State  Prison,  when  I 
took  the  great  stage-robber  Smith  up  there  for  robbing  the 
Petaluma  mail,  and  frightening  a  lady  passenger  so  that  she 
died  next  week,  and  left  two  girls,  three  boys,  and  one  husband, 
who  felt  so  bad  about  it  that  he  got  married  before  the  month 
was  out.  Jones  looked  so  innocent  that  I  knew  he  was  guilty ; 


PECULIARITIES   OF  WITNESSES.  973 

and  so  I  followed  him  all  the  afternoon,  and  arrested  him  when 
I  saw  him  go  into  a  house  on  the  Bowery.  I  searched  the 
house,  and  found  Brown's  goods  concealed  where  it  was  not 
likely  anybody  could  find  them  ;  and  there  was  a  lot  of  other 
goods  that  I  recognized  as  coming  from  a  store  on  Broadway, 
that  was  robbed  six  weeks  before."  And  so  he  goes  on,  in  a 
way  calculated  to  impress  his  hearers  with  the  belief  that  he 
is  a  man  of  genius,  and  perfectly  at  home  among  thieves.  He 
knows  all  the  movements  of  the  gentry  that  one  does  not  like 
to  be  intimate  with,  and  when  he  finishes  his  narrative,  you 
contemplate  him  (to  use  the  language  of  a  certain  celebrated 
orator  about  another)  as  the  East  Indian  contemplates  his 
favorite  idol :  you  know  that  he  is  ugly,  but  you  feel  that  he 
is  great.  The  story  of  a  detective  will  frequently  convey  the 
idea  that  the  movements  and  actions  of  professional  thieves 
can  be  studied,  like  those  of  the  robin  or  the  beaver ;  and  I 
have  sometimes  thought  that  the  burglar  and  pickpocket 
should  occupy  places  in  natural  history  along  with  the  birds, 
beasts,  and  reptiles  that  inhabit  the  earth  and  make  things 
lively.  One  officer,  who  was  a  witness  in  several  cases,  was 
a  favorite  with  the  jury,  for  the  reason  that  he  always  gave 
his  testimony  in  the  clearest  and  most  direct  manner.  I 
doubt  if  he  used  a  dozen  superfluous  words  in  any  instance, 
and  I  could  almost  say  that  he  did  not  use  a  dozen  of  them 
all  together.  His  statements  were  short,  sharp,  and  decisive  ; 
and  it  is  my  impression  that  he  is  far  more  efficient  in  the  ser- 
vice than  some  of  his  professional  brethren  who  would  occupy 
fifteen  minutes  in  telling  a  story  that  he  could  give  in  sixty 
seconds,  and  have  time  to  spare. 

It  is  amusing  to  note  the  difference  in  the  manner  of  wit- 
nesses. There  are  some  who  cannot  tell  a  direct  story,  no 
matter  how  strongly  they  are  urged  to  do  so ;  and  there  are 
others  who  could  not  be  otherwise  than  brief.  Some  of  this 
difference  is  due  to  nationality.  German  and  Irish  were  gen- 
erally more  loquacious  than  American  and  English.  But  it 
was  not  all  a  matter  of  nationality,  as  there  were  instances  of 
extreme  discursiveness  on  the  part  of  the  last-mentioned, 


974  THE  BRICK  AND  BROOMSTICK. 

while  some  of  the  former  were  brief  almost  to  taciturnity. 
And  in  regard  to  sex,  I  must  aver  that  the  more  talkative  of 
our  witnesses  belonged  to  the  gentler  half  of  humanity.  A 
lady  of  Baxter  Street  was  one  day  testifying  about  a  debate 
between  herself  and  a  neighbor :  a  brick  and  a  broomstick  had 
been  used  in  the  fray,  and  the  head  of  the  witness  had  been 
slightly  scarified  by  the  corner  of  the  brick.  It  was  a  simple 
affair,  —  words  and  blows,  and  only  two  or  three  blows,  at 
that,  —  but  the  unhappy  victim  could  not  be  induced  to  tell 
her  story  without  narrating  the  whole  history  of  the  bellicose 
Bridget,  whose  hand  had  hurled  the  missile.  Frequently  the 
foreman  stopped  her  narrative,  and  told  her  to  cut  it  short ;  she 
would  take  breath  in  the  pause,  and  then,  with  a  preliminary 
"  I'll  tell  all  about  it,  yer  honor,"  she  would  start  again  with 
the  rapidity  of  a  carrier-pigeon.  We  soon  found  it  was  of  no 
use  to  attempt  to  restrain  her,  and  so  we  listened  as  patiently 
as  possible  to  the  conclusion  of  her  story.  There  was  a  sigh 
of  relief  around  the  jury-room  when  she  retired,  and  I  could 
not  help  thinking  that  the  blow  which  she  averred  made  her 
"  sinseless  and  spacheless  "  for  two  hours  was,  to  a  great  ex- 
tent, justifiable. 

Another  garrulous  witness  was  a  German  who  had  suffered 
robbery.  He  persisted  in  addressing  the  foreman  as  "shudge  " 
and  the  rest  of  the  assemblage  as  "  gentlemens  on  the  jury." 
Twice,  when  interrupted  and  told  to  be  brief,  he  complied  by 
beginning  his  statement  anew,  with  more  minuteness  of  de- 
tail ;  and  at  last  the  foreman  found  his  patience  exhausted, 
and  told  the  witness,  "  The  jury  has  no  time  to  listen  to  your 
stories."  "  0  shudge,"  said  the  man,  in  a  tone  that  evinced 
the  most  deeply  wounded  honor,  "  I  don't  not  come  here  to 
tells  you  stories ;  I  tells  you  only  the  truth."  The  polite 
foreman  apologized  for  the  unintentional  affront,  and  compro- 
mised the  matter  by  inducing  the  victim  to  answer  a  few 
questions,  and  leave  his  story  to  be  told  in  court.  His  evi- 
dence was  conclusive,  and  an  indictment  was  promptly  or- 
dered against  the  party  named  in  the  complaint. 

Frequently  there  were  cases  that  attested  the  worthless- 


FAMILY  JABS  IN   COURT.  ,  975 

ness  and  depravity  of  certain  members  of  the  human  race, 
and  their  despicable  treatment  of  relatives  and  friends.  It  is 
an  unpleasant  spectacle  to  see  wives  giving  evidence  to  send 
their  husbands  to  prison,  brothers  testifying  against  their 
brothers,  and  sometimes  (though  none  were  called  before  us) 
fathers  testifying  against  their  sons.  There  was  one  instance 
wherein  a  man  testified  to  a  forgery  of  his  signature,  committed 
by  a  member  of  his  family.  He  stated  that  it  was  a  struggle  be- 
tween duty  and  a  respect  for  the  family  name  for  him  to  come 
before  the  jury ;  "  and  I  only  determined  to  come  here,"  said 
he,  "  when  1  found  all  attempts  to  reform  this  man  had  failed. 
I  have  paid  his  debts  repeatedly,  have  twice  started  him  in 
business,  and  have  several  times  paid  checks  on  which  he 
forged  ray  signature,  rather  than  expose  him.  I  have  tried 
to  reason  with  him,  and  hoped  he  would  do  better ;  he  shows 
no  sign  of  repentance,  and  has  told  others  that,  out  of  regard 
to  the  family,  I  shall  not  dare  to  prosecute  him.  I  feel  that  I 
should  do  wrong  if  I  allowed  him  to  run  longer,  and  painful 
as  it  is,  I  must  do  my  duty." 

Here  was  a  man  of  sensibility  compelled  by  the  conduct  of 
a  near  relative  to  appear  in  court  as  a  prosecutor.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  the  culprit  will  learn  a  wholesome  lesson  from  his 
imprisonment ;  but  if  his  nature  is  as  depraved  as  represented, 
the  probabilities  are,  that  when  he  comes  out  from  his  term 
of  involuntary  labor,  he  will  not  be  greatly  improved. 

One  day  a  woman  came  to  testify  against  her  husband  for 
striking  her  on  the  head  with  a  piece  of  iron,  which  she  pro- 
duced from  her  pocket.  The  iron  —  a  stove-hook  —  had  been 
broken  by  the  force  of  the  blow,  and  yet  the  woman  was  there, 
with  no  evidence  of  having  suffered  more  than  a  temporary 
stunning  and  bleeding.  She  began  her  story  in  a  tone  of 
firmness  and  determination,  but  gradually  melted  until  her 
voice  was  choking  and  her  eyes  were  tearful.  "  Do  you  want 
to  press  this  complaint  against  your  husband?"  the  foreman 
asked.  "Yes,  sir,  I  must,"  she  answered,  after  a  pause.  "We 
have  been  married  ten  years,  and  they  have  been  ten  years 
of  quarrels.  He  beats  me  often  j  he  drives  me  out  at  night; 


976  A  SKILFUL   FRAUD. 

he  starves  me,  and  is  all  the  time  cruel.  He  takes  the  money 
I  earn,  and  spends  it,  and  I  cannot  live  with  him  any  longer. 
I  have  had  him  before  the  magistrate  several  times,  and  he 
promises  to  do  better ;  but  when  he  is  let  off,  he  is  as  bad  as 
ever.  He  will  not  leave  me,  nor  let  me  leave  him,  and  we 
shall  have  no  peace  till  he  is  in  prison,  or  one  of  us  is  dead." 

One  of  the  most  artistic  frauds  that  ever  came  to  my  knowl- 
edge was  developed  before  the  jury.  A  man  had  loaned  some 
money,  and  taken  the  mortgage  of  a  tract  of  land  as  security 
on  the  note.  Before  loaning  it  he  submitted  the  title  to  his 
lawyer,  who  informed  him  that  it  was  correct;  and  conse- 
quently the  bargain  was  closed.  The  note  fell  due,  and  went 
to  protest ;  the  lawyer  had,  in  the  mean  time,  moved  from  the 
city,  and  the  other  parties  were  not  to  be  found.  The  land 
which  was  mortgaged  lay  in  New  Jersey,  and  the  holder  of 
the  note  took  the  necessary  steps  to  foreclose.  A  professional 
searcher  of  titles  went  to  the  township  mentioned  in  the  pa- 
pers, and  found  that  there  was  no  such  land  in  existence. 

The  whole  document  was  purely  a  myth.  The  boundaries 
described  could  not  be  found,  and  had  no  existence  any  more 
than  if  they  had  been  located  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlantic 
Ocean.  The  grantor  named  in  the  original  deed  had  been 
dead  ten  years  at  the  time  when  the  document  was  dated,  and 
the  whole  business  was  a  conspiracy,  in  which  the  lawyer  had 
betrayed  his  client.  One  of  the  conspirators  had  turned 
state's  evidence,  and  came  before  us.  His  position  was  not 
particularly  comfortable,  and  he  grew  restive  under  the  ques- 
tions showered  upon  him.  Little  by  little  the  truth  was 
drawn  from  him,  and  he  practically  confessed  to  having  been 
the  originator  of  the  fraud,  ten  years  ago.  The  papers  were 
evidently  prepared  with  care,  and  had  an  appearance  of  genu- 
ineness enough  to  deceive  any  man  who  was  not  suspicious 
of  wrong,  and  had  relied  upon  his  lawyer  to  protect  his  rights. 

A  case  that  was  at  the  same  time  amusing  and  saddening, 
was  that  of  a  woman,  the  widow  of  a  laborer,  whose  horse  and 
cart  had  been  stolen.  She  was  the  complainant  and  principal 
witness  against  the  thief,  who  was  promptly  indicted.  She 


"I  WANT  MY  HORSE."  977 

stated  that  she  had  recovered  the  cart,  but  had  not  been  able 
to  find  the  horse.  The  morning  after  the  indictment  had  been 
ordered,  we  were  surprised  to  see  her  waiting  outside  the 
grand  jury  room.  A  juror  asked  her  what  she  wanted,  and 
she  replied  that  she  came  for  her  horse. 

She  was  sent  to  the  court-room,  where,  I  believe,  the  thief 
was  speedily  tried  and  convicted.  But  day  after  day  she 
came  to  the  grand  jury  room,  and  patiently  waited  outside 
for  the  return  of  her  horse.  Each  morning  some  one  would 
explain  to  her  that  we  could  do  nothing,  and  she  would  then 
go  away.  But  the  next  morning  she  would  be  there  as  usual, 
and  for  nearly  a  month  she  continued  her  patient  but  hopeless 
watching.  Sometimes  she  would  come  twice  in  the  same 
day,  and,  when  accosted,  her  answer  was  always  the  same,  "  I 
want  my  horse."  At  first  her  visits  were  subjects  of  merri- 
ment, but  it  xvas  very  soon  discovered  that  her  mind  could 
not  be  altogether  clear ;  and  our  merriment  was  changed  to 
pity,  and  our  jests  to  words  of  sympathy  for  her  loss. 

Most  of  the  witnesses  were  of  the  unattractive  lot,  and  as 
their  stories  were  much  alike,  the  business  became  a  little 
dull  after  the  first  week  or  two.  Robberies  and  fights,  and 
fights  and  robberies,  were  narrated  until  the  atmosphere  be- 
came charged  with  them.  It  was  the  same  story,  or  the  same 
stories  with  slight  variation,  and  we  used  to  wish  for  a  little 
variety.  And  it  was  astonishing  how  the  advent  of  a  pretty 
woman  used  to  refresh  the  wearied  jurors,  but  they  were  not 
often  allowed  that  luxury. 

One  afternoon  we  came  to  a  case  of  robbery,  and  the  name 
of  the  first  witness  had  a  feminine  sound  as  the  clerk  read  it. 
Jurors  had  been  sitting,  not  quite  at  their  ease,  listening  to 
the  testimony  of  men  and  women  whose  stories  were  as  de- 
void of  sentiment  as  the  certificate  of  a  steamboat  inspector, 
and  whose  forms  and  faces  were  as  unattractive  as  a  dredging 
machine.  When  the  witness  was  called  in  this  case,  the 
jurors  listlessly  raised  their  eyebrows,  and  out  of  deference 
to  their  acquired  habit,  turned  their  eyes  towards  the  door. 
She  came ;  we  saw ;  she  conquered.  She  was  pretty ;  she 


978  A  PRETTY  WOMAN  AS  WITNESS. 

was  finely  attired  ;  her  demeanor  was  full  of  modesty,  and, 
at  the  same  time,  of  self-possession.  As  she  walked  forward 
to  the  foreman's  place,  to  be  sworn,  there  was  a  general 
straightening  of  everybody  around  the  room.  Chairs  were 
drawn  nearer  to  the  table,  young  jurors  stroked  their  mus- 
taches, and  old  ones  passed  their  hands  over  their  bald  crowns, 
to  be  sure  that  no  cobwebs  lay  there.  Collars  and  neck- 
ties were  examined,  to  ascertain  if  en  regie,  and  when  the  lady 
walked  to  the  witness  chair,  the  double  line  of  heads  was  as 
straight  and  attentive  as  though  just  from  the  discipline  of  a 
Russian  drill-master.  When  the  foreman  questioned  her,  she 
answered  in  a  voice  as  silvery  as  a  chime  of  tea  bells,  and  it 
seemed  very  unfortunate  for  all  her  listeners  that  her  story 
was  brief.  Not  a  word  that  she  spoke  was  lost  to  any  of  the 
forty  ears  that  were  -inclined  towards  her,  and  when  she 
turned  upon  us  a  pair  of  bewitching  eyes  (I  forget  their 
color),  there  could  be  no  doubt  that  the  unwashed  and  un- 
lettered burglar  against  whom  she  complained  deserved  the 
severest  penalty  of  the  law.  As  she  left  the  room,  her  silken 
dress  rustling  like  the  leaves  of  autumn  in  a  gentle  breeze, 
we  regretted  that  she  could  not  longer  remain ;  and  when  the 
door  closed,  an  impressible  juror  sitting  near  it  moved  a  bill 
of  indictment,  which  would  have  been  carried  without  oppo- 
sition, had  there  been  no  necessity  for  another  witness  to 
complete  the  chain  of  evidence.  The  officer  who  captured 
the  thief  and  recovered  the  property  was  then  called ;  but  he 
was  a  commonplace  fellow,  and  we  only  listened  to  his  story 
in  the  cause  of  justice.  Compared  with  the  lady  who  pre- 
ceded him,  he  was  as  a  marine  turtle  to  a  gazelle,  or  as  a  mud- 
scow  to  a  yacht,  and  we  were  heartily  glad  when  he  was 
through  with  his  testimony.  If  burglars  would  be  free,  they 
should  never  be  caught  robbing  a  pretty  woman  who  can  go 
before  a  grand  jury.  That  fellow  received  the  heaviest  sen- 
tence allowed  by  the  law,  as  she  went  before  the  petit  jury, 
and  told  her  story  under  the  eye  of  the  judge. 


LXIX. 

BORROWING  AND  BORROWERS. 

HOW  THE  BUSINESS  IS  PROSECUTED  IN  NEW  YORK.  —  THE  NUMBER  OF  BOR- 
ROWERS. —  THEIR  DIVISIONS  AND  SUBDIVISIONS.  —  HOW  THEY  OPERATE.  — 
THE  STORIES  THEY  TELL.  —  THEIR  ENERGY.  — ABILITY  TO  READ  CHARAC- 
TER.—  SUFFERINGS  OF  THEIR  VICTIMS. —  FRAUDS  UPON  HORACE  GREE- 
LEY.  —  DEVICES  TO  AVOID  THESE  SWINDLERS.  —  ANNUAL  AMOUNT  OF 
THEIR  SWINDLES.  —  HOW  A  MAN  CUTS  HIS  EYE  TEETH. 

MONEY  is  the  motive  power  of  the  world.  In  executive 
capacity,  it  is  an  angel  or  devil.  By  it  civilization  must 
be  measured,  and  all  accomplishment  wrought.  A  material 
blessing,  it  is  the  parent,  too,  of  such  an  amount  of  spiritual 
comfort  as  may  not  be  reckoned.  Money  will  buy  every- 
thing but  health  and  affection  ;  and,  through  its  aid,  the  one 
is  protected  and  the  other  provoked.  No  marvel  that  men 
worship  money ;  it  is  the  strongest  of  secular  deities,  the 
firmest  of  supporters,  and  the  staunchest  of  friends.  Nobody 
can  live  without  it ;  it  is  life  itself.  Every  one  must  and  will 
have  it  in  certain  quantity,  either  by  fair  means  or  foul. 
Every  community  is  composed  of  borrowers  and  lenders,  and 
the  former  are  always  in  stupendous  majority.  They  who 
have  most  lend  least  ;  and,  consequently,  borrowers  are 
brought  to  depend  on  the  class  widely  removed  from  pros- 
perity. 

The  number  of  men  who  subsist  upon  others  by  persistent 
fleecing  can  scarcely  be  estimated.  They  abound  in  this 
country,  especially  in  New  York,  which  may  well  be  called 
the  haven  of  the  hard-up,  and  the  blissful  seat  of  the  pro- 
fessional borrower.  All  roads  lead  to  New  York  ;  all  swin- 
dlers and  adventurers  journ,ey  thither  in  expectation  of  find- 
ing victims.  Their  anticipations  are  generally  realized,  and 


980       THE  METROPOLIS   AS   A  FIELD  FOR   SWINDLERS. 

they  bless  the  stars  which  have  guided  them  to  monetary 
Manhattan.  They  come  by  every  boat  and  train,  from  every 
state  and  nation,  with  devices,  plans,  and  pretexts  for  gen- 
teelly defrauding  that  colossal  goose  known  as  the  Public. 

Fortunes  are  so  much  more  easily  and  quickly  made  here 
than  in  any  other  city,  that  the  borrower,  whatever  his  call- 
ing or  his  clime,  is  tempted  to  visit  us  because  confident  of 
his  reward.  Europeans  often  wonder  at  the  carelessness  of 
Americans  in  respect  to  money,  and  are  astounded  when  told 
that,  in  this  Western  land,  the  chief  requirements  for  pro- 
curing loans  without  security  are  falsehood  and  effrontery. 
They  cannot  understand  how  it  is  possible  for  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  men  to  live  by  politely  robbing  others,  and  yet 
keep  up  an  assumption  of  honesty  and  respectability.  Aware 
that  such  things  could  not  be  in  the  old  world  capitals,  they 
are  surprised  at  the  opposite  order  of  affairs  over  here. 

It  would  be  extremely  interesting  to  know  the  amount 
that  this  community  is  swindled  out  of  annually,  not  only  by 
its  own  citizens  and  people,  but  by  foreigners  of  every  grade. 
I  venture  to  affirm,  that  there  are  almost  always  here  from 
twenty  to  twenty-five  thousand  persons  whose  principal  busi- 
ness it  is  to  filch  from  the  purse  of  whomsoever  they  can. 
Borrowing  is  their  exclusive  profession.  They  have  reduced 
it  to  a  science,  and  arranged  it  as  an  art.  They  have  a  cer- 
tain genius  for  imposition,  a  dramatic  power  of  misrepresenta- 
tion, a  fecundity  of  invention  which  would  have  inured  to 
their  great  advantage  in  some  honest  calling.  But  of  hon- 
esty they  will  have  none  ;  preferring  to  wheedle,  falsify,  and 
plunder  by  the  niceties  of  manipulation  and  the  subtleties  of 
deception.  These  professional  borrowers  are  of  divers  de- 
grees and  countless  types,  though  their  end  is  continuously 
and  persistently  the  same. 

The  normal  mind  would  suppose  that  borrowing  is  the 
hardest  way  to  get  money;  that  earnest  and  honest  work 
of  any  kind  would  be  much  the  easier  of  the  two.  But  the 
mind  of  the  professional  borrower  is  abnormal.  Having  no 
clear  conception  of  truth,  justice,  or  advantage,  it  sees  life  at 


BEWAKE   OF  DEBTS.  981 

an  extremely  obtuse  angle.  It  may  have  been  healthful  at 
first,  but  it  becomes  diseased  by  continued  violation  of  integ- 
rity, and  finally  ceases  to  have  cognizance  of  its  own  opera- 
tions. 

Money  is  often  called,  and  generally  seems  to  be,  a  vulgar 
commodity,  which  generous  souls  ought  to  be  above  consider- 
ing. The  mere  possession  of  money  may  not  be,  and  indeed 
it  very  rarely  is,  either  refining  or  ennobling ;  but  to  be  with- 
out it,  begets  unhappiness,  opens  the  door  to  temptation,  pro- 
vokes a  tendency  to  disesteem,  if  not  to  degradation.  Noth- 
ing is  so  demoralizing  as  to  be  under  material  obligations 
that  cannot  be  discharged ;  and  when  these  obligations  are 
voluntarily  and  continually  assumed,  he  who  assumes  them 
grows  to  be,  ere  long,  a  sycophant  and  a  slave. 

"  Beware  of  debts ! "  is  an  excellent  motto  for  secular 
guidance,  and  its  conscientious  follower  will,  in  the  long 
run,  thank  his  stars  for  its  adoption.  To  owe  is  to  be 
owned,  to  surrender  individuality,  to  lose  independence,  to 
forfeit  self-respect.  The  debtor  soon  parts  with  his  sensi- 
bility, and  waxes  callous.  His  course  winds  downward ;  at 
every  turn  he  is  forced  to  do  greater  violence  to  his  natural 
self  and  the  cause  of  truth.  Eventually,  he  becomes  a  worse 
offender  than  those  the  laws  punish ;  for  he  is  an  enemy  to 
society  whom  society  has  no  power  to  confine. 

The  metropolis  is  infested  with  so  many  and  such  different 
borrowers,  and  they  are  so  much  a  part  of  the  community, 
that  they  may  be  divided  and  subdivided  into  classes. 

The  first  class  is  composed  of  those  who,  being  in  business, 
draw  largely  on  the  future  at  a  venture,  but  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  paying  in  due  season.  They  are  usually  hopeful, 
even  sanguine,  though  less  prudent  and  conscientious  than 
they  should  be,  and  more  considerate  of  themselves  than  of 
others.  These  men  turn  their  confidence  and  audacity  to 
profit,  provided  fortune  favors  them ;  but  if  she  be  adverse, 
they  go  down,  and  drag  their  lenders  with  them.  They  rise 
again,  however,  in  new  fashions  for  borrowing,  and  once 
more  challenge  circumstances  to  do  their  behest.  If  they 


932  THE  CLASSES   OF  BORROWERS. 

win  at  last,  they  boast  of  their  energy,  perseverance,  and 
courage,  and  despise  men  who  have  been  more  conscientious 
and  less  lucky. 

The  second  class  have  legitimate  callings,  but  substitute 
credit  for  capital.  They  borrow  largely  without  concerning 
themselves  in  regard  to  liquidation.  They  are  not  positively, 
though  they  may  be  considered  negatively,  dishonest.  They 
will  pay  if  they  can  conveniently ;  but  if  they  cannot,  they 
refuse  to  fret,  resigning  their  financial  burdens  to  those  com- 
pelled to  bear  them.  They  have  the  support  of  an  easy  self- 
ishness, and  when  their  creditors  complain,  they  invite  them 
to  be  patient,  and  wait  for  the  day  of  judgment. 

The  third  class  shift  from  one  occupation  to  another,  and 
in  every  shifting  are  liable  to  deterioration.  Half  the  time 
they  are  out  of  business,  but  they  are  always  going  into 
something  new  that  promises  admirably.  They  dwell  in 
to-morrow,  and  defer  the  fulfilment  of  all  their  engagements 
to  that  uncertain  fragment  of  time.  They  borrow  right  and 
left,  careless  of  whom,  never  reckoning  the  amount  they  have 
taken  or  the  covenant  they  have  made.  They  will  pay  if 
they  are  dunned ;  but  if  not,  they  will  scatter  their  obliga- 
tions with  their  breath.  After  a  certain  range  of  experience 
in  effecting  private  loans,  they  learn  that  many  persons  would 
rather  suffer  loss  than  ask  for  a  return  of  money,  and  they 
take  advantage  of  this  sensibility.  They  fortify  their  want 
of  principle  by  affirming  that  a  debt  is  not  due  until  de- 
manded, and  they  always  pretend  to  forget  what  it  would  be 
unpleasant  to  remember.  They  are  poor  in  performance. 
They  invariably  want  extensions,  and  regard  to-day  as  if  it 
were  non-existent.  Catch  them  with  a  full  purse,  and  repre- 
sent your  right  to  a  part  of  its  contents,  and  you  may  count 
upon  payment  long  deferred. 

The  fourth  class  are  constitutionally  dishonorable  —  the 
impersonation  of  selfishness.  They  have  no  intention  of 
paying,  even  at  the  time  of  borrowing,  and  never  will  pay  so 
long  as  they  can  avoid  it.  They  talk  a  good  deal  of  their 
integrity,  for  the  express  purpose  of  imposing  upon  their 


'HE  MOST   PROFESSIONAL  OF  BOEEOWEES.  983 

hearers.  They  consider  every  man  a  potential  creditor,  and 
try  to  influence  him  to  that  end.  They  are  good  for  what 
they  pay  cash  for.  Their  word  ranks  with  their  bond,  and 
both  are  worthless.  They  can  be  depended  upon  to  meet 
their  obligations  only  when  compulsion  is  employed. 

The  fifth  class  are  still  worse  ;  for  they  not  only  regard 
borrowing  as  a  virtue,  but  they  deem  payment  a  vice.  To 
defraud  anybody  seems  to  give  them  a  positive  pleasure,  and 
they  never  felicitate  themselves  so  much  as  after  a  successful 
swindle.  They  are  earnestly  opposed  to  discharging  any  and 
every  obligation,  however  sacred  the  circumstances  under 
which  it  is  contracted.  They  are  among  the  very  few  of 
their  kind  who  would  rather  throw  away  money  than  pay  a 
debt  with  it ;  and  a  creditor  whom  they  have  been  obliged 
to  satisfy,  they  reckon  ever  after  as  an  enemy.  By  some  per- 
version of  understanding  and  derangement  of  morals,  they 
have  come  to  believe  that  the  world's  goods  belong  to  the 
most  ingenious  swindlers,  and  that  they  are  entitled  to  such 
distinction.  This  class  seldom  have  any  position,  commercial 
or  otherwise,  but  prey  upon  the  public  without  mercy. 

The  sixth  class,  so  far  as  known,  have  never  done  anything 
but  borrow.  They  are  the  most  professional  of  professionals. 
Their  only  idea  of  property  is  to  get  whatever  they  can  with- 
out an  equivalent.  Work  is  hateful  to  them,  and  fraud  de- 
lightful. They  struggle  hard  for  the  reward  of  dishonesty, 
and  receive  it  with  a  feeling  akin  to  enthusiasm.  They  have 
never  had  the  slightest  credit ;  and  how  they  contrive  to 
dupe  their  fellows,  year  after  year,  is  one  of  the  mysteries 
of  humanity.  Physiognomy  and  manners  proclaim  against 
them  ;  and  yet  they  accomplish  such  results  through  dis- 
honesty as  upright  men  would  vainly  strive  for  by  honorable 
means.  Continual  practice  renders  them  perfect  in  the  art 
of  cozening.  They  are  able  to  espy  a  loan  in  a  face  as  a 
banker  is  to  detect  alloy  in  coin.  They  appear  to  have  an 
intuitive  knowledge  of  the  contents  of  an  unseen  pocket- 
book,  and  of  its  owner's  special  weakness,  which  they  pro- 
ceed at  once  to  play  upon ;  they  can  get  money  out  of  a 


984  ENEKGY  OF  THE  CLASS. 

hunks,  and  have  been  known  to  raise  the  wind  in  the  dead 
calm  of  a  millionaire. 

These  principal  classes  include  subdivisions  too  numerous 
and  diverse  to  mention.  Borrowers  change  their  grade  as 
they  advance  in  meanness  and  recklessness.  They  may  begin 
in  the  first  rank  and  fall  to  the  lowest.  They  will  do  this 
year  what  they  would  not  have  done  last.  They  are  always 
liable  to  sink,  even  below  the  level  they  occupy.  They  re- 
quire a  broad  field  for  operations,  because  the  proper  victims 
cannot  be  gathered  twice  by  the  same  hand.  They  droop 
their  crest  as  they  accumulate  infamy,  and  exercise  more 
and  more  hypocrisy  and  deeper  and  bolder  falsehood  as  their 
career  continues. 

Borrowers  roam  the  island  of  Manhattan  from  morning  to 
midnight,  invading  every  place  and  penetrating  every  corner. 
They  can  no  more  be  shut  out  than  the  Atlantic  Ocean  ; 
they  are  all-pervading,  persistent,  and  resistless.  They  will 
climb  to  the  apex  of  Grace  Church,  or  walk  to  High  Bridge 
in  a  driving  storm,  for  the  sake  of  a  trivial  loan,  when  they 
could  not  be  hired  to  do  honest  work  for  ten  dollars  an  hour. 
They  never  know  dejection  ;  if  they  did,  they  would  be 
philanthropic  enough  to  make  a  case  for  the  coroner.  They 
rob  the  credulous  and  cajole  the  weak  with  a  zest  and  cheer- 
fulness which  can  only  spring  from  a  serene  consciousness  of 
doing  evil.  While  the  good  suffer  and  the  deserving  starve, 
they  enjoy  themselves  and  grow  round  with  plenty. 

Professional  borrowers  have  a  knowledge  of  human  nature 
equal  to  Shakspeare  or  Cervantes ;  and  in  physiognomy 
they  laugh  Lavater  to  scorn.  They  often  ask  loans  without 
getting  accommodation  ;  but  this  does  not  prove  their  insight 
at  fault,  —  only  their  love  for  experiment.  The  demands 
they  make  upon  the  unwilling  are  tentative  efforts  to  be 
treasured  up  as  warning  in  the  future.  They  would  never 
go  to  the  wrong  man  were  not  the  right  one  absent.  They 
cannot  always  have  things  as .  they  want,  and  so  they  take 
them  as  they  must.  The  merest  novice  makes  no  approaches 
to  the  Astors,  or  Stewarts,  or  Vanderbilts ;  their  reputation 


THE  FEAR   THEY  INSPIRE.  985 

has  gone  before  them,  and  he  can  discover  at  a  glance  that 
not  a  single  dollar  can  be  torn  from  their  financial  souls. 
Such  an  absolute  incapacity  for  procuring  money  gleams  from 
every  lineament  of  the  rich,  that  the  rudest  savage  would 
recognize  it  on  instinct. 

If  borrowers  preyed  upon  the  prosperous,  they  would 
do  little  harm  ;  but,  unfortunately,  they  find  their  victims 
among  those  who  have  not  locked  up  their  hearts  and  thrown 
away  the  key.  The  man  who  lends  is  primarily  a  good 
fellow ;  and  that  he  should  be  driven  into  scepticism  and 
cynicism  by  deliberate  swindles,  is  deplorable  indeed.  Such 
shattering  of  faith  is  a  sin  against  the  race ;  and  if  a  pro- 
fessional borrower  did  not  aspire  to  total  depravity,  he  would 
hesitate  before  committing  it.  But  he  stops  at  nothing,  ex- 
cept it  be  the  vision  of  a  debt  discharged,  or  the  ghost  of  an 
unredeemed  due-bill. 

Hundreds  of  our  citizens,  strange  as  it  may  appear,  are  in 
perpetual  dread  of  borrowers.  They  are  aware  that  their 
countenances  and  their  hearts  are  against  them,  and  that, 
resolve  as  they  will,  they  are  in  danger  of  being  wheedled. 
They  are  angry  with  themselves  whenever  they  succumb  to 
the  blandishments  they  have  suffered  so  much  by  ;  and  still, 
when  assailed  by  a  direct  petition  for  a  loan,  they  yield  with- 
out protest. 

Plausible  swindlers  seem  to  keep  in  memory  every  over- 
amiable  man  who  will  open  his  purse  for  the  telling  of  a 
piteous  tale  or  specious  story.  They  are  ever  on  the  trail  of 
such  a  member  of  the  tender-hearted  tribe,  and  they  inev- 
itably run  him  down.  Go  where  he  may,  they  invariably  find 
him  out,  and,  with  wheedling  tongue,  lick  up  his  substance. 

The  kind  and  gentle  Horace  Greeley  was,  until  the  last 
day  of  his  life,  the  victim  of  impecunious  cheats.  He  was 
opposed,  on  principle,  to  giving  them  a  penny ;  and  yet,  in 
practice,  he  was  a  perpetual  purveyor  to  their  imaginary 
needs.  For  many  years,  I  doubt  if  any  energetic  applicant 
for  a  loan  ever  left  the  presence  of  the  great  journalist  with- 
out carrying  his  point.  During  the  last  twenty-five  years  of 
53 


986  HORACE   GREELEY  AS   A  VICTIM. 

his  life,  Mr.  Greeley  must  have  lent  to  entirely  irresponsible 
persons,  without  the  slightest  expectation  of  getting  any- 
thing back,  not  far  from  fifty  thousand  dollars.  Every  week 
he  would  berate  himself  for  his  encouragement  of  such  "  con- 
founded loafers,"  as  he  styled  them,  and  express  his  deter- 
mination to  reform  his  loose  and  lavish  habit.  But  with  the 
new  week  would  be  resumed  the  open-handed  generosity, 
from  the  impossibility  of  saying  "no"  even  to  the  most  trans- 
parent impostor. 

While  entering  the  Tribune  office,  the  editor  would  often 
notice  a  borrower  lying  in  wait,  and  tell  him  beforehand 
there  was  no  use  of  asking  for  money  ;  that  he  could  not  get 
another  penny  under  any  circumstances.  The  cozener,  how- 
ever, knowing  his  man,  would  follow  him  into  the  sanctum, 
and  in  less  than  a  minute  Mr.  Greeley  would  be  seen  opening 
his  pocket-book,  and  be  heard  to  say,  "  Now,  take  that,  and 
don't  come  here  any  more  ;  for  I'm  going  to  turn  over  a  new 
leaf." 

Of  course  the  new  leaf  was  never  turned  over,  unless  in  a 
backward  direction.  The  journalist's  reputation  as  a  succorer 
of  suckers  was  so  firmly  established  that  he  drew  them  from 
every  quarter,  and  could  not  shake  them  off. 

Hundreds  of  other  New  Yorkers  have  acquired  much  the 
same  kind  of  fame,  and  are  exposed  to  the  same  sieges,  with 
similar  results.  Fearing  borrowers  as  Captain  Cuttle  feared 
his  landlady,  they  seek  their  places  of  business  furtively,  and 
go  home  by  back  streets.  Not  infrequently  they  lock  them- 
selves in  private  rooms  and  hide  in  out-of-the-way  corners, 
to  escape  itinerant  chevaliers  of  industry.  While  honorable 
gentlemen  are  thus  skulking  to  avoid  borrowers,  unscrupu- 
lous debtors  walk  composedly  through  the  crowd,  and  stare 
their  creditors  out  of  countenance  —  thus  showing  the  out- 
ward advantage  that  dishonesty  possesses  over  uprightness 
and  fair  dealing. 

Some  persons  have  been  victimized  so  often,  that  they 
have  hung  up  placards  like  these  in  their  offices :  — 


PKECAUTIOXS   OF   THE   PKUDENT.  931 

"  No  money  lent  here  in  sums  less  than  ten  thousand  dol- 
lars." 

"  All  applicants  for  loans  are  expected  to  furnish  mortgages 
on  real  estate  in  the  city." 

"  Gentlemen  desirous  of  borrowing  are  referred  to  the 
Rothschilds,  in  London,  Paris,  and  Frankfort." 

"  First-class  collaterals  required  on  all  loans." 

"  Rates  of  lending  to-day,  five  per  cent,  a  minute,  and 
nothing  received  as  security  except  double  eagles." 

"  Persons  who  are  hard  up  are  politely,  but  firmly,  re- 
quested to  go  to  the  devil." 

The  effect  of  these  announcements  is  reputed  to  be  excel' 
lent.  In  numerous  instances  they  prevent  professionals  from 
revealing  their  chronic  wants  ;  in  others,  they  abash  fellows 
who  had  made  up  their  minds  to  arrange  for  a  loan ;  and  in 
others  again,  they  cripple  the  hopes  formed  of  a  successful 
swindle. 

I  have  been  told,  by  a  person  who  tried  the  experiment,  that 
these  manifestoes  have  saved  them  thousands  of  dollars  a 
year,  and  an  infinite  amount  of  annoyance  besides.  Such 
placards  certainly  have  a  fine  extinguishing  effect  upon  the 
flaming  ardor  of  the  social  highwaymen  so  superabundant  in 
Gotham. 

The  length  of  time  that  a  borrower  (outside  of  business) 
has  been  plying  his  vocation  may  be  determined  by  the 
amount  he  asks  for.  When  he  is  rather  new  to  the  trade,  he 
wishes  usually  to  be  accommodated  with  a  loan  of  five  hun- 
dred dollars,  and,  if  that  sum  be  inconvenient,  he  thinks  he 
can  get  along  with  something  less.  He  has  been  known  to 
accept  thirty  or  forty  cents  on  the  dollar  of  his  original  prop- 
osition, and  generally  it  is  not  safe  to  offer  him  any  sort  of 
compromise. 

After  a  year  or  two  of  genteel  swindling,  the  borrower 
fixes  his  demand  at  from  one  hundred  to  fifty  dollars,  but  can 


988  PETTY  IMPOSTORS. 

be  induced  to  take  twenty-five  dollars  as  a  sort  of  instalment 
on  the  obligation,  which  he  fancies  the  community  has,  in 
some  mysterious  manner,  incurred. 

Ten-dollar  swindlers  have,  for  the  most  part,  seen  much 
dishonorable  service,  and  are  among  the  most  numerous  of 
their  nefarious  guild.  They  are  to  be  found  everywhere,  — 
in  the  street,  at  the  hotels,  at  the  theatres,  at  the  races,  even 
at  private  parties  sometimes,  —  where  they  make  the  stereo- 
typed excuse  that  they  have  left  their  porte-monnaie  in  another 
coat,  and  that  they  would  be  profoundly  obliged  for  a  trivial 
loan  until  the  day  following. 

The  petty  impostors,  who  solicit  loans  from  five  dollars  to 
fifty  cents,  have  usually  met  with  so  many  rebuffs  that  they 
make  their  approaches  with  a  diffidence  that  usually  undoes 
them.  They  mention  five  dollars  with  an  infirmity  of  voice, 
evincing  that  they  have  no  expectation  of  obtaining  it,  and 
drop  down  to  three,  two,  or  one  with  a  precipitancy  reveal- 
ing their  familiarity  with  disappointment.  As  a  last  resort, 
they  inquire  dolefully  for  postal  currency  representing  half  a 
dollar ;  and  it  is  seldom  they  fail  to  get  it,  through  sheer 
commiseration,  from  the  person  besought. 

One  of  the  most  transparent  and  impudent  orders  of  swin- 
dlers are  those  who  tell  you  they  are  in  a  certain  strait,  and 
could  be  easily  helped  if  they  would  apply  to  their  father, 
brother,  or  some  other  near  relative.  But  they  are  too  proud, 
they  take  pains  to  inform  you,  to  demean  themselves  in  that 
fashion,  and  therefore  they  have  recourse  to  a  stranger  on 
whom  they  have  not  the  slightest  claim.  This  mode  of  bor- 
rowing, an  insult  to  the  lowest  intelligence,  deserves  to  be  an- 
swered with  the  boot ;  and  yet,  as  it  involves  a  certain  sort 
of  flattery,  it  frequently  meets  with  a  practical  response. 

It  is  estimated  that,  independent  of  all  regular  or  mercan- 
tile transactions,  the  denizens  of  New  York  lose  from  five  to 
six  million  dollars  annually  by  swindlers  claiming  to  be  phi- 
lanthropists, reformers,  scholars,  business  men,  and  gentlemen 
in  temporary  distress.  These  miscellaneous  borrowers  have 
pretexts  of  every  kind,  all  of  them  appealing  to  the  best  part 
of  our  common  nature,  if  they  were  only  true. 


CONSTANT   CALAMITIES.  989 

The  sole  difference  between  professional  borrowers  and 
beggars  is,  that  the  former  always  promise  to  pay,  and  the 
latter  never  promise,  though  one  can  be  as  much  depended 
upon  for  settlement  as  the  other. 

Such  recurring  calamities  as  visit  these  unblushing  negoti- 
ators of  loans  might  have  been  gathered  from  the  multitudi- 
nous woes  of  the  Greek  tragedies  or  the  grand  operas.  The 
borrowers  are  very  seldom  unprovided  with  a  dead  mother, 
or  an  unburied  wife,  or  starving  children,  or  a  dishonest  part- 
ner, or  a  stolen  pocket-book,  or  a  deferred  remittance,  or  an 
absolutely  necessary  journey,  or  a  remarkable  mishap  of  some 
sort.  They  infest  the  principal  hotels  at  the  busy  hours  of 
the  day,  and  employ  their  best  energies  in  introducing  them- 
selves to  the  pockets  of  the  boarders.  Nearly  every  public 
house  appears  to  have  its  special  haunters,  and  one  ingenious 
story  will  serve  their  purpose  for  a  month  or  more.  Borrow- 
ing has  long  been  systematized  here,  and  every  season  is 
marked  by  new  inventions  and  pathetic  fictions  to  delude  the 
generous  and  unwary. 

The  audacity  of  the  professional  borrower  is  grand  and  ex- 
alted. He  will  stop  your  carriage  in  the  park,  and  invite  you 
to  a  pecuniary  desperation ;  will  make  known  his  financial 
embarrassment  as  you  are  walking  out  of  church  with  the 
present  or  future  Mrs. on  your  arm  ;  seek  a  private  in- 
terview, with  a  monetary  purpose,  before  you  are  up  in  the 
morning. 

If  you  were  to  be  hanged,  —  of  which  there  is  no  danger 
in  New  York,  whatever  crime  you  may  commit,  —  he  would 
steal  up  behind  the  sheriff,  as  the  latter  was  drawing  the 
black  cap  over  your  eyes,  and  ask  you  if  you  could  not  spare 
ten  dollars,  now  that  you  were  going  to  a  country  where  na- 
tional bank-notes  are  not  current. 

Most  New  Yorkers  understand  so  thoroughly  the  trick  of 
courteous  cozening,  that,  whenever  any  man  they  do  not 
know  intimately  seems  anxious  to  see  them,  they  are  con- 
vinced that  he  is  in  quest  of  a  loan,  and  in  nineteen  cases  out 
of  twenty  their  convictions  are  just.  Neither  friendship,  nor 


990  AT   THE  END. 

love,  nor  detectives  can  trace  a  fellow  to  his  lair,  or  scent  out 
his  sanctuary,  like  a  borrower.  He  will  pursue  his  game 
round  the  world,  and  shame  a  sleuth-hound  from  the  start. 

"  Lost  in  the  great  city  "  is  often  a  sad  truth  ;  but  it  may 
be  converted  into  a  fiction  if  a  man  in  need  of  money  have 
his  attention  called  to  the  pocket-book  of  the  person  sup- 
posed to  be  lost.  You  cannot  so  bury  yourself  in  this  Baby- 
lon of  a  new  world  that  the  borrower  will  not  bring  you  to 
light.  And,  if  you  have  had  experience,  when  a  stranger 
flatters  you,  you  will  understand,  from  the  degree  of  his  com- 
pliment, the  exact  amount  of  the  loan  he  expects  to  obtain. 


LXX. 

AMONG  THE  DETECTIVES. 

DETECTIVE  LIFE.  —  CURIOSITIES  OF  LIFE  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  —  NOT  KNOWING 
TOUR  NEIGHBORS.  —  PECULIAR  ACQUAINTANCES.  —  ROBBERY  OP  A  DRY  GOODS 
STORE.  —  INGENIOUS  DETECTION  OF  THE  CRIME.  —  LOVE  AND  JUSTICE.  — 
A  SURPRISING  DENOUEMENT. 

THERE  are  some  men  who  seem  better  fitted  to  live  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  earth  than  in  the  open  air.  Their  habits  are 
much  like  those  of  the  mole  or  the  weasel,  and  sometimes  they 
are  not  altogether  unlike  those  animals  in  general  appearance. 
They  have  the  burrowing  propensity  of  the  rat  and  the 
woodchuck,  and  in  many  instances  their  lives  are  about  as 
reputable  as  that  of  the  first-mentioned  animal.  They  seem 
to  avoid  the  light  of  day,  and  to  spend  their  lives  in  under- 
mining the  works  and  lives  of  others.  Great  cities  can  fur- 
nish a  good  supply  of  these  men,  and  the  rural  districts  are 
not  altogether  destitute  of  them.  They  flourish  best  in  large 
cities,  as  there  they  have  a  better  field  for  their  operations 
than  in  the  country.  In  the  country  everybody  knows  every- 
body else  for  a  considerable  distance  around,  and  can  tell  you 
about  his  family  and  its  antecedents  for  as  many  years  as  you 
care  to  know.  Frequently  the  people  observe  the  manners 
and  habits  of  their  neighbors  with  more  care  than  they  ob- 
serve their  own. 

In  the  city  men  go  about  their  daily  occupations,  knowing 
little  and  caring  little  about  others,  except  those  with  whom 
they  come  in  contact  or  have  relations  of  a  business  character. 
In  New  York,  for  example,  there  is  not  one  householder  in  five 
who  knows  the  name  and  occupation  of  his  next-door  neigh- 
bor, and  generally  he  does  not  care  to  know.  People  may 
occupy  the  same  house  for  years  without  knowing  anything 


992  AN  ODD   EXPERIENCE. 

about  each  other.     I  can  give  a  personal  experience   of  my 
own  which  will  illustrate  what  I  have  here  stated. 

During  the  first  year  of  my  residence  in  New  York,  after 
remaining  a  few  weeks  at  a  hotel  I  went  one  day  in  search 
of  lodgings  in  a  private  house.  I  found  a  house  whose 
exterior  pleased  me,  and  on  the  door-post  there  was  the 
attractive  announcement,  "  Rooms  to  let."  I  rang  the  bell, 
made  known  my  object,  saw  the  vacant  room,  was  satisfied, 
and  engaged  it.  Next  day  I  moved  in.  I  took  my  meals  at  a 
hotel,  and  for  a  year  and  a  half  occupied  that  room. 

I  did  not  know  the  name  of  anybody  in  the  house  except 
the  proprietor,  and  never  troubled  myself  about  the  occupants 
of  the  rooms  on  the  floor  where  I  was  located.  One  day, 
in  ascending  the  stairs,  I  met  an  acquaintance  coming  down  ; 
an  acquaintance  whose  business  was  in  the  very  office  where 
I  was  located,  and  whose  desk  was  not  far  from  mine.  We 
hailed  each  other,  and  our  conversation  revealed  the  fact  that 
he  had  been  for  two  years  an  occupant  of  that  house,  and  I 
had  been  there  nearly  a  year.  Had  we  been  in  the  country 
or  almost  anywhere  else  in  America  than  in  New  York,  we 
should  have  known  each  other's  local  habitation  and  names  in 
less  than  a  fortnight. 

City  life,  politics,  and  poverty  are  about  equal  in  the 
opportunities  they  afford  for  making  acquaintances  with  pecu- 
liar people.  These  acquaintances  may  not  be  formed  very 
rapidly ;  but  as  one  moves  about  in  a  great  city,  he  is  certain, 
sooner  or  later,  without  any  effort  on  his  own  part,  to  be 
introduced  to  men  whom  he  would  not  always  be  willing  to 
recognize  in  public.  Without  ever  going  to  church  he  may 
make  the  acquaintance  of  clergymen.  Without  touching  a 
playing  card  or  entering  a  gaming  house  he  may  be  ac- 
quainted with  gamblers.  Without  studying  the  mysteries 
of  the  kinchin  lay,  or  familiarizing  himself  with  the  language 
of  the  inhabitants  of  BlackwelPs  Island,  or  the  state  peniten- 
tiary, he  may  become  acquainted  with  thieves  of  various 
grades.  Without  doing  anything  for  which  he  should  be 
"  shadowed  "  he  may  be  familiar  with  detectives,  and  without 


A  DETECTIVE'S  STORY.  993 

speculating  in  stocks  he  may  know  the  men  whose  fortunes 
are  made  and  lost  on  Wall  Street.  A  great  city  is  an  epitome 
of  the  globe,  and  in  its  streets,  and  alleys,  and  by-ways  may 
be  found  all  the  vicious  and  dangerous  elements  of  human 
existence. 

Some  years  ago  it  was  my  fortune  to  become  acquainted 
with  a  professional  detective.  He  was  not  of  the  elegant 
sort,  whose  labors  are  confined  only  to  the  exposure  and 
punishment  of  crimes  of  the  higher  grades,  but  he  was  a  man 
who,  to  use  his  own  language  to  me  one  day,  was  l  ready  for 
anything.'  He  told  me  several  stories  of  his  experience. 
He  did  not  present  documentary  evidence  of  their  authen- 
ticity, and  some  of  them  were  rather  too  much  for  my  belief. 
Others  were  plausible  enough  to  be  true,  and  as  the  man 
always  appeared  to  have  plenty  of  money,  I  concluded  that  he 
must  be  an  expert  at  the  business.  One  evening  he  told  me 
his  experience  in  working  up  a  case  of  robbery,  which 
I  will  endeavor  to  give  as  nearly  as  possible  in  his  own 
words :  — 

"  A  dry  goods  merchant  on  Broadway  had  lost  a  consider- 
able amount  of  property  at  various  times,  but  on  no  one 
occasion  was  there  a  large  quantity  taken.  Of  course  the 
clerks  in  the  establishment  were  suspected,  but  there  was  no 
way  of  discovering  whether  they  were  guilty  or  not.  A  close 
watch  had  been  set  on  all  of  them,  but  nothing  could  be  dis- 
covered. I  was  engaged  to  work  up  the  case,  and  to  enable 
me  to  do  so,  I  was  employed  in  the  store  as  an  extra  clerk 
and  salesman.  It  was  thought  that  the  foreman  and  floor 
walkers  might  be  guilty  of  the  robbery,  and  therefore  they 
were  not  taken  into  the  secret.  The  head  of  the  house 
explained,  however,  to  the  foreman  that  I  was  a  relative  of  his 
wife,  and  had  been  thrown  upon  him  to  provide  for.  It  was 
therefore  understood  that  I  was  not  to  be  required  to  work 
very  hard,  and  was  to  be  allowed  to  go  out  whenever  I  asked 
permission.  With  this  understanding  I  went  to  work  at  my 
new  business.  I  did  not  know  anything  about  dry  goods,  nor 
about  selling  them,  and  consequently  they  put  me  upon  the 


994  MAKING  FRIENDS. 

commonest  articles,  which  were  not  in  very  great  demand. 
This  gave  me  plenty  of  time  for  looking  around  and  observ- 
ing the  habits  of  the  clerks. 

"  I  became  acquainted  with  one  after  another,  but  made  no 
headway  for  several  weeks  in  discovering  the  secret.  I 
accompanied  the  clerks  to  their  rooms  occasionally,  and  some- 
times we  were  at  the  theatre  together.  I  knew  the  salaries 
that  were  paid  in  the  establishment,  and  I  knew  just  how 
much  money  each  man  could  afford  to  spend,  and  my  object 
was  to  find  out  what  man  among  them  was  living  beyond  his 
income.  All  of  them  appeared  to  be  quiet,  well-behaved 
young  men.  Some  of  them  were  members  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association,  and  others  patronized  the  Mercantile 
Library,  and  spent  most  of  their  evenings  there.  Three  or 
four  were  a  little  inclined  to  fist  lives,  but  evidently  did  not 
have  money  enough  to  carry  out  their  wishes. 

"  After  a  time  I  found  out  that  one,  who  was  the  most  quiet 
.  and  unobtrusive  of  the  whole  lot,  seemed  to  be  living  a  little 
beyond  his  means.  Upon  him  I  fixed  my  suspicion  and 
watched  him  closely  both  in  the  store  and  out  of  it. 

"  He  and  I  became  fast  friends.  "We  went  about  the  city 
together;  we  visited  the  theatres  and  beer-gardens,  and  on 
Sundays  took  a  trip  to  Coney  Island,  where  we  occasionally 
spent  several  dollars  in  entertaining  ourselves  and  chance 
acquaintances  ;  but  the  young  man,  whom  I  will  call  Johnson, 
was  constantly  on  his  guard,  and  whenever  I  proposed  any 
new  amusement  or  any  additional  expense,  he  always  opposed 
it,  and  said  that  he  could  not  afford  it,  though  somehow  he 
generally  did  afford  it  before  we  got  through. 

"  I  found  he  had  a  sister  living  in  Harlem.  Occasionally, 
but  not  often,  she  called  at  the  store.  She  rarely  bought 
anything,  and  never  remained  longer  than  a  few  minutes.  He 
visited  her  every  few  days,  though  sometimes  a  week  or  two 
might  intervene  between  his  journeys  to  the  place  where  she 
lived.  Several  times,  when  he  was  absent  and  I  knew  he  was 
to  be  away  for  the  evening,  I  visited  his  room,  and  searched  it 
carefully  j  but  never  a  thing  could  I  find  to  implicate  him  in 


SEARCHING  A  LADY'S   ROOM.  995 

the   robbery.     Not   a   scrap  of  silk  or   lace  or  anything  of 
the  sort  could  ever  be  discovered  in  the  room. 

"  I  next  managed  to  be  introduced  to  his  sister,  and  of  course 
I  pretended  a  great  liking  for  her.  She  was  living  in  a  very 
quiet  way,  in  a  boarding-house,  and  was  a  teacher,  on  a  small 
salary,  in  one  of  the  public  schools.  Having  ascertained  her 
salary,  and,  calculating  her  expenses,  making  an  estimate  of 
the  value  of  her  clothing  as  nearly  as  I  could,  I  was  satisfied 
that  she  was  living  somewhat  beyond  her  salary. 

"  One  day  Johnson  told  me  that  he  was  going  with  his  sister 
to  a  school  picnic.  He  had  obtained  leave  of  absence  from 
the  store,  and  I  thought  it  an  excellent  time  to  make  investi- 
gations. So  I  went  to  his  sister's  boarding-house,  inquired 
for  the  young  lady,  and  of  course  was  told  that  she  was  away. 
I  explained  to  the  landlady  that  I  had  received  a  message, 
saying  that  she  would  be  at  home  several  hours  earlier  than 
she  had  expected,  and  that  I  was  to  meet  her  that  afternoon, 
to  go  on  another  excursion.  I  said  it  was  about  time  for  her 
to  reach  home,  and,  if  the  landlady  had  no  objection,  I  would 
wait  in  the  parlor.  As  I  had  been  there  frequently,  and  the 
landlady  knew  me,  she  made  no  objection.  Luckily  she  went 
out  a  few  minutes  after,  and  gave  me  more  freedom  to  operate 
than  I  had  expected. 

"  I  immediately  went  to  the  young  lady's  room,  —  of  course 
it  was  very  impolite  for  me  to  do  so,  —  and  searched  it 
thoroughly.  It  is  of  no  use  telling  you  all  I  found  there, 
unless  you  have  never  been  in  a  lady's  room,  and  do  not  know 
what  it  contains.  She  had  a  very  good  wardrobe,  better  than 
most  young  women  in  her  position.  It  struck  me  as  very  odd 
that  she  had  four  dresses  of  rich  black  silk,  which  did  not 
appear  to  have  been  made  a  very  great  while.  Four  dresses 
of  black  silk  are  a  pretty  good  supply  for  a  school  teacher  on 
a  small  salary,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  the  silk  came  from 
the  dry  goods  store  where  Johnson  was  engaged. 

"  There  is  a  great  difference  between  believing  a  thing  and 
proving  it.  You  may  be  certain  of  it  from  the  circumstances, 
but  it  may  not  be  very  easy  for  you  to  go  into  court  and  show 


996  A   DETECTIVE  MAKING   LOVE. 

its  reality.  Now,  here  was  my  predicament.  I  thought  four 
dresses  were  too  many  for  one  young  lady,  just  as  I  once 
thought,  when  I  searched  a  man's  trunk,  arid  found  fourteen 
coats  of  different  sizes,  and  no  trousers  or  vests,  that  it  was  a 
remarkable  wardrobe  for  a  gentleman  to  have.  But  how  was 
I  to  get  at  the  fact,  and  show  the  connection  between  the 
wearing  apparel  of  Miss  Johnson  and  the  Broadway  dry 
goods  store? 

"  To  help  matters  along,  I  made  love  to  Miss  Johnson  in  the 
regular  way,  referred  to  my  relations  with  the  dry  goods 
house,  and  obtained  an  indorsement  from  the  head  of  the  firm, 
as  a  relative  of  his  wife.  I  was  getting  along  very  well,  only 
I  did  not  want  to  propose  and  get  an  engagement,  because 
that  might  make  the  situation  a  little  awkward.  I  deferred  the 
day  of  proposal  on  the  ground  that  my  uncle  in  the  country, 
from  whom  I  had  expectations,  was  opposed  to  my  marriage, 
except  to  a  lady  of  his  choosing ;  and  that  I  should  be  obliged 
to  wait  until  he  had  handed  in  his  checks,  which  would 
be  before  a  great  while,  as  he  had  a  lovely  cough,  and  the 
rheumatism,  supplemented  with  the  dyspepsia  and  gout,  so 
that  the  situation  was  perfectly  charming. 

"  Johnson  approved  of  my  attentions  to  his  sister,  and  of 
course  we  became  warmer  friends  than  ever.  All  this  time  I 
was  studying  to  entrap  the  two,  so  as  to  fasten  the  robbery  of 
the  dry  goods  house  upon  them.  One  day  I  pretended  a  great 
admiration  for  a  certain  kind  of  silk  that  I  had  seen  at  the 
store.  I  told  Laura  that  it  suited  her  complexion  exactly, 
and  was  just  the  dress  she  ought  to  wear.  It  was  a  light- 
colored  silk,  of  a  peculiar  shade,  which  had  been  made  ex- 
pressly to  order  for  the  dry  goods  house,  and  I  knew  that  they 
had  the  monopoly  of  it.  I  spoke  about  it  several  times,  and 
said  I  hoped,  one  of  these  days,  to  be  able  to  present  her  with 
a  dress  of  this  sort,  but  did  not  know  when  it  would  be,  as  my 
income,  just  at  that  time,  was  too  small  for  any  lavish  expense. 

"Love  for  me  made  the  girl  incautious.  Four  or  five  days 
later,  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  this  silk  were  missing  from 
the  store ;  and  in  a  week  or  more,  when  1  made  a  call,  Laura 


A   SUPPER  AT  DELMONICO'a  997 

surprised  me  with  a,  dress  of  the  material  I  had  so  much 
admired.  I  praised  it,  and  I  praised  her,  and  she  was  happy. 

"  I  invited  her  to  accompany  me  the  following  evening  to  a 
theatre,  and  told  her  she  must  wear  that  dress ;  that  I  wanted 
her  to  be  the  prettiest  and  best  dressed  woman  there ;  and, 
dressed  in  that,  I  knew  she  would  be.  We  went  to  the 
theatre,  and  afterwards  to  Delmonico's,  where  I  had  arranged 
to  be  shown  to  a  private  room  for  supper.  I  had  invited  her 
brother  to  join  us,  and,  to  avoid  his  suspecting  anything,  I 
told  him  that  the  day  before,  I  had  received  a  remittance  of 
fifty  dollars  from  my  uncle,  and  was  going  to  have  a  pleasant 
evening,  without  regard  to  the  expense. 

"  But  her  brother  was  not  the  only  person  to  be  there  that 
evening.  The  head  of  the  firm  was  waiting  where  he  could 
see  us  enter,  and  with  him  was  a  policeman. 

"  Our  supper  was  brought,  and  was  progressing  finely ;  we 
had  each  taken  a  glass  of  champagne,  and  possibly  two 
glasses,  and,  as  the  servant  came  into  the  room  bringing  some- 
thing I  had  ordered,  he  was  followed  by  the  head  of  the  firm 
and  the  man  in  blue.  Johnson  was  arrested  for  theft,  and  his 
sister  for  being  an  accessory  to  the  theft.  Both  turned  pale ; 
the  young  lady  fainted,  so  that  we  had  to  dash  water  in  her 
face  —  seriously  injuring  the  elegant  dress  she  wore.  John- 
son stoutly  denied  his  guilt.  He  was  taken  from  the  room 
before  his  sister  recovered.  When  she  came  to  her  senses, 
we  told  a  pardonable  falsehood,  and  said  that  he  had  confessed 
everything.  She  supposed  our  statement  true,  and  then 
acknowledged  that  she  had  first  urged  her  brother  to  the 
commission  of  the  theft,  in  order  to  gratify  her  love  for  finery. 
With  an  eye  to  economy,  she  had  always  induced  him,  when 
stealing  on  her  account,  to  take  enough  to  pay  for  making  up 
the  material,  so  that  she  would  not  be  subject  to  any  expense 
at  the  dress-maker's. 

"  Johnson  maintained  his  innocence  until  his  sister  told  him 
that  she  had  made  a  confession.  Then  he  acknowledged  his 
guilt,  and  explained  how  the  robberies  had  been  carried  on. 

"  He  had  managed  to  ingratiate  himself  with  the  porter  who 


998  A  CONFESSION. 

swept  out  the  place  after  the  day's  work  was  over.  During 
the  day  he  would  fold  the  silk  he  intended  to  steal  into  a 
bundle  that  might  resemble  a  lot  of  waste  paper,  watch  his 
chance,  and  throw  it  in  a  place  just  large  enough  to  receive 
it,  under  a  shelf,  a  few  inches  above  the  floor.  When  the 
porter  swept  the  store,  he  brought  out  the  package  with  his 
broom,  taking  care  to  have  a  sufficient  quantity  of  waste 
paper  and  rubbish  lying  near  to  prevent  attracting  attention 
to  the  package.  In  this  way  he  would  get  it  outside,  and  take 
it  to  his  home,  where  Johnson  would  call  for  it.  The  porter 
received  something  for  his  efforts  in  the  cause  of  dishonesty, 
and  the  stolen  property  would  be  taken  to  Laura's  house, 
whence  it  would  go  either  to  the  dress-maker  or  to  a  receiver 
of  stolen  goods. 

"  The  porter  was  arrested  an  hour  later,  and  both  he  and 
Johnson  received  the  punishment  due  to  them  for  their  crime. 
As  for  the  girl  who  was  the  cause  of  the  theft,  she  was 
allowed  to  escape,  on  condition  of  leaving  the  city  immedi- 
ately. The  firm  would  have  prosecuted  her,  had  it  not  been 
for  my  intercession.  I  liked  the  girl,  and  was  ashamed  of  the 
trick  I  had  played  upon  her ;  but  then,  you  know,  it  was  in  the 
interest  of  justice,  and  a  man  ought  to  be  willing  to  do  any- 
thing for  the  sake  of  honesty. 

"  It  is  a  little  off  color  to  make  love  to  a  girl,  and  pretend 
you  want  to  marry  her,  just  for  the  sake  of  entrapping  her 
into  the  disclosure  of  a  crime  ;  but  this  is  the  way  of  the 
world,  and  anybody  who  thinks  differently  does  not  know  the 
whole  duty  of  the  detective.  Why,  I  have  been  to  a  fellow 
whom  I  suspected,  and  told  him  that  his  wife  and  children 
had  been  killed  by  a  railway  accident,  and  got  him  worked  up 
to  a  terrible  condition  of  anguish.  I  did  it  just  to  throw  him 
off  his  guard,  make  him  a  little  crazy  perhaps,  and  then,  while 
he  did  not  know  what  he  was  about,  I  would  accuse  him  of  a 
crime,  and  get  him  to  own  up. 

"  If  a  man  is  going  to  be  a  good  detective,  he  must  not  go 
frescoing  around  with  anything  like  fine  feelings.  If  he  does 
not  go  in  for  all  the  tricks  of  the  business,  he  is  not  likely  to 
succeed  in  his  profession." 


LXXI. 

WAR  AND  PRISON  ADVENTURES. 

EXPERIENCES  OF  AN  ARMY  CORRESPONDENT.  — RUNNING  THE  BATTERIES  OF 
VICKSBURG.  —  EXCITING  SCENES.  —  PERILOUS  SITUATION  AND  HAIR- BREADTH 
ESCAPE.  —  SHOT,  SHELL,  STEAM,  FIRE,  AND  WATER.  — TWO  YEARS  AS  A 
CAPTIVE. —  TUNNELLING. —ITS  MODE,  MANAGEMENT,  AND  MISHAPS.  —  TOIL- 
ING FOR  FREEDOM  UNDER  GROUND.  —  BOLD  AND  PROSPEROUS  EFFORTS  FOR 
LIBERTY. — LIFE  IN  A  DUNGEON. — PERISHING  BY  INCHES.  —  DEATH  ON 
EVERY  HAND.  —  SUBTERRANEAN  SEEKING  FOR  THE  LIGHT.  —  SELF-DELIVER- 
ANCE AT  LAST. 

WHEN  I  was  a  small  boy,  and  fed  my  miniature  mind  with 
thrilling  accounts  of  the  adventures  of  famous  men,  of  their 
incarceration  in  prison,  and  of  their  escapes,  I  had  no  expec- 
tation of  one  day  sharing  in  experiences  of  a  very  similar 
character.  I  can  understand  now  why  I  felt  so  much  interest 
in  the  biographies  of  Baron  Trenck,  Walter  Raleigh,  Cer- 
vantes, Silvio  Pellico,  and  other  noted  personages  who  had 
spent  much  of  their  life  in  confinement.  I  little  dreamed  then 
that  I  should  be  for  two  years  a  prisoner,  and  last  of  all  a 
prisoner  in  my  own  country,  held  by  my  own  countrymen. 

As  may  be  supposed,  the  fortunes  of  war  —  our  Great 
Rebellion  —  proved  adverse  to  me,  and  I  became  the  occu- 
pant of  no  less  than  eight  different  southern  prisons. 

The  way  I  chanced  to  fall  into  the  enemy's  hands  was  this. 
Having  been  a  war  correspondent  for  twice  a  twelvemonth, 
and  having  learned,  under  a  variety  of  circumstances,  how  it 
feels  to  be  shot  at,  and  what  the  feeling  is  of  just  escaping 
death,  I  had  a  curiosity  to  enjoy  the  sensation  of  running  the 
formidable  batteries  of  Vicksburg  during  the  spring  of  1863. 
I  communicated  my  intention  to  two  of  my  companions,  and 
they  said  that  they  would  go  with  me.  We  were  at  Young's 
Point,  Louisiana,  whence  the  army  had  already  begun  to  move, 


1000  A   HAZARDOUS   EXPEDITION. 

by  land  to  New  Carthage,  designing  to  cross  the  Missis- 
sippi River  there,  and  attack  Vicksburg  in  the  rear.  A  num- 
ber of  gunboats  and  several  transports  had  already  run  the 
batteries,  and  on  none  of  these  had  I  been  able  to  obtain 
permission  to  go.  Just  at  this  time,  another  expedition,  con- 
sisting of  two  large  barges  loaded  with  provisions,  and  bound 
to  a  steam-tug,  was  fitting  out,  and  almost  ready  to  start. 
Eunning  the  batteries  was  considered  extremely  perilous  — 
so  much  so  that  the  soldiers  accompanying  the  transports, 
instead  of  being  ordered  to  that  dut}r,  were  allowed  to  obey 
their  own  inclination.  The  custom  was  for  the  officers  of  the 
regiments  to  announce  that  so  many  privates  were  needed, 
and  that  those  who  wished  to  take  the  risk  would  step 
forward. 

The  special  expedition  in  which  we  military  journalists  were 
concerned  was  deemed  an  unusually  dangerous  one,  for  the 
reason  that  the  river  had  then  fallen,  and  there  was  consider- 
able probability  that  the  boats  might  get  aground  in  front  of 
the  great  guns,  and  be  shot  to  pieces.  Moreover,  the  moon 
was  at  the  full,  and  at  the  hour  of  our  starting  —  a  little  after 
midnight  —  would  be  in  the  very  zenith  of  the  heavens. 
The  other  vessels  had  gone  down  on  dark  and  stormy  nights, 
when  they  could  hardly  be  seen  from  the  Mississippi  shore, 
and  when  the  probability  of  their  being  struck  was  very 
small.  Several  old  south-western  pilots  advised  me  not  to 
try  the  experiment ;  for,  if  I  did,  the  chances  were  twenty  to 
one  against  my  coming  out  alive.  "  I  know  the  river,"  one 
said,  "  and  the  state  it  is  in  just  now.  Besides,  those  two  big 
barges  will  be  so  clumsy,  hitched  to  that  little  tug,  that  they'll 
be  dead  sure  to  stick  on  that  bar  opposite  Vicksburg,  and 
then  you  boys'll  have  a  lively  time.  The  rebs  will  riddle 
you  from  stem  to  stern,  and  there  won't  be  a  Yankee  left  to 
tell  the  tale." 

I  laughed  at  this  gloomy  picture,  quoting,  "  The  gods  take 
care  of  Cato."  The  pilots,  who  had  never  read  Cato,  or  even 
heard  of  Addison,  replied  in  their  literal  way  that  they  didn't 
know  my  name  was  Cato,  and  that  they  were  sure  there  was 
no  such  steamboat  on  the  river. 


A  SLOVENLY  PREPARATION.  1001 

The  night  we  cast  off  our  lines  and  floated  down  the 
Mississippi  on  our  eventful  expedition  was  as  lovely  a  night 
as  I  have  ever  seen  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The  sky  was 
without  a  cloud ;  the  air  was  deliciously  soft,  and  the  heavens 
were  so  bright  that  we  could  read  the  newspapers  without 
the  slightest  difficulty.  There  were  thirty-five  of  us  in  all, 
including  some  twenty  enlisted  men,  who  had  volunteered  to 
go  along  in  order  to  resist  the  enemy,  if  our  vessels  should 
be  disabled  and  boarded.  Never  was  any  expedition  worse 
prepared.  The  two  barges  were  laden  with  barrels  of  pork 
and  boxes  of  army  bread,  and  on  the  top  were  bales  of  hay. 
The  hay,  which  was  extremely  dry,  was  scattered  all  over,  so 
that  a  spark  —  not  to  speak  of  a  bursting  shell  —  might  ignite 
it  in  a  moment,  and  so  destroy  our  vessels  inevitably.  In 
addition  to  this,  we  had  not  a  bucket  on  board,  in  the  likely 
event  of  fire ;  nor  had  we  a  single  small  boat  to  get  away 
with,  should  the  flames  master  us.  Still,  all  being  volunteers, 
none  of  us  were  obliged  to  go  unless  we  wished,  and,  as  we 
•said,  the  greater  the  danger,  the  greater  the  sensation,  and 
the  more  wTe  should  enjoy  its  memory,  provided  we  were 
fortunate  enough  to  escape.  It  is  due  to  the  prudence  of 
Captain  —  — ,  who  fitted  out  the  expedition  in  such  an 
admirably  reckless  manner,  to  say  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
accompany  us. 

We  had  about  five  miles  to  run  before  reaching  the  bat- 
teries. There  is  a  sharp  bend  in  the  river  just  above  Vicks- 
burg,  caused  by  a  tongue  of  land  or  peninsula  on  the 
Louisiana  side.  This  peninsula  had  been  covered  with 
trees ;  but  the  rebels  had  cut  them  down,  so  that  their  guns 
had  full  sweep  across  it,  and  could  command  any  and  all 
vessels  descending  the  stream  when  they  were  nearly  three 
miles  above  the  batteries.  We  floated  at  first,  knowing  that 
the  puff  of  steam  from  the  tug  could  be  heard  at  a  long 
distance  in  the  midnight  silence,  and  would  necessarily 
attract  the  attention  of  the  enemy.  The  first  twenty  minutes 
were  passed  quite  pleasantly.  We  opened  a  bottle  of  wine,  and 
drank  to  the  success  of  our  adventure,  lighted  our  cigars, 
54 


1002  UNDER   FIRE   AT   VICKSBURG. 

and  chatted  upon  the  possibilities  of  the  situation.  Thinking 
disaster  might  befall  us,  we  tore  up  the  few  private  letters 
we  had  in  our  pockets,  and  indulged  in  all  kinds  of  jests 
respecting  the  potentiality  of  the  result. 

We  had  scarcely  reached  the  bend  of  the  Mississippi,  when 
we  saw  a  flash  from  the  hostile  guns,  heard  the  boom,  and  felt 
that  the  outer  barge  was  struck.  We  thought  that  to  be  hit 
by  the  first  shot  was  pretty  good  to  begin  with.  Knowing, 
too,  that  we  should  be  nearly  three  quarters  of  an  hour  under 
fire,  —  most  of  the  time  immediately  in  front  of  the  batteries, 
—  our  prospects  of  a  happy  issue  to  our  expedition  were  far 
from  brilliant.  There  being  no  farther  use  in  attempting  to 
steal  on  the  foe,  the  engineer  of  the  tug  set  the  engine  in 
motion.  Our  progress,  hampered  by  the  huge  barges,  was 
necessarily  slow  — very  little  greater  than  that  of  the  current. 

The  initial  gun  was  followed  by  a  hundred  others.  For 
several  miles  along  the  Mississippi  shore,  the  batteries  belched 
forth  shot  and  shell,  until  the  bank  of  the  river  seemed  all 
ablaze.  Those  who  went  for  excitement  certainly  found  it. 
The  roar  of  the  guns  —  some  of  the  largest  calibre  —  was  al- 
most deafening.  The  round  shot  howled  over  our  heads  j  the 
shells  shrieked  fiercely  and  then  exploded,  many  of  them  just 
above  the  barges.  We  could  hear  fragments  falling  about  us, 
and  it  appeared  as  if  the  shot,  so  thick  did  they  come,  some- 
times grazed  our  hair  and  our  whiskers.  As  a  pyrotechnic  ex- 
hibition, it  was  splendid,  and  we  should  have  enjoyed  it  greatly, 
had  we  not  heard  in  the  brief  intervals  of  the  cannonading 
the  groans  of  the  poor  fellows  who  had  been  struck. 

Such  a  situation  is  certainly  a  strong  test  of  courage,  which 
frequently  quails  in  an  entire  state  of  placidity,  when  it  would 
not  blanch  before  the  deadliest  peril,  could  it  be  actively  met. 
All  we  had  to  do  —  all,  indeed,  we  could  do  —  was  to  stand 
and  take  it.  There  was  no  possibility  of  shrinking  or  retreat- 
ing, even  had  we  been  so  inclined.  We  were  precisely  in  the 
position  of  a  regiment  under  a  galling  fire,  and  ordered  not  to 
move  or  return  a  single  shot.  Boom,  bang,  boom !  whiz, 
yship,  hursh  !  roar,  crack,  shriek ! 


EXCELLENT   GUNNERY  PRACTICE.  1003 

Such  were  the  indescribable  sounds  that  greeted  and 
surrounded  us  for  fully  forty  minutes,  and  you  may  be  sure 
the  minutes  were  not  short. 

The  whole  night  was  radiant,  with  flashing  artillery  and 
bursting  shells.  The  brightness  of  the  moon  and  stars  was 
quite  eclipsed ;  they  looked  dim  and  yellow  through  the 
blaze  and  smoke  of  war.  The  barges  were  struck  again  and 
again,  and  so  were  the  bales  of  hay  ;  but  still  the  boats  were 
not  materially  injured,  and  we  could  plainly  hear  the  puff, 
puff,  puff,  of  the  tug,  doing  its  best  to  carry  along  the  great 
burden  to  which  it  was  tied. 

My  two  journalistic  friends  and  myself  were  side  by  side, 
watching  the  exhibition  with  an  interest  that  might  be  called 
personal.  We  were  not  excited,  as  we  had  supposed  we 
should  be,  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  we  had  had  two 
years'  experience  in  the  field.  And  yet  we  were  forced  to 
admit  that  it  was  about  the  liveliest  experience  under  fire 
which  we  had  ever  enjoyed.  I  presume  that  our  nerves 
were  at  a  higher  tension  than  we  suspected,  though  we 
talked  very  glibly,  and  discussed  the  probability  of  our 
getting  through,  albeit  much  of  what  we  said  was  lost  in 
the  infernal  din. 

What  the  French  call  the  fire  of  hell  was  unremittingly 
kept  up.  A  hundred  guns  seemed  to  explode,  and  a  hun- 
dred shells  to  burst,  every  second.  We  suggested  that  the 
so-called  Confederacy  would  soon  expend  all  its  ammunition, 
if  it  long  continued  such  a  tremendous  cannonading ;  but 
then  we  remembered  that  long  before  it  could  be  exhausted, 
we  should  be  in  a  condition  to  know  or  care  very  little 
about  it. 

Under  such  circumstances,  men  who  have  any  coolness,  or 
inclination  to  speculate,  are  very  apt  to  become  fatalists, 
irrational  as  fatalism  is. 

"  I  don't  believe,"  said  one  of  my  companions,  "  that  I  am 
destined  to  die  here."  And  the  other  remarked,  "  If  my  time 
has  come,  it  might  as  well  be  here  as  anywhere  else." 

Our  speculations  were   cut  short  by  an  explosion,  not  so 


1004  A  TERRIBLE   EXPLOSION. 

loud  as,  and  altogether  different  from,  any  other  that  had 
taken  place ;  and  almost  at  the  same  instant  there  was  a  rush 
of  steam,  with  a  great  deluge  of  live  coals  and  cinders  all 
about  us.  "  What  the  devil  is  the  matter  now  ?  "  asked  one 
correspondent.  **  This  seems  to  be  a  new  sensation ! "  ex- 
claimed the  second ;  while  I  solved  the  mystery  by  declaring 
that  the  boiler  of  the  tug  had  exploded. 

That  I  was  right,  was  proved  by  the  immediate  cessation 
of  the  regular  puff,  puff,  puff.  A  large  shell  had  fallen  upon 
the  little  steamer,  and,  bursting,  a  fragment  had  penetrated 
the  boiler,  causing  the  explosion,  and  throwing  the  fires  of 
the  furnace  upon  the  dry  hay  covering  the  upper  part  of  the 
barges.  The  loose  hay  caught  at  once.  We  ran  to  extinguish 
it ;  but  our  effort  was  vain.  The  fire  blazed  up  before  and 
behind  us,  and  not  having  any  means  of  putting  it  out,  we 
abandoned  further  endeavor.  On  looking  around,  we  dis- 
covered that  a  number  of  the  soldiers,  and  those  of  the  crew 
of  the  tug  who  had  not  been  killed  outright,  were  very 
severely  scalded.  Others,  as  we  knew,  had  been  badly 
wounded  by  shot  and  shell.  At  least  half  of  the  thirty-five 
men  with  whom  we  had  set  out  were  either  dead  or  badly 
hurt,  and  our  first  thought  was  to  help  the  poor  fellows  that 
could  not  help  themselves. 

Those  who  were  sound  began  pushing  the  bales  of  hay  into 
the  river,  and  putting  the  wounded  upon  them.  The  barges 
burned  like  tinder,  and  in  a  few  minutes  after  they  had  been 
ignited,  two  thirds  of  them  were  wrapped  in  flames.  The 
rebels,  strangely  unmindful  of  their  much  boasted  chivalry, 
continued  their  fire,  though  they  must  have  seen  that  our 
expedition  was  utterly  wrecked.  Having  gotten  off  the 
wounded,  we  who  were  unharmed  jumped  overboard,  and 
secured  a  bale  apiece,  designing  to  float  down  the  river  be- 
yond the  city,  and  then  those  of  us  who  were  expert  swim- 
mers, at  least,  strike  out  for  the  Louisiana  shore,  and  try  to 
get  back  to  our  camp  at  Young's  Point. 

Alas  for  the  vanity  of  human  expectation  !  One  of  my 
journalistic  associates  and  myself  had  arranged  this  programme 


IN  THE   HANDS   OP  THE   ENEMY.  1005 

to  our  satisfaction,  when,  hearing  the  sound  of  rowlocks,  we 
knew  the  enemy  must  be  out  in  small  boats  to  capture  the 
survivors  of  our  ill-fated  expedition.  Consequently  we  left 
our  bales,  and  floated,  —  nothing  but  our  faces  out  of  the 
water,  —  believing  that  by  so  doing,  we  should  remain  un- 
noticed. We  had  not  floated  quite  a  minute  before  a  yawl, 
filled  with  armed  men,  was  rowed  up  to  us,  and  we  were 
seized  and  drawn  into  the  boat,  with  the  remark  from  a  rebel 
captain,  "  We  will  get  you  d d  Yankees  once  in  a  while." 

We  did  not  like  our  capture,  but  we  took  it  good-naturedly, 
though  it  seemed  rather  hard  that,  after  escaping  shot,  shell, 
steam,  fire,  and  water,  we  should  have  the  bad  luck  to  fall 
into  the  enemy's  hands. 

The  old  pilot  had  proved  a  prophet.  There  was  not  a  single 
Yankee  left  to  tell  the  tale.  The  expedition  was  reported  a 
total  loss,  with  all  on  board,  and  some  of  us  had  the  pleasure, 
long  after,  of  reading  our  own  obituaries  in  the  northern  jour- 
nals. They  were  very  kind;  so  kind,  indeed,  that  we  had 
some  hesitation  in  declaring  ourselves  alive,  lest,  when  we 
should  really  shuffle  off  this  mortal  coil,  we  might  not  be 
spoken  of  so  generously.  General  Sherman,  who  then  had, 
and  may  still  have,  a  tender  affection  for  war  journalists,  ex- 
pressed his  sympathy  that  night  with  our  reported  death  by 
saying,  "  We  shall  have  despatches  from  h — 1  now  before 
breakfast," 

Even  we  correspondents,  who  had  had  glowing  visions  of 
the  highly  rhetorical  accounts  that  we  had  intended  to  furnish 
to  the  New  York  journals,  were  deprived  of  the  privilege  of 
putting  a  word  on  paper.  Our  career  of  imprisonment  began, 
and  a  very  dreary  career  it  was.  We  were  thrust  into  two 
places  of  incarceration  in  Vicksburg;  were  then  transferred 
to  Jackson ;  then  to  Selma ;  then  to  Atlanta ;  then  to  Kich- 
mond,  and  finally  to  Salisbury ;  having  in  that  time  been  the 
inmates,  as  I  have  said,  of  eight  different  prisons,  each  one  of 
which  was,  if  possible,  more  repulsive  than  that  immediately 
preceding. 

At  the  famous  Libby  Prison  we  made  our  earliest  efforts  to 


1006  PLANS   FOB  ESCAPING. 

escape ;  for  at  the  other  places  we  had  Dot  remained  long 
enough  to  perfect  any  plans  for  freedom.  We  all  had  more 
faith  in  tunnelling  than  in  anything  else ;  but  being  kept  on 
the  upper  floors  of  the  old  tobacco  house  in  Richmond,  we  had 
no  opportunity  to  put  our  faith  into  the  form  of  works.  If  we 
could  only  have  tunnelled  the  air,  we  should  have  come  out  in 
the  camp  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  before  we  had  spent  a 
month  in  the  Libby. 

Numerous  efforts  we're  made  by  the  Union  officers,  while 
we  were  with  them,  to  have  their  quarters  changed  to  the 
ground  floor,  on  the  score  of  comfort;  but  their  southern 
keepers  were  too  shrewd  to  put  them  there,  knowing  full  well 
that  the  prospect  of  escape  by  tunnelling  would  be  vastly  in- 
creased. The  northern  invaders,  as  they  were  denominated, 
could  get  down  to  one  of  the  lower  floors,  a  few  at  a  time ; 
but  these  were  not  enough  to  do  the  digging,  and  the  other 
hard  work  required,  within  any  safe  period.  They  did  not, 
however,  surrender  their  plans,  and  frequently  at  night  we 
used  to  discuss  at  length  the  most  available  means  for  secur- 
ing our  freedom. 

Months  after,  when  one  of  my  fellow-scribes  and  myself 
(the  second  had  been  duly  exchanged  at  Richmond)  had  been 
sent  farther  south  as  "  hostages  for  the  good  conduct  of  the 
Washington  government/''  we  were  delighted  to  learn  that 
the  gallant  officers  we  had  left  behind  in  Libby  had  at  last 
succeeded  in  digging  the  long-contemplated  tunnel,  and,  what 
was  better,  getting  their  liberty  once  more. 

The  ground  floor  in  the  most  western  of  the  three  adjoining 
warehouses  composing  the  Libby  Prison  was  devoted,  during 
the  winter  of  1863-4,  to  storage  and  lumber,  and  was  seldom 
visited  by  the  rebel  officials.  This  was  very  fortunate  for  the 
Yankees,  who  had  been  prevented  before  from  commencing 
operations  in  that  quarter,  in  consequence  of  the  occupation 
of  the  floor  by  some  of  the  southern  subordinates.  As  soon 
as  the  prisoners  learned  that  they  could  operate  to  advantage, 
they  sawed  a  hole  through  the  floor  of  the  second  story,  care- 
fully concealing  it  by  the  piece  of  plank  they  had  sawed  out. 


WORKING  IN  A  TUNNEL.  1007 

This  story  was  part  of  their  quarters,  and  they  could  readily 
determine  when  the  coast  was  clear,  and  let  down  some  of 
their  number,  who  were  not  long  in  removing  enough  of  the 
first  floor  to  begin  their  digging.  They  worked  like  beavers, 
relieving  each  other  every  two  hours,  and  performing  all  their 
labor  at  night.  They  began  their  tunnel  just  inside  of  the 
outer  wall,  went  below  the  foundation  of  the  building,  and 
then  dug  laterally  to  a  point  where  they  deemed  it  safe  to 
come  up. 

I  have  had  so  much  experience  in  tunnels  that  I  regard  my- 
self as  an  authority  thereon.  They  are  generally  only  large 
enough  to  admit  the  body  of  a  good-sized  man,  who  creeps  into 
them,  and,  lying  nearly  flat,  digs  as  hard  as  he  can  with  any  in- 
strument  he  may  procure.  After  the  tunnel  has  been  ex- 
tended thirty  or  forty  feet,  lack  of  ventilation  prevents  the 
burning  of  lights,  and  anything  like  freedom  of  breathing. 
The  Libby  tunnel  was  some  seventy  feet  long;  and  to  remedy 
this  defect,  the  officers  made  a  large  pair  of  bellows,  much  re- 
sembling those  used  by  blacksmiths,  with  tacks,  blankets,  and 
boards.  With  this  rude  but  ingenious  instrument,  they  sup- 
plied with  oxygen  the  two  men  employed  in  the  tunnel,  one 
\u  advance  digging,  and  the  other  behind,  carrying  out,  or 
rather  backing  out,  with  the  dirt  in  a  haversack.  Progress, 
under  such  adverse  circumstances,  is  necessarily  slow,  the 
digging  generally  being  done  with  a  pocket  or  case  knife. 
Sometimes  not  more  than  two  feet  is  made  by  twelve  hours 
of  hard  labor,  and  no  one  works  more  than  an  hour  at  a  time, 
as  the  foul  air  is  very  exhausting. 

The  Libby  tunnel  was  not  completed  in  less  than  a  month, 
the  officers  being  in  constant  dread  lest  it  should  be  dis- 
covered. But  it  was  not  even  suspected,  and  on  a  certain 
morning  everything  was  pronounced  ready  for  the  test  of  its 
practical  availability.  Those  who  had  done  the  most  work 
and  been  the  longest  in  confinement  had  precedence.  About 
ten  o'clock  the  prisoners  began  crawling  into  the  tunnel  one 
by  one,  while  the  entire  number,  including  those  who  had  no 
expectations  of  freedom,  lay  anxiously  awake,  awaiting  the 


1008  THE   GREAT   TUNNEL   AT  LIBBY  PRISON. 

result  of  the  undertaking.  When  daylight  came,  nearly  a 
hundred  and  twenty,  if  I  remember  rightly,  had  gotten  out ; 
after  that  hour  all  further  attempt  had  to  be  abandoned.  A 
few  poor  fellows  in  the  mouth  of  the  tunnel  were  obliged  to 
creep  back  and  surrender  the  prospect  of  freedom  for  which 
they  had  so  earnestly  longed. 

At  the  Libby,  as  in  most  prisons,  the  roll  was  called  and 
the  men  counted  every  morning  and  evening,  for  the  purpose, 
of  course,  of  seeing  if  anybody  had  escaped.  That  particular 
morning  at  the  Libby,  the  absence  of  the  one  hundred  and 
twenty  rendered  the  existence  of  a  tunnel  so  highly  probable 
that  the  rebels  at  once  set  about  finding  it,  and  in  less  than  an 
hour  they  succeeded.  They  were  angry  enough,  especially 
as  one  of  the  missing  was  Colonel  A.  D.  Streight,  who  had 
been  captured  with  a  number  of  his  men  on  a  raid  into 
Georgia,  and  whom  the  rebels  so  cordially  detested,  that  they 
refused  to  exchange  him,  or  the  officers  with  him,  thus  inter- 
rupting the  cartel  until  nearly  the  close  of  the  war.  I  knew 
Streight  very  well  in  captivity,  —  he  fell  into  the  enemy's 
hands  in  Georgia  on  the  same  date  that  I  had  a  similar  fortune 
in  front  of  Vicksburg,  —  and  I  was  rejoiced  at  his  getting 
away,  because  his  foes  were  so  anxious  to  retain  him. 

The  officers  who  escaped  had  a  very  severe  experience. 
Long  confinement  and  wretched  food,  not  to  speak  of  the 
poisoned  air  they  had  breathed,  had  rendered  them  weak  and 
incapacitated  for  exertion.  They  had  not  more  than  seventy- 
five  miles  to  go  to  reach  our  camp,  but  many  of  them  could 
not  march,  others  lost  their  way,  and  others  again  lacked  the 
nerve  and  will  to  push  steadily  on.  At  least  half  of  them 
were  retaken,  and  those  who  arrived  within  our  lines  were  in 
a  pitiable  condition.  They  had  suffered  from  want  of  food 
and  shelter;  were  excessively  fatigued,  and  so  foot-sore  that 
in  numerous  instances  their  toe-nails  came  off,  and  they  were 
unable  to  walk  any  distance  for  weeks  after. 

The  second  prison  in  Richmond  to  which  we  were  consigned 
was  the  notorious  Castle  Thunder.  There  was  no  more  oppor- 
tunity for  digging  tunnels  there  than  there  had  been  at  the 


HOW  PLANS  WERE  FRUSTRATED.  1011 

Libby  ;  and  jet  we  had,  if  not  expectations  of  escape,  a  settled 
determination  to  employ  every  possible  means  in  our  power. 
We  plotted  and  plotted  by  night  and  by  day ;  had  secret  com- 
munications with  Unionists  in  Richmond ;  had  rendezvous 
appointed  in  the  event  of  our  getting  out ;  had  the  guards 
bribed  ;  had  our  programme  fully  arranged  ;  indeed,  had  every- 
thing complete  except  our  escape.  The  fault  certainly  was 
not  ours  ;  for  prisoners  were  never  more  prudent,  never  more 
watchful,  never  worked  harder  than  we.  Fate  seemed  to  be 
against  us.  There  was  always  a  hitch,  a  tangle,  a  broken 
link,  for  which  we  were  not  in  any  way  responsible.  Having 
three  of  the  guards  properly  bribed,  one  of  them  on  the 
particular  night  when  we  intended  to  get  out  would  inevi- 
tably become  intoxicated;  some  agent  whom  we  had  trusted 
for  a  certain  emergency  would  fall  ill ;  a  highly  important 
message  would  miscarry  at  the  critical  moment;  and  thus 
were  we  cheated  of  our  exertion  and  enterprise  so  repeatedly 
that  it  is  singular  we  did  not  despair  altogether. 

We  were  betrayed  once  by  a  contemptible  Marylander, 
who,  himself  a  prisoner,  and  pretending  to  be  excessively 
loyal,  imparted  to  the  authorities  what  he  had  suspected,  in 
the  hope  of  gaining  their  favor.  The  result  was,  that  we 
were  thrust  into  a  noisome  dungeon,  and  kept  there  for  two 
weeks,  with  half  a  dozen  deserters  from  the  rebel  army,  who 
had  varied  their  military  life  by  forgery,  burglary,  and  assas- 
sination. Having  been  returned  to  our  old  quarters,  and 
having  just  formed  a  new  project  for  emancipation,  which  we 
felt  assured  would  fulfil  its  purpose,  we  were  ordered  off  to 
Salisbury. 

I  remember  that  three  or  four  desperate  rebels  in  the  con- 
demned cell  adjoining  the  apartment  in  which  we  were  con- 
fined, freed  themselves  in  an  audacious  manner,  that  entitled 
them  to  my  admiration.  They  sawed  through  the  floor,  keep- 
ing up  such  a  rattling  of  their  chains  while  at  work,  that 
nobody  could  hear  them,  got  down  to  the  first  floor,  seized 
each  a  loaded  musket  from  one  of  the  racks,  dashed  out  of  the 
front  entrance,  shot  one  of  the  sentinels  through  the  head, 


1012  TREATMENT   AT  SALISBURY. 

knocked  another  down  with  the  butt  of  a  gun,  ran  by  the 
third,  and  disappeared  in  the  darkness.  The  third  sentinel 
fired  his  piece  after  them,  and  a  general  alarm  was  given ; 
but,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the  Castle  was  in  a  much  fre- 
quented part  of  the  city,  the  bold  fugitives  got  clearly  away, 
and  were  never  seen  after  in  Richmond.  They  deserved  a 
prosperous  issue  for  their  reckless  courage  j  but  there  was 
something  of  luck  in  it,  and  I  doubt,  had  I  made  the  same 
attempt,  if  I  should  have  been  able  to  reach  the  outer  door. 

At  Salisbury  we  were  kept  like  cattle  (except  that  we  were 
not  nearly  so  well  treated),  in  a  large  enclosure,  sleeping,  or 
rather  lying  down,  in  an  old  building  formerly  used  as  a  cotton 
factory.  This  building,  with  a  number  of  miserable  out-houses, 
was  employed  as  the  prison  quarters,  until  some  thousands  of 
enlisted  Union  men  were  sent  down  there,  when  a  system  of 
freezing,  starving,  and  murder  seemed  to  be  deliberately  es- 
tablished by  the  rebel  commandant. 

Things  soon  became  so  bad  that  they  could  hardly  get 
worse.  It  was  death  to  remain,  and  even  if  an  attempt  to 
escape  proved  to  be  death  also,  we  thought  we  should  have 
the  satisfaction  of  dying  in  an  effort  to  obtain  freedom,  instead 
of  perishing  like  rats  in  a  hole. 

Salisbury  was  the  most  hideous  prison-pen,  not  even  ex- 
cepting Andersonville,  in  the  entire  South.  Its  one  redeem- 
ing feature  was,  that  it  was  not  without  facilities  for  tunnel- 
ling. These  did  not  amount  to  a  great  deal,  for  the  reason 
that  we  had  spies  in  camp ;  the  captives  being  made  up  of 
deserters  from  both  armies,  professional  ruffians,  and  mis- 
creants of  every  sort.  Moreover,  so  intense  was  the  suffer- 
ing that  not  a  few  men,  naturally  loyal,  but  not  of  heroic 
stuff,  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  treachery,  when  they 
knew  that  their  treachery  would  be  rewarded  by  the  food 
and  raiment  for  the  want  of  which  they  were  perishing. 

Tunnels  were  digging  constantly,  and  were  as.  constantly 
failing  for  the  reasons  I  have  mentioned.  As  my  friend  and 
myself  were  the  only  war  correspondents  at  Salisbury,  we 
were  individualized  to  our  fellow-captives,  and  having  been 


RIGID   SEARCH   OF  PRISONERS.  1013 

longer  in  prison  than  anybody  else,  they  were  not  only  willing, 
but  glad,  to  do  anything  which  would  aid  us  to  escape.  Con- 
sequently, we  were  informed  of  any  and  all  plans,  and  given  an 
interest  in  every  tunnel  that  was  projected,  begun,  or  partial- 
ly constructed.  After  one  had  fairly  gotten  under  way,  we 
would  be  invited  to,  and  we  would,  examine  it.  Creeping  on 
our  hands  and  knees  through  its  length,  and  then  retreating 
in  the  fashion  of  a  crab,  we  would  pronounce  the  tunnel  good, 
with  the  simultaneous  instinct  that  it  could  not  long  remain 
undiscovered  after  we  had  made  its  acquaintance. 

No  wonder  we  often  thought  we  were  destined  to  breathe 
our  last  in  durance  vile.  Every  scheme,  contrivance,  or 
device  for  our  deliverance  appeared  doomed  to  an  untimely 
nipping.  I  can  recall  a  dozen  occasions  when  I  entered  tun- 
nels in  the  evening  just  ready  to  be  tapped,  and  through 
which  I  intended  the  next  night  to  take  my  departure.  The 
first  thing  I  would  learn,  the  following  morning,  would  be,  that 
somebody  had  turned  informer,  and  that  we  must  have  re- 
course to  still  another  enterprise. 

I  never  did  much  work  myself.  I  was  as  willing  as  Barkis  ; 
but  1  had  little  skill  in  that  species  of  practical  engineering, 
and  was  so  much  excelled  by  my  companions  in  captivity  that 
I  did  not  insist  on  performing  my  share  of  the  labor.  So 
many  of  our  tunnels  had  exploded,  as  we  used  to  style  it,  that 
the  authorities  put  on  double  lines  of  sentinels,  compelling  us 
to  carry  a  tunnel  so  far  that  the  obtainment  of  oxygen  be- 
came impossible.  Sixty  or  seventy  feet,  or  even  eighty  or 
ninety,  may  be  managed ;  but  one  hundred  and  forty  or  fifty 
feet  cannot  be  accomplished  without  a  ventilating  apparatus, 
and  at  Salisbury  we  were  absolutely  without  implements  of 
any  kind.  It  was  quite  common  there  for  our  custodians  to 
draw  us  up  in  a  line,  and  compel  us  to  surrender,  not  only  our 
valuables,  on  pretence  that'we  might  bribe  the  guards,  but 
also  our  pocket-knives,  and  anything  that  might  in  any  way 
aid  us  in  our  liberation.  Old  scraps  of  iron,  and  whatever 
might  be  converted  into  a  sharp  instrument,  were,  therefore, 
in  active  demand,  and  the  supply  entirely  inadequate.  I 


1014  SEVERE  LABOR  IN  TUNNELS. 

recollect  that  I  was  hailed  with  joy,  on  a  certain  afternoon, 
when  I  exhibited  an  ancient  case-knife  that  I  had  contrived 
to  conceal,  and  which  not  the  neediest  rag-picker  in  Paris 
could  be  persuaded  to  throw  into  his  basket. 

How  the  poor  unfortunates  at  Salisbury  did  toil  at  tunnels, 
and  how  perverse  fortune  always  proved !  I  make  no  ques- 
tion that  scores  of  the  captives,  at  the  rate  of  three  dollars  a 
day,  woulcl  have  earned  hundreds  of  dollars  each  in  digging, 
and  all,  alas !  to  no  purpose.  The  fabled  industry  of  the 
Trojans  was  not  to  be  compared  to  theirs.  No  sooner  was 
one  tunnel  discovered  than  they  set  about  making  another, 
and  when  that  blew  up,  they  turned  to  a  third,  and  a  fourth, 
and  a  fifth,  and  a  sixth,  as  if  they  were  incapable  of  dis- 
couragement. Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human  breast, 
especially  when  the  human  breast  is  famishing  by  slow  de- 
grees, and  freedom  smiles  never  so  faintly  in  the  far-off 
distance.. 

If  there  be  any  severer  labor  than  tunnelling,  I  am  un- 
acquainted with  it.  The  first  time  I  became  a  digger  was  on 
a  hot  summer  day.  Armed  with  an  ordinary  jack-knife,  the 
blade  of  which  was  broken,  I  attacked  the  firm  earth,  and,  for 
nearly  two  hours  and  a  half,  strove,  like  Hercules,  against 
one  of  the  original  elements.  The  work  would  have  been 
nothing  in  the  open  air,  even  with  the  noonday  sun  blazing 
down ;  but  in  that  narrow,  underground  channel,  where  half 
a  respiration  was  impossible,  every  movement  of  the  muscles, 
every  throb  of  the  pulses,  every  beat  of  the  heart,  resembled 
a  spasm,  and  the  slightest  exertion  appeared  like  the  greatest. 
The  perspiration  started  from  all  my  pores,  my  head  ached, 
my  lungs  grew  painful,  my  breath  became  hot  and  stertorous. 
The  man  behind  me,  who  was  engaged  in  removing  the  dirt, 
insisted  on  my  stopping,  saying  that  I  was  overworking,  and 
that  an  hour  at  a  time  was  quite  as  much  as  anybody  ought 
to  endure. 

I  would  not  heed  him.  My  opposition  was  aroused,  the 
spirit  of  the  perverse  was  prompting  me.  I  had  determined 
to  stay  there  and  toil  as  long  as  I  could  move  my  hands,  or 


NARROW  ESCAPE  FROM  SUFFOCATION.  1015 

catch  a  breath.  I  went  beyond  my  resolution.  I  dug  and 
dug,  and  after  a  while  the  sense  of  semi-suffocation  and  the 
pain  in  my  breast  seemed  to  cease.  My  head  appeared  to  be 
on  fire ;  the  little  candle  I  had  before  me  shone  as  a  calcium 
light.  I  fancied  that  I  was  inspired,  that  I  could  never  be 
fatigued,  and  I  wrought  feverishly,  but  effectually,  until  my 
assistant  wondered  at  the  amount  of  earth  he  was  obliged  to 
carry  off.  I  imagined  that  hours  and  days  had  passed.  While 
I  was  delving  energetically,  though  wildly,  I  lost  conscious- 
ness, and  chaos  and  oblivion  came.  I  knew  nothing  more 
until  I  found  myself  stretched  on  a  blanket,  and  my  faithful 
Achates  —  noble  fellow  that  he  was  —  bathing  my  face,  chaf- 
ing my  temples,  and  wondering  if  I  should  ever  revive. 

Then  I  learned  that  I  had  swooned,  and  been  dragged  out 
of  the  tunnel  by  the  feet  —  more  dead  than  alive.  The  fever 
of  delirium  had  seized  me,  and  this  I  had  mistaken  for  inex- 
haustible strength.  Unquestionably  I  had  been  very  near  my 
end.  If  I  had  been  allowed  to  remain  there  five  minutes 
longer,  I  should  have  been  thrown  into  the  trench  near  the 
prison  where  so  many  poor  fellows  had  gone  before  me,  and 
have  furnished  the  theme  for  a  brief  obituary. 

Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death !  has  become  a  stereo- 
typed phrase.  It  is  impossible  to  tell  which  is  the  better  of 
the  two ;  but  I  came  much  nearer  gaining  one  than  the  other 
in  the  tunnel,  which  I  had  before  associated  only  with  the 
former. 

When  next  I  am  thrown  into  prison  —  I  do  not  believe  it 
will  be  in  my  own  country  —  I  trust  I  shall  have  the  means 
for  constructing  tunnels  after  an  approved  manner,  and  that 
they  will  not  continue  to  balk  my  desires,  and  cheat  my  ex- 
pectations. Tunnels,  I  must  confess,  have  treated  me  shame- 
fully. Again  and  again  I  have  built  high  thoughts  upon 
them;  again  and  again  I  have  placed  implicit  faith  in  them; 
again  and  again  I  have  crowned  their  issue  with  the  glorious 
symbol  of  freedom  ;  and  yet  while  they  kept  the  word  of 
promise  to  my  ear,  they  broke  it  to  my  hope.  Among  per- 
fidies they  have  been  most  perfidious,  among  treacheries  the 


1016 


HOPE   AND   DISAPPOINTMENTS. 


most  treacherous,  among  disappointments  the  most  disap- 
pointing, among  deceits  the  most  deceitful.  For  nearly  two 
wretched,  painful,  terrible  years,  I  thought  of  tunnels  kindly, 
advocated  them  warmly,  loved  them  tenderly,  labored  for 
them,  in  them,  through  them ;  and  still  in  the  hour  of  my 
direst  need,  and  in  the  mightiest  peril  of  my  being,  they  re- 
fused me  comfort,  gave  me  despair  for  bread.  I  never  shall 
forget —  I  never  can  forget — that  when  freedom  dawned  at 
last,  it  was  through  the  darkened  sky  overhead,  and  not 
through  the  opened  end  of  a  channel  under  ground. 


' 


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